Prophets Prepare & Invite!
Dear Friends,
Over the course of Advent, we are approaching Christmas from the angle of secrets, thinking about how even God keeps and reveals secrets to his chosen ones. One group of chosen ones are the prophets. Prophets are not fortune tellers. And, since I am mentioning fortune tellers, allow me just to detour here and briefly remind everyone to steer clear of psychics, palm readers, tarot cards, ouija boards, and anyone who claims they can summon the dead. These are avenues for idolatry and demonic influence, and so should be absolutely avoided. Prophets, however, are different.
Prophets attend to and then speak God’s word. Prophecy is a gift from God. God assists prophets to tune in to what God is saying and doing. God shares his secrets with the prophets, and when the time is right, prophets reveal the will of God. Now it may not be well known or appreciated, but all the baptized are anointed priest, prophet, and king - meaning we are all called to exercise the gift of prophecy. We are all called to tune into what God is saying and when the time is right, to speak that word into the world.
John the Baptist stands front and center as the big prophet of Advent. He is like a hinge between the Old and New Testaments. He stands in the wilderness as a voice crying out: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths!” (Mk 1:3) John wants everyone to be prepared for the coming of the Lamb of God.
But these words are first the words of Isaiah the prophet, the other great Advent prophet, who reveals some of the most wondrous and illuminating details about the coming of the Son of Man. There are also minor prophets, or perhaps we should call them little prophets, who listen to God’s word, point to the truths of God, and prepare the way of the Lord. Even Zechariah, made mute by the Angel during Elizabeth’s pregnancy, is a lovely - and somewhat humorous - sign for us that God is at work (see: Lk 1:5ff).
Part of preparation is setting things aside that are not of the Lord, in other words, repentance - or the conversion of mind and heart to God. Repentance makes straight the path in our heart to God, opens up our spiritual ears so that we can better hear and heed the voice of the Lord. Our Day of Reconciliation is 12/9, from 10am to 5pm. Depending on when you are reading this, you may have missed it - but I hope the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be part of your Advent preparation for Christmas. You may find the Examination of Conscience here.
Another beautiful aspect of preparation is invitation. Who are you inviting to the Christmas celebrations? Whenever we are having a gathering, we make a guest list. We think about (and even pray about) who we would like to invite. We extend an invitation. Inviting is part of the role of the prophet.
Not only can we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Emmanuel, but we can also prepare the way for others to come to know the Lord. God wants to be known and to be better known by his people. Perhaps God is inviting you to be a John the Baptist in the lives of others. He wants you to prepare the way for others to get to know Him this Christmas. Won’t you extend an invitation to someone to join us for Christmas Masses this year? Save this graphic and send it to those you wish to invite to Mass. Or you can find it on our social media pages. Search Our Lady of Perpetual Help—Maple Shade, NJ, on Facebook or @olphms on Instagram.
Be courageous!
Fr. Wilson
