By Jonathan Camiolo

 

I am not good at waking up in the morning.  Just today I got up very early and had to set two alarm clocks, with one being across the room so I actually have to put my feet on the floor to turn off the annoying loud beeping.  If I only have one within reach of my bed I hit the snooze and don’t even know that I have so when I wake up two hours later I am shocked.  It has caused me to miss some important things over the years.  I have learned that I need two alarms and even then sometimes everyone in my house is awake before I hear them.  My alarms have become a torture for everyone…but they don’t seem to bother me.  Sometimes I find someone in my room hitting me to get me up and they seem agitated.  Usually it is someone shouting from another room or the hall “Wake up Jon!” or “Turn that alarm off!” or “Get up already!”

 

In the Gospel, we hear that there was a voice crying out in the wilderness, a voice in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord.  It is time to make straight our lives and be ready for God to come.  That is this what this season of Advent is – a time to prepare and a time to tidy up our lives.  We need to prepare our hearts like we do our house when visitors are coming for the holidays.  We vacuum, dust, clean out rooms and make sure that everything is in right order.  Maybe the house got to be a mess over the course of weeks and months of being busy or lazy, but now is the time to catch up on those parts of our lives.

 

Are you ready for Christ this Christmas?  December 25th is coming no matter what, and whether or not you have your shopping done, the presents wrapped or all the cards mailed, it will be here.  It is a celebration of Christ our Saviors birth.  He is coming!  Please make sure that you ponder about your life and take a look to see if you are ready.  Take one less trip to the mall and instead maybe you can stop by church for a few minutes of quiet prayer and reflection.  So count this as the voice crying in the desert to you – “STOP, THINK, and MAKE SURE YOUR READY FOR JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS!”

 

Think. Pray. Decide. Change.  

 

You are loved!