Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. Advent is the time of preparation for the solemnity of Christmas. In this spirit, it is necessary to have a quality preparation to welcome Jesus. The best way to prepare is to heed the invitation of the Lord to penance and conversion as indicated by the purple liturgical color used in this liturgical time.

Our readings today show us how our preparation should be. Our Gospel reading gives us the certainty that the Lord is coming. Thus, invites us to be prepared, to be attentive because we neither know the day nor the hour of His coming. There is no way to prepare at the last minute. We should be vigilant and keep awake instead of “sleeping”.

In our first reading, Isaiah's prophecy motivates us to live and wait for the Lord through conversion. In his prayer, he recognizes the sins committed by the people and invokes God as “father” and “redeemer” remembering that we are “clay” in the hands of the “potter”, who is Lord. Thus, vigilance requires our commitment and trust in God's grace. Saint Paul, in the First Letter to the Corinthians affirms that it is God who “will strengthen us”, who will give us perseverance until the Lord’s coming.

As we begin this Advent season, our invitation is to live this season well because the way we will celebrate Christmas depends on how we live this liturgical time. The early spirit of Christmas celebration must not obscure or exclude the true meaning of Advent. The purple liturgical color in our churches continues to remind us that, before celebrating Christmas, it is time to fix the house for the Savior's birth, it is time to fix and prepare our hearts, so that Jesus may have space to dwell when he comes. Amen!