Preparing Our Hearts for the Coming of Christ

Long ago the prophet Isaiah foretold that all nations would come to the Lord. Not only the chosen people, but every person, for in truth all belong to God. Isaiah spoke of a day when all people would walk in the light of the Lord and when peace would flourish among the nations. He was speaking to a people waiting for God to fulfill His promises, and Advent places us in that same posture of waiting.

The people of Israel longed for the Messiah who would save them from their enemies. They expected a political victory, yet their expectations were too small. God offered something far greater than relief from earthly trouble. He offered salvation itself. The Messiah came to deliver them from sin rather than from suffering.

We, too, are a people who wait. During Advent we wait for Christmas and we long to celebrate the birth of the Savior with joy. But like the ancient Israelites, we also wait for deliverance from the evils that burden our world and our own hearts.

And like them, we do not know when that day will come. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds His disciples that just as no one knew when the flood came upon the evil generation of Noah, so we do not know the hour when the Son of Man will appear. This uncertainty is not an excuse for complacency. We cannot live without regard for truth and goodness and beauty. Rather, because we do not know the hour of His return, we must always be ready to give an account of our lives.

Saint Paul tells the Romans to throw off the works of darkness and to live as children of the light. We cannot be slaves to our passions in jealousy or rivalry or lust. Instead, we conquer our passions through love.

Love is not a warm feeling. It is choosing the good of another for their sake, not for our own. This is how God loves us. He created us for our good, not His. He redeemed us for our sake, not His. Love always gives. Love always goes out of itself. For us, being ready means guarding our speech, resisting resentment, refusing to treat persons as objects, and choosing charity when it is difficult.

The Messiah comes in love, and He prepares a people who love. That is why Advent is a season of repentance and conversion. As we begin this Advent season, remember that we are waiting for Our Lord. He is coming, and we must be prepared. Our preparation is the work of selfless and sacrificial love. Love is freely given, and Jesus shows us that it costs everything, yet it brings the joy that no suffering can take away.