A few years ago another sister and I took it upon ourselves to weed our strawberry patch, which was in its second year. When we looked at the pile of weeds, we felt pretty accomplished…until a few weeks later, when it became clear that we had pulled out the roots of some of the strawberries.
Sometimes, especially during the Advent season, we can put our focus on the wrong things. I realized last week that my to-do list is consuming me – I feel enslaved to it! In all of the busyness, decorating, wrapping, and writing, we can get uprooted. We forget that it is the preparation of our soul for the coming of Christ that is most important. And we can only prepare our soul by rooting ourselves in the Cross of Christ, which is the fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah 11:1, “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” God gives us all that we need to grow and to thrive. The cross of Christ is the fertile soil; time spent in front the Blessed Sacrament, the Light of the World, is the sun; and Baptism provides the water necessary for growth. Christmas is now less than a week away. How is the Lord asking you to prepare your soul using the tools He gives so abundantly?
~ Written by Sister M. Karol Ann