Pope at Angelus tells the faithful to prepare for the coming of the Lord

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis on Sunday told the faithful that Advent is a time to make space for the coming Jesus in our lives.

Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the reading of the day in which the prophet Isaiah said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

As we look into ourselves and recognize our sins, in particular those of omission, Advent he said is a good time to pray with more intensly and fill the voids we see.

For example, the Pope continued, we are called to be more attentive to the needs of others, and in this way, just like John the Baptist, we can open paths of hope in the arid hearts of so many people.

The Pope also invited the faithful to prepare for the coming of the Lord as we would prepare for the arrival of a loved one: “with care and joy”.

“In the same way we must prepare for Jesus: waiting for him with care and expectation so we can be filled with his grace when he arrives” he said.

That voice crying out in the desert, the Pope continued, is also an indication of the climate of conversion and penitence that puts us in the right state to meet the Lord.

“The Savior we are waiting for is capable of transforming our lives with the force of the Holy Spirit, with the strength of love” he said.

Francis concluded pointing out that Our Lady was totally immersed in this reality, allowing herself to be “baptized” by the Holy Spirit who filled her with his power: “May she, who prepared for the arrival of Christ with the totality of her existence, help us to follow his example and may she guide us in our steps to meet the Lord who is coming”.