Reading 1
Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Gospel
Lk 1:57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”
Meditation: Malachi 3:1-4,23-24
Yes, he is coming! (Malachi 3:1)
Advent is a time of anticipation, a time to prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. As part of this preparation, it’s a good idea to take inventory of our spiritual lives and reflect on the past year’s successes and failures in our relationship with the Lord.
Many times we plan to do something special to help us prepare for Christmas. Perhaps we consider attending daily Mass, having a more consistent prayer life, or something else that will put us in a better position to receive Jesus into our hearts more deeply. And yet, despite our best-intentioned plans, the busyness and complexity of life make it hard to follow through. We know we should, but we find it difficult to rearrange our other obligations so that we can be with the Lord. As a result, we rush around getting ready for our celebrations, buying Christmas gifts, and attending social events, but we lose sight of the grace that God is offering us.
It’s only two days before Christmas. What plans did you make four weeks ago? What goals did you set for this Advent? Have you met them? The good news is that it is never too late to welcome Jesus. It’s never too late to remove whatever obstacles exist between you and him. Even now, God is standing next to you, eager for you to turn to him so that he can shower you with his blessings.
Why not try to get to Confession before Christmas? Or at least sit quietly with Jesus in prayer, and ask him to set you free from any sins that are weighing on you. It’s still not too late to know the joy of being forgiven. In the kingdom of God, there is no such thing as a late start. You may not feel entirely ready for the celebration, but you will still know his presence, because every time you take one small step toward God, he takes a giant leap toward you. Let him come in and purify you, making you like gold or precious silver!
“Come, Lord Jesus! Let me receive your mercy so that I can know peace and tranquility during this hectic time. Even now, I want to prepare myself to welcome you with an open heart on Christmas Day.”
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