My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Advent is a season of waiting and preparation—not a passive waiting, but the kind of watchfulness, peering out the window, standing on tiptoes—that Scripture today describes as being filled with “endurance and encouragement.” (Rom 15:5) These weeks invite us to hold on to our dreams before God, to steady our hearts, and to let hope grow again within us. Advent is that sacred time when God whispers to His people: “Lift up your eyes. The Lord is coming. Are you ready?”

Isaiah’s great vision: Hope that blossoms

In our first reading, Isaiah stands in the midst of national disappointment and longing. The royal line of David, the once-mighty cedar of Israel, has been reduced to a stump, yet Isaiah points to that stump and commands us to keep looking: “A shoot shall sprout… a bud shall blossom.” Hope is not gone. It is hidden. It is getting ready to emerge again. It is pregnant with longing. The Spirit of the Lord is about to do something unprecedented.

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the great Advent preacher to recent popes, says that Christian hope is not optimism or wishful thinking; rather, it is “a certainty based on a promise.” Isaiah invites us to place the weight of our hearts and stake our lives on that promise. The Messiah will come with a Spirit that brings wisdom, justice, peace, reconciliation—even harmony to creation. That’s quite an expectation – almost impossible to imagine or grasp today! It’s to expect the impossible!

Isaiah’s vision tells us what the Messiah will do, but, just as importantly, it tells us who we can become when the Spirit rests upon us: people who wait with purpose, whose endurance is not grim but radiant, whose encouragement flows from trust in God’s abiding fidelity.

John the Baptist: A wake-up call for the heart

Then we turn to the Gospel and encounter the unforgettable figure of John the Baptist—the wild prophet of the desert, the one who dines on locusts and wild honey. He’s the one whose very presence is an alarm clock for the soul. John does not enter softly. He bursts into our Advent with a cry: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” He calls for repentance, change of heart, focus, and direction; not as harsh condemnation, but as the necessary clearing away of what blocks the Messiah’s approach.

Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap., reflecting on John the Baptist’s ministry, writes that repentance is not primarily about “fixing ourselves,” but about making space for the One Who is coming. It is a surrender—a clearing of the clutter—opening up our hearts even wider so that grace may find room to work in us.

Repentance is Advent’s interior preparation. We cannot buy Christ’s coming. We can only be on the lookout for it—to recognize it and embrace it. John asks each of us: “Are you ready or distracted? Is your heart open or closed? Is there room for the Lord?”

St. Paul: The universality of salvation

St. Paul in our second reading widens the horizon even further. The hope we await in Advent is not for a small, closed circle of believers. It is universal. Paul proclaims that the Christ Who comes is the One in Whom “the Gentiles will praise God.” (Rom 15:9) Advent points toward a kingdom in which all nations, all peoples, all fractured relationships are gathered into one family under God.

Cantalamessa often reflects that Advent is the “season of the great longing of humanity,” believers and unbelievers alike, because every heart (not just some) is created for the coming of Christ, whether or not he or she knows His name. The Messiah, Isaiah promised, is not only the consolation of Israel but the fulfillment of every longing heart. The nearness of Christ makes our lives light up with hope, our hearts beat stronger, and our lives vibrate with a new enthusiasm.

Advent and our own longings

And so, dear friends, what are you waiting for this Advent? Of course, we wait for many things: the healing of division within families, communities, our world; the fulfilling of dreams that feel delayed or out of reach; the return of joy that once came so easily and is now harder to attain; the quiet hope that wounds can be mended and burdens lifted so we can take our rightful place in society.

Advent speaks directly to this place within us. It tells us: “Do not give up. Look again. Keep looking. A shoot can blossom from the stump – which you thought was dead, in which there was no hope. A tiny shoot can spring up. The Spirit can kindle new life. The Lord is coming.”

With endurance rooted in God’s fidelity and with encouragement drawn from His Word, we begin to see, even now, the small signs of the Kingdom breaking through: forgiveness offered, patience deepened, compassion stirred, hope rekindled. It is echoed in the Christmas cards we share, the greetings we exchange, the calls and letters we write, help we give to those in need. We are part of something greater happening. In the silence of our hearts, we can feel it again.

The gift that cannot be bought

As we prepare for Christmas, we know that the true gift of the season is not something we can purchase. Christ’s presence is not bought at Target or Macy’s on sale like a Christmas gift. It is received. It is not manufactured. It is recognized. It is not earned. It is freely embraced.

And so, the Church asks us gently but firmly: “Are you ready? Is your heart open? Is there room for the One Who comes to save?”

Now in this second week of Advent, let this evocative season slow us down. Let the familiar Scripture passages and Advent hymns and Christmas carols encourage us. Let Isaiah’s vision fill us with hope. Let John the Baptist awaken us. Let St. Paul remind us that this salvation is meant for every person, including myself, and all those God places in our path.

The Lord is near. He comes with mercy. He comes with peace. He comes to make all things new.

That hope and expectation will be part of our preparation as we commemorate Mary’s Immaculate Conception tomorrow and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. May her Advent waiting inspire us to prepare ourselves, too! And may our hearts be ready to welcome Him when He comes. Amen.