The word from the Promises of the Sacred Heart on which we will reflect for the next four weeks is "Consolation". The word comes from two Latin terms, con=with and solari=soothe, comfort. To be a consolation, a person must be able to stand with those needing to be consoled. In this season of Advent, we turn to two of our great examples of faith, Mary, the Mother of Jesus and John the Baptist to be our consolation.

Every year, the Third Sunday of Advent focuses on the person of John the Baptist. John is presented as an Old Testament figure, a stern prophet living in the desert announcing the Kingdom of God. John stood with his people, boldly proclaiming the message of the prophets and the need for repentance. John is a person of Advent, someone who is vigilant in watching and preparing for the Messiah and earnestly sharing God‘s message with others.

Around the Third Sunday of Advent each year we also focus on the person of Mary, celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary is also in line with the great women of the Old Testament; like Hannah who praised God for the gift of her son, the future prophet Samuel, like Sarah who miraculously gave birth to Isaac, ensuring the continuation of the line of Abraham, like Mary‘s own kinswoman, Elizabeth who brought to birth John, the precursor to Jesus. Mary stands with us, her children, giving us strength to respond to God‘s Will and praising God‘s work in us. Mary is a person of Advent, earnestly conforming her will to the Will of God and vigilantly preparing for the birth of her son.

These two models, Mary and John, are people of consolation after whom we should pattern our lives. Like John, we acknowledge that there is one savior of the world, and it is not us! What a consolation that is! We accept his challenge to change the things that need to be changed in our lives so that we might truly be the holy people God created us to be. Like Mary, we actively support God‘s growth within us so that we reflect more and more the love of the one who created us.

At this time of the year, many of us spend time decorating the house, buying presents and preparing special holiday foods. We prepare for Christmas like no other feast in the year. But we are also involved in preparations for many different things and these preparations become an important part in our lives. In preparing for a test, we study the pertinent information. In preparing for a voyage, we pack clothing and articles we think will be necessary for the trip. In preparing for a presentation for work, we organize data and ideas and prepare charts or brochures. In preparing for a wedding or other celebration, we rent halls, hire caterers and bands, send out invitations and buy new clothes. In preparing for a new child, we paint a nursery, buy a car-seat, a crib, diapers and toys.

We always seem to be preparing for something. Most of our work of preparation is physical activity of some type. The preparation mentioned in today’s Gospel is both a physical and spiritual action. John the Baptist echoes the words of the prophet, Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Isaiah gets even more descriptive as he states that our preparations include filling in every valley and bringing down the mountains, very tough physical work for a people with no power tools.

So how do we prepare the way of the Lord? In physical ways, we prepare the way by works of charity and justice; when we feed the hungry and take care of the needs of those around us, when we visit the sick and act with kindness to the elderly, when we teach and support our children and when we speak well of our neighbor. In spiritual ways, we prepare the way through prayer and reflection; when we join the Church in its action of praise at Mass and in our own private devotions. We prepare ourselves spiritually through the attitude with which we enact every other action of our day, an attitude of humility and peace. The way is often difficult to prepare but we have many workers.

May this season of preparation bless you and your families with the Lord’s peace.