December 1982

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Luke 3:4)

In Advent we have a new 'word' which we are invited to live. Luke the evangelist is quoting from Isaiah, the prophet of consolation. For the first Christians the words were used in reference to John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus.

In this period before Christmas, the Church announcing the forerunner invites us to be joyful, because John the Baptist is like a messenger who announces the king who is about to appear. The time is near when God will fulfil his promises, pardon sins and give salvation.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

At the same time as being a word of joy, this word is also an invitation to us to give a new direction to our existence and to radically change our life.

John the Baptist invites us to prepare the way of the Lord. But what is this way?

Jesus, who was announced by John the Baptist, spent time in the desert before entering public life and beginning his preaching. This is his way. And in the desert as well as finding deep contact with his Father, he also met temptations, and in this way expressed his solidarity with all men. He emerged victorious from the temptations. We find this same way again in his death and resurrection. Since Jesus has travelled right to the end of his way he himself becomes 'the way' for us as we travel.

Jesus himself is the way we must travel along in order to fulfil completely our human vocation, which is to enter into full communion with God.

We are each called to prepare the way for Jesus who wants to enter our fives. Therefore we must make the paths of our existence straight, so that he may come into us.

We must prepare the way for him by removing any obstacles one by one: obstacles which have been built by our limited way of seeing things and by our weak will.

We must have the courage to choose between a way which is our and a way which is his way for us; the courage to choose between our will and his will, and the courage to choose between a plan that we have thought up and which of course will not always be successful, and the plan which has been thought up by his all powerful love.

Once we have made this decision, we must work to break our obstinate will and do his will.

When are we to do this? The saints who are fulfilled Christians teach a good, practical and intelligent method. We must do his will now, in this moment.

In the present moment we must remove the obstacles one by one, so that his will may live in us and no longer our will.

We will then have lived the word of fife:

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Chiara Lubich