Windows into Advent - Day Three

Reflection

I love Advent! I think it’s probably my favourite time of year. It’s a time when we start excitedly preparing for what is coming, and for who is coming. We get things ready for our long expected guest. For me, it’s in the preparation that brings hope.

In our parishes, we change the colours from green to blue. We sing Advent hymns, pray Advent prayers, and share special stories to help us get ready for that wonderful mystery, the mystery that is Christmas. Additionally, we get ready by taking a long, honest look at ourselves, and at the world. We may ask the question, are we ready to receive a baby, a saviour? What are the dark places inside of us and in the world that need to have light shone on them? Are we prepared to step into this Advent season through prayer, reflection, and acts of kindness and generosity, both great and small?

This Advent, my prayer is that we will savour the Advent season. Let us pray that we will lean into the waiting, the hoping, the longing, and the preparing. Let us pray that we will taste the sweet flavour of anticipation and excitement that this time brings. Christ is coming, so let us prepare to receive him.

Scripture

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’” so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:1-8