2nd Sunday Advent B

2nd Sunday in Advent – Year B – Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Proper preparation prevents pretty poor performance – or so we used to say when preparing to deliver our training courses when I worked for the Civil Service.

We advocated to all trainers and trainees the need for proper preparation. The need to prepare to deliver training; to understand the material; to know what it was that we needed to impart; to establish what our audience already knew and then how best to deliver our material to them so that it was received fully and positively.

And the need for trainees to gen up on the course-materials: what were they there to learn? What would they have to say to show they had understood the messages? How would they have to act to demonstrate their new-found capability?

Both trainer and trainee had to a lot of work even before they entered the classroom or learning environment to make themselves ready.

And so do we when we look forward to Christmas. We have to look at where we are now – mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Where are we at? What sort of state are we in? Are we prepared for the birth of our saviour?

And this isn’t about getting the decorations up or preparing the tree or decking out your house with bright sparkling lights – although if all of that puts you in a better place spiritually – then fine.

But what about us – deep inside: are we prepared?

There are many ways to make ourselves ready and like every trainer I have ever worked with – there is no one answer that suits each and every one. You have to explore many to find the one that fits you best: the one that, having completed all of its elements, leaves you confident that you can give of your best and can receive and process comments, concerns, feedback; enables you to respond fully and positively to your audience.

It is for us to respond as John responded, in humility, in reverence, in devotion and to set about preparing our lives and our souls to greet the Lord on Christmas Day. We can set aside a few moments of each day for additional time of prayer and contemplation. We can take up the opportunity each Sunday afternoon in Advent to spend a few moments here before the Blessed Sacrament – and it would be really heart-warming to see a few more than the trusty faithful few.

We can try and attend an additional mass or two during the week to set aside a few minutes to read the Bible alone or as part of the family or to say some prayers together.

We can try and take just a few moments to settle our minds from all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas rush and as my trainers would say – Ground Yourself – let all of your care, worries, woes and anxieties, drain into the ground – and become at peace.

If you can – stand now. Close your eyes. Be quiet inside. Don’t worry about anyone else for the moment. Breathe slow and deep. Push all of your weight through your body to your toes. Down through your finger-tips – really stretch down. And now – slowly, relax your feet, your toes. Relax the calves of your legs. Relax your waist and your chest. Relax your fingers, your hands and your arms. Relax your shoulders. And now relax your neck and your head. Breathe deep and slow – and sit down. Take just a few minutes or moments to relax and to ground yourself and you will feel your worries and your stress float away.

Try not to let Christmas be over before you realise it has even been. Prepare a way for the Lord; make his paths straight. Prepare yourself to greet the Lord and to be ready to receive his message of love. Prepare to change your lives to reflect that love in all you say and do. Prepare to rejoice and to fill your lives with celebration, Prepare to share this rejoicing with everyone that you meet.

How you prepare affects others. How you prepare enables others to give some, or more, of themselves and enables them to be better placed to receive, to understand, to act on what they have seen or heard.

Each and every one of us is a trainer, with the opportunity and the duty to impact positively on our neighbour. How we prepare ourselves impacts on how and what others understand. We want others to feel the joy that we feel at Christmas. We want others to feel as blessed as we do. We want others to be jubilant around us; full of God’s love for us, shown in the birth of his Son. We want to echo the joy we see in them and rejoice for and with them.

But to do this, we need to prepare them and us. Prepare ye the way of the Lord

Proper preparation prevents pretty poor performance.

Bidding Prayers

1.      That we all take time to prepare properly and fully for the Birth of our Saviour. Lord in your mercy

2.      That we each take the opportunity to read a little bit more of our sacred scripture and to take the love and beauty of this into our hearts, minds and souls. Lord in your mercy

3.      That Christmas becomes and is a time of true rejoicing and celebration in our lives and in our communities. Lord in your mercy

4.      That we reach out to those less fortunate than us and seek to give them the food, shelter, clothing and love that they need at this time.

5.      That those in our parishes, who are sick in mind, body or spirit receive the help they need at the time that they need it. Lord in your mercy

6.      That those who have died recently may find eternal rest with their Heavenly Father and that their families are comforted by the Holy Spirit

7.      That Mary joins her prayers with ours as we now say together, Hail Mary