Prepare the Way of the Lord

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This past Sunday at Mass, the second Sunday of Advent, our young deacon, a seminarian at the Pontifical College Josephinum, assisted Father in the Mass. He read the Gospel and then remained at the ambo to deliver a homily. I was a bit surprised, because, in general, our priests homilize, but I was certainly curious to hear his message. I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact, after Mass I asked him if he had his homily written down, and told him I'd like to publish it on my blog. He agreed to write it down and send it to me, and he did. So, today I am posting his story of preparation for Our King.

Prepare the Way of the Lord
by Deacon Victor Feltes

Imagine if, once upon a time, you are the chief minister to a king in his kingdom and, one day, he summons you into his presence. You enter the royal chamber and come before the king’s awesome throne. He says to you, “I wish to come to my people. Tell my people to prepare the royal road for me. If they need anything for their work, they need only to ask and I will provide it.”

As chief minister you see to it that parchments are written and given to the heralds. They run ahead to the distant towns and cry out, “Hear the message of our king. He wishes to come to you, his people. Prepare the royal road for him. If you need anything for this work, you need only to ask him and he will provide it for you.”

The day for the journey arrives, and the king, wearing his purple robes and jeweled crown, climbs into a golden carriage drawn by eight black horses. You climb in as well, for as the king’s chief minister you travel together. At his command the caravan sets out from the castle and exits the gates of the king’s city of white stones into the rolling, green fields of the country. After a time, you come to the untamed hills and wilderness, and it becomes obvious that the rough and winding road has not been prepared for the journey. With every jarring and unpredictable jolt of the carriage you are reminded that the road has been neither cleared, nor leveled, nor straightened, nor smoothed.

The king says, “Tell them to stop.” You give the order to the driver. Now what will the king do? He climbs out of the carriage, calls for his white horse, mounts it, and journeys on. After awhile, the low-hanging tree branches, which were not cut down, make it harder and harder to ride, until this becomes impossible. The king raises his arm and his entourage stops again.

He dismounts and continues to journey on foot. But the road has not been widened, and the branches and thorns tangle in the king’s crown and catch and tear the king’s robe. He calls you over to him, removes his crown and his purple cape and hands them to you to carry. Now you and the king are walking together.

Eventually, you gather the courage to speak of something you have been wondering for many miles.

“Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” says the king.

“You could always turn back. Why do you keep journeying on?"

The king answers, “I love my people, and I want to come to them.”

“Pardon me Lord, but your people are not only poor and weak, they are disobedient. They have not even done what was in their power to do.”

The king says, “It is true that my people are limited, and sometimes they are sinful, but I love them because they are good, and I will come to them—if I can.”



This Christmas, Christ our king wishes to come to us, to you and your family. During these weeks of Advent we can prepare a royal road for Him in how we live our lives. We can make low every hill of sin. We can fill in every valley with loving works and good deeds. And if we need anything for this work, we need only to ask Him in prayer and He will provide it for us. Prepare the way of the Lord. If you work to be more faithful and holy this Advent, how will the Lord come and manifest Himself to you? What obvious gifts of grace will you receive? There is only one way to find out. Prepare the way of the Lord.

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I have taking our deacon's message to heart and I am going to take some time away from the computer. I'm going to clean some closets, and wash and prepare some clothes for donation, collect some canned goods for the food pantry, buy some Christmas gifts for our name on the giving tree, and spend more time in prayer.

Advent is a time of repair and preparation, and much work and sacrifice is required in order to be ready for Our King.







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