During this Advent season the scriptures call us to a conversion of heart and life, and this begins with developing three inner attitudes or habits of the mind.
First, there is an insistent call to watchfulness. In our daily life we can allow so many things to take all our attention and energy. Slowly we can lose sight of what is important, of the things that really matter, and we end up just drifting along, living our Christian life in a superficial way. Through the prophets and many of the parables of Jesus we are called to be watchful, to open our eyes to see the many ways in which the Lord wants to touch our lives.
This leads us to the second attitude, namely, the capacity to recognize the Lord who comes to us. The Lord is already present in our life, but as it happens, there are times when it is not easy for us to recognize him. During this time of Advent we are challenged to see how the Lord makes his presence felt in our lives, not only when we are at prayer or in church, but also in our families, at work and wherever we are.
Recognising the presence of the Lord leads us to welcome him with joy.
Our welcoming of the Lord takes concrete shape in the holiness of our life. In fact, the coming of the Lord transforms and renews us, leading us to be shaped more and more into his image thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit. This calls for conversion and for a life of communion with the Lord and with our sisters and brothers. It is also a powerful invitation to see the signs of the presence of the kingdom of God among us, is spite of the many problems that affect the world, such as wars, famine, diseases, pollution and so on.
There, in the midst of negativity, we are called to believe in God who showers his mercy and compassion on all humankind, a God who gives us strength and energy to build his kingdom and who, one day, will make all things new.
