Being ready, being alert; opening eyes, ears, hearts to meet the Lord

A reflection on the daily readings, for the Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ “Before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day.”

Whoa! This is some language; and not exactly a warning, but at the same time, yes, it is!

A warning!

And the Lord is sending a messenger and a message, and it will refine and purify and lead people, like sons and fathers, back to one another.

“But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears?”

Who exactly is this messenger?

Are the messenger and Elijah the prophet the same person?

It undoubtedly would be applied to John the Baptist — at least in our eyes.

But with all of the lack of total clarity, this passage is clearly talking about a day coming when hearts would be changed.

And a day of reckoning, a day in which God’s people will be pleasing to God; and God’s graces will flow for all.

+ The psalmist responds with a kind of plea to God to, “make known his ways, teach us your paths, guide us in your truth, teach us.”

And for our part, we just have to, “lift up our heads and see.”

+ Well, this language is perfect for being just two days away from our celebration of the coming of Christ.

We can appreciate, yet again, the role of John the Baptist in announcing this coming of the Lord, and preparing us all to be ready to recognize the Lord.

It is not at all unlike John’s own experience of recognizing the Lord’s presence, even from inside his mother Elizabeth’s womb.

Great stories make an even greater point. We simply must be ready and waiting.

+ The second Advent preface says it beautifully and succinctly, first by telling what others have done, and then what we must do —

“For all the oracles of the prophets foretold him, the Virgin Mother longed for him with love beyond all telling, John the Baptist sang of his coming and proclaimed his presence when he came.”

That is what others did and said.

But what about us?

And so the preface continues —

“It is by his gift that already we rejoice at the mystery of his Nativity, so that he may find US watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise.

+ Are we watchful and exultant? And if not yet, will we be on Dec. 25?

Let us hope so! Let us plan on it!

Let us finally prepare ourselves!

Let us be ready with our alleluias!

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Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.