“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” This line from the prophet Isaiah is echoed by John the Baptist in Sunday’s Gospel. It also sums up our task for Advent and gives us pause to consider: How do we prepare our hearts for Jesus’ coming? What paths do we need to straighten for him?
We encourage you to use these weeks of Advent to help the children in your classroom and home to prepare their hearts through prayer and their actions through loving service. Lead them in preparing their thoughts by encouraging care and compassion. Lead them in straightening Christ’s path through an examination of conscience and celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation or a forgiveness prayer service. Help them channel their excited energy into activities that reflect our Advent task of preparing our hearts for Jesus’ coming—as a babe at Christmas and again at the end of time.
Image credit: CIRIC International