In this meditation for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Fr Javier del Castillo reflects on the Gospel of the day (Luke 1: 26-38) and invites us to prepare our hearts for Christmas by striving to have a listening heart like Mary. “This Advent we have to adapt the same kind of contemplative listening of Our Lady to be able to listen to the whisper of God that comes to us” and “to prepare a place for Him in our hearts.”
Advent is a time of expectation, preparation, purification and contemplation— this is true both as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also as we prepare to receive Him (daily or weekly) in the Eucharist.
Reflecting on the life of St Josemaria Escriva, Fr Javier explains the ways that he would prepare himself for Mass every day. Among them was the practice of repeating brief prayers or aspirations throughout the day; for example, the prayer of the spiritual communion, which St Josemaria learned as a young boy: “I wish my Lord to receive you with the purity, humility and devotion with which your most Holy Mother received you with the spirit and the fervor of the saints.”
We can repeat this prayer and other aspirations as well throughout our day asking Our Lady to help us to listen and to prepare for His coming.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
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