Whenever I hear today’s Gospel reading about “prepare ye the way of the Lord…” I cannot help but think of the Broadway musical “Godspell”. That phrase is one of the leading lines in that show and was permanently engraved in my brain as a teenager. Aside from being a popular tune, it also serves as a reminder for me to examine myself spiritually. Advent is a glorious time of anticipation and longing for the coming of the Lord. It is also a time for introspection and a reality check. Have we prepared ourselves for God? In our first reading from Isaiah, we get a sense of the glory and majesty of our God and the root growing from Jesse. We are told to cast aside our sorrow and begin to allow the joy of God into our hearts. St. Paul follows up on this and reminds us to live righteously and put away things that may cause us to fall away from our God. In other words it is time to take our Faith seriously and stop playing games with our walk with our beloved Savior. Sometimes we get so caught up in the decorations, the shopping, the relatives, the tree, and the presents that we forget to really honestly look at ourselves. Where are we in our relationship with Christ? Are we simply going through the motions? It is time to step back and take a few deep breaths and have a talk with God. Spend some time in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. How about confession? Is that on your “to do” list? What are you doing this Advent to prepare your soul? I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said “Jesus is the reason for the season”. When was the last time you spent time with Him? So this week, schedule some time with the Almighty, go to Reconciliation and let this Advent season be a time of renewal and refreshment for your soul. If you do these things, your Advent season will be wonderful and you will indeed be preparing the way for the Lord…Something to think about… and may God richly bless you always…