The landscapes of our towns have changed since Thanksgiving Day ended. Christmas is the next major celebration. We prepare for Christmas in the season of advent; a time we reflect on the coming of the Lord. It is no surprise therefore that our landscapes have become colorful again with lights and beautiful designs in preparation for Christmas. This season is important for our spirituality and for our eternal salvation because we remember the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem of Judea.

The period of Advent is for meditation and sober reflection about how God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son into our world. The first reading says, “I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” The passage is correct. His birth is to make us “right” and “just.” Thus, the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to us through the Davidic lineage. He was not only for the Jews but for the whole human race, believers in God’s love for the world.

For this reason, all men, and women all over the world need to feel the presence of a loving God. Many people in the past believed that God was indifferent to their feelings. But the birth of Jesus proved wrong. God descended from on high and lived among them by taking the form of a man. He did not come in a luxurious way, rather, he came via a manger, a poor stable in a farmer’s estate. His reason for doing this was to teach us humility and show us the way to God.

What are we do at this time of preparation toward the birth of Jesus? We need to return to a life of reflection and sober meditation about our eternal salvation. The gospel says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” The interpretation of this passage is to warn us about overindulgence on things that are mundane. We need to be awake and not drowsy with selfishness while the Lord’s Day approaches. Let’s look up to heaven for our redemption.

Staying awake for the day of the Lord means that we prayer always. Jesus says that before the coming of the son of Man, many people will live in fright. The glory of the Lord will overshadow this fright and bestow love in our hearts. “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

The message today is that though we decorate our landscapes with beautiful lights and designs, we need to beautify our hearts as well. Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem of Judea more than two thousand years ago is still important to us today. St. Paul the apostle urges us to conduct ourselves in a way pleasing to God using the instructions we have received. As advent begins, we inch closer to the big celebration of Christmas when the Virgin shall bring forth her lovely babe.

The outcome of our preparation is a celebration within our company including the baby and mother. For this reason, advent season brings the family together to reflect about family life and what can propel it forward until the coming of the Lord. Keep praying!

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