Perhaps that's why we have this season of Advent. These four weeks of joyful waiting before Christmas. The church in its wisdom goes out of its way to help us get ready for the coming of the Lord. Because after all, that's what it's all about, isn't it? . . . to get ready for this encounter with Christ, the one whose coming we await. This Lord who comes to meet us, this God who with open arms comes to embrace us in love. And we do need to get ready. In the liturgy of Advent we hear the words and the promise of the old prophet Isaiah. For Isaiah sings of the vision and the hope . . . of the Lord who comes:

to judge the poor with justice,
 and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

This encounter with Christ changes not only the poor and the afflicted . . . but Christ changes us, and this whole world around us. Even the psalms call us to sing:

Justice shall flourish in his time,
and fullness of peace forever.

The great saint of Advent, old Saint John the Baptist, calls us to repent:

Prepare the way of the Lord, he says,
make straight his paths.

And we know exactly what he's talking about. To prepare the way of the Lord means we gotta change. That's why we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Advent. We gotta change our attitudes . . . we gotta change our hearts . . . we gotta allow the Lord's grace to act in our lives . . . to make peace a reality in our homes, our community, and our world. You know, it's not enough that we can sing "I'll be home for Christmas" . . . God wants everyone to be "home for Christmas" . . . because what good does it do to be home all alone for Christmas? All alone for Christmas usually doesn't work out so well. But if we reach out to others . . . if we prepare the way of the Lord in our lives, in our community, if we prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of others too . . . boy, what a difference that makes. Because when we get home for Christmas, we won't be home alone . . . you know, everyone will be there. Maybe the season of Advent is just what we need. To prepare the way of the Lord . . . so that everybody can "be home for Christmas."

Well, good old St. Paul has a bit of Advent advice for us, too. St. Paul says:

Welcome one another, as Christ welcomed you.

You know, that's pretty good advice. Because isn't that what happens . . . this Lord whose coming we await, who opens his arms to welcome us. Now if we in turn can just open our arms to welcome one another so that everyone can feel at home . . . wow, what a welcome that'll be! And maybe, just maybe, that's how we all get home for Christmas.