 “What can I bring?” This is the polite thing to ask when we are invited somewhere. Even when the host says that all that is required is our presence, we feel better bringing something. We do not like showing up empty-handed, but kids tend not to worry about that. They know deep inside that what they need to bring is not something that can be bought from the store on the way to the party. The gift for the host is their presence… and their appetite. It can be very frustrating to spend a lot of money, time, and effort preparing a feast for your guests and then have some of them arrive not hungry. Perhaps they came from another party or didn't know dinner would be served. Whatever the reason is, their capacity to receive has been diminished. They can still receive friendship and love; they can still be entertained, but they are not capable of receiving the feast that was prepared for them in the way it was intended. They might not ever know it, but they are missing out. Advent is a time of preparation, of making room for God to be born in our hearts. That means that we need to let go of things that are taking up the spaces that are meant for Him. If our hearts had an index and we looked up the "Christmas" section, what would we find inside? Would we find an empty place in need of a Savior, or is it filled with other things? We need to let go of our expectations of what things are supposed to look like and show up hungry for Christmas. We have to let go of the past. Whether it is happy memories… or painful ones, the gift of God is in the present. We can only receive Him if we make room for Him in our hearts. We need to learn to be in the discomfort of the empty space; we need to learn to persevere in our hunger. During the last week of Advent (between December 17th and the 23rd), the Church prays the O Antiphons before the Magnificat in the Evening Prayer. These ancient prayers express the deep longing and hunger for the Messiah, the deepest desire of every human heart. Come, Lord Jesus! O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Radiant Dawn, O King of All Nations, O Emmanuel… Come! Don’t ruin your appetite. He is coming… O Bread of Life… Come!
 During the Season of Advent, it is good to remember that we are commemorating and reliving the time just before our Lord Christ was born. We learn from the Old Testament that the Hebrews, His chosen people, expected Him to come as a figure of power, the Messiah of the Judaic tradition. They had not been yet freed, neither from foreign powers nor sin, but lived in the expectation that the Messiah would soon come to fulfill the Scriptures. That is because even from the times of the prophet Isaiah, they were told to expectantly wait for Him. They were called to transform their world to hasten the coming of the Lord. The means of their salvation was growing near, and it required their own efforts and contributions so that the Glory of God would be revealed.
Now, looking at this period of historical time in the light of the New Testament, we know that Jesus, the Messiah, did not come as a figure of political power but as the Savior of humankind. The call from Isaiah was still there, resonating with the people able to understand that Christ our Lord came to redeem us from sin and establish the Kingdom of Heaven. Just before Christ came to His public ministry, the Hebrews were called to repentance. John the Baptist preached: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (John 3:2). John the Baptist called the people to stop for a moment, consider their lives, and repent of their sins. He called them to accept a baptism of repentance, a symbolic cleansing that helped the people prepare for the Lord’s coming. Going thought that immersion in the water was their way to renounce sin. That was the way they committed to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Luke 3:4). The time of John the Baptist was, in many ways, the original Advent season. He still calls us today to prepare ourselves, through committed action, for a life in Christ.
As the most perfect gift to us from the Father, Christ is born into the world. Through Jesus’ life, all of Scripture is fulfilled. Through the Paschal Mystery, we are redeemed. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are adopted as children of God. Our baptism through Christ is the baptism of Spirit. This is not symbolic as the baptism of repentance is. We are genuinely cleansed of our sins. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are united to the Holy Trinity through the Sacraments. This is the realization of our expectation. It is what we prepare for in Advent. We must remember that. During Advent, our Season of Expectation, we are called yet again to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4-5) As John the Baptist did so long ago, we welcome the Advent. We immerse ourselves in the waters of penance and joy. We remember that we are sinners and repent sincerely, yet also rejoice because we know we have a Savior who loves us. We will soon celebrate the Christmas season, where we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ in that humble manger so long ago. We cherish the image of the Holy Family. We celebrate that, in the same way as the shepherds were invited to gaze upon their Savior, we are also asked to acknowledge Christ as our beloved Redeemer, Lord, and King. But before we celebrate, we must purify. We must recognize our faults and work towards fixing them, for that is our way to make straight the path. The Christmas lights and tree are probably already up. The Christmas music is already on the radio. Parties are scheduled. Gifts are bought and maybe even wrapped. But let us stop for a moment and take some time to silently and peacefully consider how to welcome Christ more fully into our lives. Let us take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us attend Mass and partake of the Eucharist. Let us show Him we are prepared. Let us pray: Christ, you came to redeem the world and fulfill all Scripture. You are the Will of the Father. Help us to grow into consideration of all Your love and sacrifice. Help us to repent of our sins and grow in true humility. Help us to grow in expectation of You. That our hearts be ready to receive You once again as our beloved Lord and Savior. Amen.
 Dearest Eucharistic Family, Follow the Star by your interior life. We are in Advent, preparing the Way of the Lord in our souls to find Heaven now through the Eucharist. What if we heard Jesus say?...
We know from all that has been prophesized that suffering is part of our journey home, self-sacrifice a sign of true love. Divine Providence reveals Itself. We can see when we are open to what is beyond the veil of this life. We follow the STAR through our interior life with Jesus. Blessed to receive Jesus daily in Holy Communion so He may speak to the depths of our existence and keep us securely on the journey to everlasting life. Let us prepare the way of our Lord, His birth and second coming, by finding perfection in God’s Will, allowing the Holy Spirit to help us find God’s Will by “keeping watch of our interior state carefully.” (St. Peter Julian Eymard)
 Advent… a time to prepare, a time to expect. Being the mother of three sons, I find it natural to experience Advent thinking of the expectation of Mary. I can relate to being pregnant, to the wait and the hope of seeing the face of the life growing inside. I remember preparing the crib, buying the clothes, and sitting in the nursery waiting, filled with wonder and hope. This year though, I feel a different kind of wonder. This year I find myself wondering… What if? What if this Advent, letting go of expectations, we become the expectation? What if instead of preparing to receive, we prepare to be received? My father used to always say, “Christmas is for the children.” He wouldn’t allow my mom to gift us socks or clothes; Christmas was the time to get toys. Growing up before the internet was a thing, before Black Friday sales dictated what the “must-have” items for the season were, preparing for Christmas meant sitting down with the big fat Sears Christmas Wish Book and seeing which toys were available that year. We would help our parents untangle the strings of Christmas lights, help decorate the house, and work on our list for Santa. That was it. We would then wait for Christmas morning, knowing it would be great. I knew what I wanted and who I needed to ask for it, and I trusted he would come through for me… Santa never disappointed me. As I reflect on these memories, I wonder… when did it become so hard to make a wish list? And I don’t mean one of material things, but my soul’s wish list.
Knowing what you need and what you want is at the core of being childlike. As soon as a child begins to speak, the parent starts asking… What do you need? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you in pain? If those needs are expressed and then met, the child learns to trust, both the caregiver and himself. The child realizes his needs are valid and, exploring his desires, comes to a greater knowledge of himself. What is your favorite color? What is your favorite food? What do you like to do?
Then life happens… sin enters in. Broken, limited human love disappoints us, and we project that unto God. We spend years creating and nurturing a false self, one who is self-reliant, “adult-like,” less likely to get hurt. Desires that are too lofty and might not be met are numbed down, traded for ones deemed acceptable, tangible, easy to achieve by oneself.
While our faculties are busy taking care of our families, performing our duties, preparing for Christmas, let us allow our souls to rest with Jesus in the womb of Mary, being fed and nurtured, allowing our lungs to expand and develop. Perhaps this Advent we can take some time in prayer to let God affirm us in our identity, to just be and let the truth of who we are sink in. What if we sit in prayer and ask Our Father, What child is this?
It is here where the Spirit will come to our aid and ask for what we truly need.
That is it. We can then wait for Christmas morning, knowing it will be great. Our soul knows what we want and Who we need to ask for it… we just need to remember and trust that, just as He always has, He will come through for us… God will never disappoint.
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AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. FOLLOW IVONNE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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