Second Sunday of Advent

WE are on the Second Sunday of Advent, the second week of our preparation for the Second Coming of Christ and for the commemoration of His first coming on Christmas. Advent is preparation for Christ’s coming. We prepare as we open our hearts to his Word. We prepare that Christ may find us a worthy dwelling place. To understand the word “preparation” better, we should reflect on the theme of today’s liturgy.

The gospel reading (Mark 1:1-8) tells us that the best way to welcome Jesus is through personal conversion and cleansing. The call of repentance is loud and clear in the gospel reading. The voice of John the Baptist in the wilderness calls us to conversion and to focus on Jesus, the One who is to come.

As christians of today, how must we prepare for the coming of Christ? Preparation for the coming of the Lord is none other than repentance from sinful living. The first step in achieving this is by acknowledging our own woundedness, our poverty, our experiences of sin and rejection. And we ask the Lord to soften our hearts that we may change for the better and improve our lives. As the day or time of the coming of Christ is uncertain, we make sure that at any time of the day we are disposed to meet Jesus. We should not delay our conversion. The call to conversion is a call to live holy lives day by day.

As we light today the second purple candle in the Advent wreath, we are reminded of the significance of the color purple: conversion. As in the season of Lent, we are called upon to mend our ways and turn to God in the season of Advent. The best way to prepare for Christ’s second coming and to prepare for the celebration of Christmas is by cleansing our hearts from sin and darkness.

Advent is preparation time. It is not yet Christmas. Let us not let the glittering decorations and sparkling lights distract us from focusing on what is truly essential. Christ will come and he may come soon. When he comes, may He find us ready to welcome him into our hearts.