December 23, 2016
LK 21:12-19
On this final day of Advent, one simple question remains: are you ready? Our society begins playing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving and constantly airing Christmas ads which reveal the best sales of the year; however, do these help us to be ready to encounter Jesus Christ? The first reading tells us that “he [Jesus] is like the refiner’s fire”. The presence of Christ in the manger illuminates our world, bringing joy and celebration to the ends of the Earth.
The Gospel narrates the story of John the Baptist’s birth. Zechariah, muted for his disobedience, asserts that his sons name will be John. At that moment, his mouth was opened and “spoke blessing God”. How many times have we been tuned out to God’s will for us? Let the spirit of the Christmas season allow us to open our minds and our hearts to God’s desires for all of us so that we may truly be ready for the coming of Christ.