Prepare the Way

"Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way of Thine only-begotten Son: that through His coming we may attain to serve Thee with purified minds."
Collect: Second Sunday of Advent
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"If we want to prepare our hearts for Jesus' coming, we, like St. john the Baptist, must detach ourselves from all the goods of the earth. John had left everything and gone into the desert to lead a life of penance. His example invites us to retire into the interior desert of our heart, far from creatures, to await the coming of Jesus in deep recollection, silence, and solitude, insofar as the duties of our state in life permit. We must persevere in this waiting, in spite or aridity and discouragement . 'The Lord shall appear and shall deceive us: if He make any delay, wait for Him, for He will come and will not tarry' (Roman Breviary).

"To our interior recollection, let us add a greater spirit of penance and mortification. Let us examine our generosity in practicing the penances and mortifications ... If we wish to taste the sweet joys of Christmas, we should know how to prepare ourselves with these dispositions which the Church invites us to pray for today: 'We beseech You, O Lord, to teach us .... to despise the things of earth and to love those of heaven.'"
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Reflection from Divine Intimacy: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D on the 2nd Sunday of Advent