Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah prophesied about John the Baptist as follows:

A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

So, today we commemorate John the Baptist, but December 6 is also the feast day of St, Nicholas. The former told us to Prepare the Way, and the latter gave us an example of how to do it.

Ste. Thérèse of Lisieux was another example of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as forespoken by Isaiah, and prepared by John the Baptizer. The Word Among Us has daily online meditations, and you can view the one for the particular day here. A glimpse at her Little Way is given in today's online meditation from Word Among Us:

As a cloistered nun, Thérèse Martin knew that she would never become a missionary. Still, she wanted to do something great for God, so she decided to devote herself to loving other people as Jesus loved them. In the simplest ways, she found opportunities to love—from smiling at a cranky nun to silently forbearing when another sister splashed her with laundry water. Love became her “little way” to God.

We are all called to Prepare the Way, and to live The Way, for Jesus is The Way.

Jesus identified himself with all who hear his voice, and who preach his words. But, even more so, he identified himself with the poor and the suffering as he says in Matthew 25 verse 40:

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

So, when we do good, particularly for the poor and suffering, we are not doing it as though we were doing it to Him, we are doing it to Him, for He is in them as He is in you and me.

John the Baptizer told us He was coming. He came and told us what he wanted of us, and saints like St. Nicholas and Ste. Thérèse show us ways to see Jesus in those we encounter on a daily basis, and how to love them as Him and in His Name.

Here is a simple song from the 1973 Godspell movie with a message for us all today: