Friends,
The invitation for this second week of Advent is to prepare a way for the Lord. The Gospel of Mark that we will follow throughout year B begins the revelation of the Good News with that same call of the prophet Isaiah that began our readings by inviting us to ‘Prepare a way for the Lord.’ In other words, John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness, calls us to repentance and renewal. John baptizes with water but also tells of the time when we will be made new by the Holy Spirit.
The words of Isaiah bring to this Sunday’s liturgy a cry of consolation for a people desperate for peace. As we make a straight path to welcome the Lord into our lives, he gathers us up into his arms like a shepherd, tenderly holding his lambs. The world is thirsting for this peace, the deep peace that only Christ can bring. In the second reading, Christ is not slow to respond to our desire for this peace. Peter’s letter to the early Christian community teaches that the Lord wants no one to be lost: he desires for all to be gathered unto himself. Since we do not know the time of the Lord’s return, our prayerful preparations will draw us nearer to the peace that he promises.
The Psalm is a prayer that speaks to the longing and yearning that is within us all. Advent is a sacred time of longing and preparation for the Lord, a time for waking up to listen to the Spirit calling deep within us.
Joy and peace
