Is. 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps. 85: 9-14; 2 Peter. 3:8-14; Mk. 1:1-8
Prepare the way of the Lord! Has the Lord come to us this day? Have we prepared to receive him? The Lord sends out his messenger, first it was John the Baptist then came the Lord and now it is our turn to “make straight in the wasteland” of a sinful world “a highway for our God!” “Let it begin with me” is the appropriate prayer in creating a human highway of souls ascending to the Lord by making straight our own lives as a channel of grace.
Prepare the way of the Lord as a channel of grace by caring for his people. The Lord comes in the “other” to be received by how we treat our neighbor. Grace comes from the Hebrew “to show favor” as the Lord will show favor in us to care for his people. His grace is the gifts we receive to minister to others of the love of God with spiritual and corporal works of mercy. As we prepare the way of the Lord in service to others by virtue of our fiat we are being prepared for our own highway to God.
In scripture we see how angels appeared to his people to prepare their way and give knowledge in the path to follow. He did this to Mary, to Joseph, and to the disciples. He can do this for us for he promised even greater things to those willing to serve as instruments in salvation history. Be the difference. Invite the Lord to send you his messenger but don’t look to the sky, look to the other who is being a channel of grace for you. The Lord works through us to bring about his kingdom and manifest his love. “If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts” (Psalm 95) make a difference.
In the 1980’s my wife and I were heading the youth ministry at our parish. We had planned a summer trip for them at Garner State Park. On our way back home, we stopped in San Antonio at the Alamo. I told my wife I only had $10 left for gas. These days we carried no credit cards. My son needed to go to the bathroom so we went looking for a place and found one. Inside the stall he said to me “Dad, I found a penny on the floor”. I looked down to the floor instinctively and saw a wallet. I opened the wallet and it had no identification, it was empty except for one folded bill. I pulled it out and realized what it was. I told my son, “Hey Mark, I found $100 dollars”. As we made our way back to the group, I told my wife what I had found and was sitting on the wall of the Alamo when from the crowd an old ragged looking man approached me quietly and placed his hand out. Immediately I thought God provided me money for our needs and now out of all the crowded people this man comes to me. I pulled out my $10 dollars and gave it to him. He did not say a word to me, just turned and disappeared back into the crowd. This was my God encounter of the day. God comes for our salvation when we are watchful for his coming.
“The Lord does not delay his promise…but he is patient” with us in the ever presence of the moment seeking our salvation that we may turn from our sins and see the face of the Lord and not perish. For the Lord time is as if yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all one “one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day”. This is our time to be mindful of our ways, come to repentance and remain in the spirit of sanctity. Our wait and bringing about that day of righteousness comes with victory over death in life by “conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion”. This is our day for us to claim our victory over death by living the sanctity of life. Live it!
“Do not ignore this one fact…that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away…and all the elements will be dissolved by fire…” The Lord has come in history, he is coming this day for us and he will come again at the end of time when time will end and eternal begin. Eternal glory or eternal fire is coming and this is our time to prepare the way of the Lord and be received into “the new heavens and a new earth” of righteousness or receive the fire the unrighteous. Prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus is the way.
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