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Monday, December 23, 1996

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St. John of Kanty


Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
Psalm 25
Luke 1:57-66

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"ready or not — here i come"

"Who will endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?" —Malachi 3:2

Almost everyone believes in preparing for Christmas. But are we preparing the way of the Lord (Lk 3:4) or the way of the world? The Lord calls us to make gigantic changes in our ways. Priorities as big as mountains in our lives should be leveled. Our valleys, depressions, pits, and ruts are also to be leveled. As crooked as our hearts are (see Jer 17:9), Jesus wants them straightened. As rough as our edges are, they must be smoothed.

The Lord is not calling us to maintain, much less to promote, the status quo of a world trapped in sin. The Lord is calling us to a revolution where the high and mighty are deposed from their thrones and the lowly raised to high places (Lk 1:51-52). That's what He means by "preparing the way of the Lord." Are you prepared for Christmas by Christ's standards?

Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John, and Jesus all went through big changes near the time of Jesus' birth. Are you prepared to do the same? Will you receive the real Christmas? Will you receive Christ?

Prayer:  Jesus, it is a fearful thing to fall into Your hands (Heb 10:31) this Christmas. "Let it be done to me as You say" (Lk 1:38).

Promise:  "This astonished them all. At that moment his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God." —Lk 1:63-64

Praise:  John, though a professor at a university, slept on the floor of his dwelling and shared all his goods with the poor of his city.

Reference:  (For related teachings, order our leaflet, Life-Decisions, and our booklet, Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, June 20, 1996


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 26, 1996