Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!!!!!

Get Ready for Christ Our Savior!

The First Sunday of Advent, November 29th, 2009

I: Jer 33:14-16;

II: 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Gospel: Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Click here for video of Fr. Euteneuer presenting this Spirit & Life, the first of a four-part Advent Reflection Series.

Beware! Stay awake!

These admonitions are the first trumpet blasts of the Advent season, and they echo in every way the call to be prepared for the magnificent mystery of Christ Who is coming into the world. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is fulfilling the centuries-old promises that He made to the house of Israel for a Savior, and the Gospel cautions us not to let the great and glorious day of Christ's arrival catch us unprepared. We can't possibly stay in our comfort zones this Advent season - we must be ready!

When I went through Marine Corps boot camp I was told at the beginning that "the General" was going to come at the end of the six weeks and give us an inspection. We had better be ready to pass his test. At every point of the training we were reminded that "the General" was coming, and it was drilled into us that we were preparing for a grand test. At the end of the six weeks "the General" came, but no one saw him do the inspection. We figured it was all a ruse to keep us on our toes and preparing for - well - battle! There is nothing better than the anticipation of a General inspection to get your life and things in order.

During this Advent we must also prepare for battle - a spiritual battle, that is - and we have to get our lives in order for it. The Second Vatican Council says, "The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day." (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes 37:2) We are soldiers of the Church Militant, and we fight for all that is good and true and holy.

In our day and age, the greatest war we fight is the struggle to protect the sanctity of life, marriage and family. The attacks grow more relentless each day and the number of casualties is enormous. Will we fight with Him to defend the life of each and every unborn child? Advent is a time to ask ourselves that question and make sure that we are prepared for the battle and not playing into the hands of the Enemy through sloth or apathy. Will we defend marriage and the sanctity of the marital act from all immoral practices such as homosexuality, contraception, pornography and adultery? These are the main challenges of a slothful generation that has long ago given up fighting the most important battle - that is, the fight to save our immortal souls.

All Christ asks of us this Advent season is that we go back to basic training and prepare ourselves for those battles which only the Christian Church has the resources to fight. Remember that our "General" is coming soon - and we will want to be ready.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,

President, Human Life International