“Are you ready for Christmas?” This is a common question that we hear during this time of the year, be it in our workplaces, schools, church, supermarket or shops. We need to prepare and tidy up before Christmas. While we buy new clothes, clean/paint our houses, make cakes and buy gifts, the most important fact is that as prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord is coming” and we need to “prepare the way for the Lord and make his path straight”. To do that we need to identify the obstacles that we have placed in God’s way, consciously remove them one by one and prepare our hearts to receive him. Fill the valleys and level the mountains of our lives. For this we need to commit to breaking the habits of sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. This Advent challenges us to go out and look for the lost sheep, who have walked away or gone astray. Understand them, heal their wounds, walk with them, carry them back to God’s Kingdom and rejoice over their return.

PRAYER: Abba Father, empower me to be that Shepherd who looks for the one lost sheep, to bring him/her back home. Amen.