A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” As I read Mark’s recollection from Isaiah it got me thinking about how it can relate to us, today, in our own preparation for Christmas during this Advent season. While it is true that we are not physically living in a desert, which I was especially reminded of as I stepped outside on this chilly morning, I think many of us may feel like we are living in a spiritual or emotional desert, separated and cut off from those we love, lonely and afraid. Much like the Jews wandering for 40 years in the desert searching for the promised land. The good news for us is that our desert experience will, hopefully, not last for 40 years! Even so, we still feel the pain and loneliness of our own desert, but we have hope, we have an anticipation of good things to come. We can see a light at the end of the tunnel. But that light at the end of the tunnel is not the vaccine, it is Christ. Shining in all his glorious radiance when he took on our lowly flesh and entered into this world as one of us. This season of Advent is definitely different for many of us, but it is all the more reason to have hope in Christ. To be in anticipation of his coming, and not just symbolically when we celebrate his birth at Christmas, but spiritually in our hearts as we grow closer to him in our own desert caused by the Coronavirus. We need to be crying out in our deserts “Prepare the way of the Lord” to remind ourselves daily to be open to Christ, to prepare ourselves for his coming, to be like the 5 virgins who brought oil for their lamps in preparation for the coming of the bridegroom. Anticipation of better things to come, a vaccine to get us back to normal, a savior being born, the bridegroom returning. During this season of Advent, I pray that we all take the time, like the 5 wise virgins, to prepare for the bridegroom. To fill the oil of our hearts with his word and trim the wick of our lives with prayer. To remember we are not alone and to rest easy knowing that there is a God who loves us and who will never abandon us. God Bless.

Pax Christi,
John Mihalko