“A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight His paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the glory of God.” 
(Luke 3:5-6)

In the Gospel today we hear the voice of Isaiah (a total Favorite Old Testament prophet – the Word of God through Isaiah ROCKS, BIGTIME!) who foretold the coming of Jesus, our Messiah. The thing about Advent ponderings – we’re meant to peek inside our hearts & minds & give God a chance to make what might have become a bit lopsided straight (or what’s deviously degenerative & crooked in our minds splashed clean with Heavenly Clorox bleach!)

These things happen.  Best intentions go awry… insidious negative voices turn us away from God – our Creator & Heavenly Father – who calls us each His “BELOVED” sons & daughters, created in His Image.

Think about THAT when your overly rounded curves get you down. Once after sharing my bewildering weight woes to my Size 2 sister (i gained 20 pounds in Africa, can you believe? Go work in Africa & Gain Weight!) she sent a treasured email I printed out & read over & over again – “consider those curves voluptuous”   …

Making the crooked straight – yes, maybe I can make a few crooked pounds Go Away (with a little extra Grace & Self Control) – but i also need to be open to accept The New (things like ‘voluptuous status’ vs. being a Beanpole…)

This morning Fr. Larry Gillick’s Advent Sunday reflection hit home (a great daily devotional tool – check out the Creighton Daily Reflections   i started reading them in Africa when my Living Faith booklets came a bit late…)

“We need Advent to remember what’s what and what’s not. The “off-stage” voice of the One Who is to come is what will get things straight, will fill in the empty valleys and level our mountains of defensive fear. To allow this, we trust the call, the unusual, the new of Jesus’ coming. We need these Advent moments to check out our little heart-hands and see if there is any room in those hands for our receiving the new Surprise.”  Fr. Larry Gillick S.J.

(click here to read his full reflection…)

grace, peace & Glorious Straightenings

Virginia :  )