I was baptized on the first Sunday of Advent. As a little baby, I had no idea that the day I was welcomed into the Church was also the beginning of a new liturgical year and the day we begin to prepare both for Jesus’ coming at Christmas as well as his second coming at the end of time. I like that I spent my first few weeks as a Catholic waiting on the Lord. It seems like we spend most of our lives in a waiting period: waiting for that perfect new job, waiting for that special someone, waiting on notifications from social media apps. Often in this waiting, we are impatient; praying along the lines of, “God, give me patience and give it to me now.” Instead of taking the time of waiting to prepare, we grasp for things and impatiently sit there, watching every minute pass fruitlessly. But the waiting in Advent is different. We know that the Incarnation is coming, that salvation is near. It’s not just another item on our checklist to cross off before Christmas; this waiting is a longing, an ardent desire for Christ. This was the prophet Isaiah’s prayer in the first reading today. He desperately longs for God to come in awesome wonders and signs to bring His people back to him, and ends this prayer with surrender to God’s control: “We are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” Ask yourself, “Am I allowing God to shape me in my waiting?”

When we desire something this deeply, we usually prepare for it. We perfect that resume to get the job, join dating apps to meet a soulmate, and update our own social media pages. Advent isn’t just a time of waiting, but of preparation. Every time my mom has company over, she makes a huge production out of cleaning, putting out decorations, and making the best food. I find that I enjoy those times with friends more because I prepared, and I learned something in that time. Jesus asks the same of us in today’s Gospel: “Be watchful! Be alert!… You do not know when the Lord of the house is coming… May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.” We know that God has not forgotten us, and that salvation is at hand. He is waiting for us, too. Advent is expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation, and joyful preparation. What are you going to do during these next four weeks to prepare your heart to welcome the Lord? Whether you choose to spend time in daily prayer, go to Confession and daily Mass, volunteer your time to serve others, or some other way of preparing, may He find us all watching and waiting.

-- Michelle Boris, Youth Minister