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Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The other day, I drove to CVS. As I was exiting my car, I noticed a large, white suburban parked next to me with several bumper stickers plastered on the back. One of them read:
“Not driving under the influence. Just avoiding potholes!”
To me, there’s something very “New Jersey” about that – the honesty, the humor, and yes, the potholes. Sometimes stretches of the Turnpike resemble a slice of Swiss cheese more than an actual road.
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But rough roads are nothing new. In fact, the roads today are much smoother than they’ve been historically.
In the ancient world, roads were terribly uneven. They were often constructed with large stones or left unpaved, leaving wide gaps and potholes along the way.
One of the few times roads were paved was when a king was passing through.
Prior to visiting a town, he’d send a messenger ahead of him, alerting the villagers of his impending arrival. It was their responsibility to fill in the gaps in the road, making his journey as comfortable as possible.
A smooth road was a sign of welcome.
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This is the action that John the Baptist is urging in today’s Gospel. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he says, “Prepare the way of the LORD, make straight his paths…Winding roads shall be made straight and rough ways made smooth.”
Jesus, our king, desires to visit us. John is announcing his coming. Now is the time to prepare for his arrival.
So, where are the potholes in my life? What makes it difficult for the Lord to enter more deeply into my heart?
There may be damage caused by mistakes or poor judgment. But, often enough, what impedes the Lord is simply the tension caused by daily life – the potholes of technology, mental health, work, anxiety, laziness, and the stress of the holidays.
These things distract us from prayer and from contemplating the deeper realities of our faith.
Advent is the time for us to pause, to ponder, to go deeper, to begin filling those holes.
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This Tuesday night at 7 pm, we will celebrate an Advent penance service, along with Eucharistic Adoration. It’s the perfect opportunity to prepare the way of the Lord, making straight his path.
Perhaps you desire to hear those words of Jesus, “I absolve you.” Maybe you just need a quiet moment with the Lord. Either way, come and experience his love.
As our parish vision statement reminds us, we are, “All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”
Come and journey with us this Advent. Come, prepare the way of the Lord.
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I can still see that bumper sticker on the back of that white suburban: “Not driving under the influence. Just avoiding potholes!”
But as Christians we are, in a sense, under the influence of the Holy Sprit, who enables us not only to avoid those pot holes, but also to fill them in.
As we journey together this Advent, may we all prepare the way of the Lord, making straight his path.
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Image credits: (1) Navajo Times (2) National Gallery of Art (3) Orthodox Christian Network