In some liturgical circles, last Sunday, November 27, marked
the beginning of the season of Advent for the year 2011. This, the period
beginning four Sundays before Christmas, is the time of year during which we
prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord. On a natural plane, we decorate
our homes and buy gifts for family and friends; on a spiritual plane, we purify
our hearts.
The spiritual tradition dates back to the days of John the
Baptist, a man who was appointed by God to announce the coming of Christ and
“prepare [His] way” (see Mal. 3:1) by encouraging the people to
repent of their sins. The Bible tells us, “The word of God came to John
the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around
the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it
is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The voice
of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His
paths straight” ‘ ” (Luke 3:2-4, NKJV).