All special events require preparation; from studying for an exam to sending out wedding invitations, or deciding on what type of cake to serve. However, often times it is easy to get caught up in the details of preparation and planning and forget the main reason for the event in the first place! In this gospel reading, Jesus says that when John the Baptist came, “they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.” The people were so busy worrying about whether Elijah would come that they missed it when he did. In this gospel, Jesus is encouraging us to focus on him so that we do not lose sight of His presence in our lives.

Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, Advent is a season that helps us prepare our hearts to accept Jesus. But instead of preparing for Christmas by wrapping gifts and baking cookies, we are called to prepare our hearts through prayer. As the theme for STM’s advent season is “Be still and know that I am God,” I pray that all of us can find time during our day to take a break from the business of the world, and spend time with God. As a student, it is often hard for me to take a break from preparing for the upcoming exams but this gospel and the advent season reminds me that the most important preparation in my life is preparing my spiritual preparation for Jesus’ coming.