By Kate Walsh-Soucheray

“They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” ~ Isaiah 35:2

When we hear readings from the prophet Isaiah, we must always remember that he was writing to a people who would be taken into exile. The definition for the word ‘prophet’ is “one who speaks for another,” and the other is always God. In this passage, Isaiah was writing to the Hebrew People who were taken into captivity during the Assyrian Exile, which took place in the eighth century B.C.

The prophet was telling the People in his writing that God would vindicate them, for they had lost their way. The Decalogue, or the Ten Commandments, had been given to Moses in about 1200 B.C. and the People followed the Laws of God, but then they began to wander and move away from what was asked of them as the Children of God. When the People disobeyed God’s Laws, they were often met with calamity, as was the case with this Exile. However, the prophet was alerting them that they were to be strong because God was coming to save them. He told them the blind would see; the ears of the deaf would be opened and they would hear; the lame would leap; and the mute would sing.

How often have we fallen away from God’s ways and into sin? All we must do is look to the Ten Commandments and know what God is asking of us, and even though we have all the conveniences we could hope for, following the Will of God can still be difficult for us today. We must turn away from any temptation that might draw us away from our loved ones, we must resist gossip in all its forms, and we must have no false gods before our loving Father. He is here to help us and redeem us in Jesus Christ, but we must want that and turn toward Him with a contrite, sorrowful heart.

Advent is a lovely time for renewing our hearts, minds, and souls for what is asked of us as Catholic women. This Season of the Church is our time to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for the coming of Jesus like a tiny baby and finding a home there. If we were to bring a tiny baby home from the hospital, we would have prepared the nursery for it to reside in: a clean crib; warm blankets; snuggly sleepers; and a rocking chair in which to nurse or feed the baby. We would not welcome it to a dirty, used crib; cold, torn blankets; sleepers that did not fit and were either too big or too small; and no place to hold the baby to feed it and rock it to sleep. If we hope to create a loving home for Jesus in our hearts, this will require preparation and loving attention.

Such is the purpose of the Season of Advent. Take time this week to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for the coming of Jesus to live there. Rid yourself of old grudges and unforgiveness, which gives the evil one a portal into our lives. Take time to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receive Absolution, do your Penance, and commit to sin no more. Let this be a Season of preparation for your heart, mind, and soul to receive Jesus at Christmas.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, prepare my heart, my mind, and my soul to receive you this Christmas. Help me let go of anything that stands in the way of your love for me, by my not loving others. Give me the gift of a kind and compassionate heart to love others the way you love them. Amen

Call to Action

What can you do today to turn your heart, mind, and soul back to God? In all your ways, rebuke the evil one, renounce him and his evil ways, resist any temptation he attempts to entice you with and do it all in the name of Jesus. 

© 2025 WINE — All Rights Reserved