“Prepare the Way of the Lord”: An Advent Devotional
In the Gospel we hear John the Baptist proclaim: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Luke 3:3). Even today, the proclamation reminds us that true peace and joy come from being prepared and following the paths that lead to Christ.
“Prepare the Way of the Lord”: An Advent Devotional from the St. Josemaria Institute invites you to renew your desire to prepare and anticipate once again the coming of Christ into your heart and home at Christmas:
- First Week | Conversion and Contrition: Advent begins with a call to repentance. We ask Our Lord to “make his ways known to us” (Psalm 25:1,4-5), signifying our need for a deep interior conversion.
- Second Week | Prepare the Way of the Lord: During Advent, we are reminded of the prophets who foretold the coming of Christ and how we are also called to proclaim the love and peace of Jesus to the world today.
- Third Week | Rejoice in the Lord: As we get closer to Christmas, we anticipate the joy that accompanies the Nativity of Jesus, and we dwell on St. Paul’s words that we are called to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4-7).
- Fourth Week | Always Be Ready: Contemplating the scene of the Visitation of our Lady to Elizabeth, we desire to stay close to the Mother of God in these final days of Advent.
Available as a free digital download, the devotional includes scripture passages taken from the readings and gospels for Advent Year C and excerpts from St. Josemaria’s writings to help you reflect on the theme each week; reflection questions to help you go deeper and to use for journaling; and a weekly podcast to help guide your time of prayer:
WEEKLY MEDITATION FOR ADVENT
Listed below are the featured podcasts that correspond to the “Prepare the Way of the Lord”: An Advent Devotional:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Thank you for allowing us to accompany your time of prayer and reflection this Advent season! In addition to the Advent devotional, we also recommend the following resources:
Plus, follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@stjosemariainst) for daily reflections inspired by the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva.
St. Josemaria Institute
The St. Josemaria Institute was founded in 2006 to promote the life, teachings, and devotion to St. Josemaria Escriva among all men and women who desire to find meaning and happiness in their daily lives by growing closer to God. The St. Josemaria Institute produces and distributes digital and print media as a means to spread Christian values around the world and to help people navigate and live well in the digital age.
