First Sunday of Advent: "Come, let us climb the Lord's Mountain." the Prophet Isaiah

The prophet Isaiah, our first reading, speaks of the hope that God provides. He says “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”
Is. 2. He said that a time was coming when warriors would beat “their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” As Isaiah wrote these words Judah, his home, was threatened with invasion by the Assyrians from Nineveh. They had already destroyed the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel by the time he was writing. Judah was supposed to be next, but Judah survived. Today, the forces of ISIS are destroying the statuary and the gates of ancient Nineveh. The Ninevites and their gods are gone. This is good to remember as we start Advent.  Isaiah knew, dire threats come and go in life, our hope remains.
Advent is a time to prepare patiently. St. Paul instructs us not to waste our time with self-destructive, sinful behavior, but to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 13 The Lord in the gospel instructs us “so too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Mt. 24.
Preparation is a sign of maturity. Countless parents have tried to awaken their young people to the challenges ahead. Study hard in school so that you are prepared for the challenges of making living. Learn to control your emotions, especially your temper, so that your intelligence can guide you through life. Learn to share so that you can have healthy relationships as an adult.  Be careful of who your friends are so that you are not lead down the wrong road. This parental advice echoes what Isaiah, St. Paul and the Lord advise. Be prepared for what is coming.
During this Advent we should prepare ourselves through confession. Our parish will offer an Advent penance service on December 6 at 5:30 pm. We also have confessions on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening.
During this Advent we should prepare ourselves through prayer. Be conscious of setting up some time in the day to be aware of God’s presence in your life and to lift your mind and heart to God. Without prayer and reflection, it is too easy to be sucked into the negativity and busyness of the world around us. Prayer lifts us beyond our own self-concern and into a bigger world.
During this Advent, consider trying to make daily mass. Our parish is offering mass at 6:30 am this Advent, Monday through Friday, as well as our normal 8 am daily mass. Consider attending as a prayerful way of beginning your day.
Nineveh and the Assyrians were a great threat to Isaiah and the Judeans so many years ago. Now ISIS militants are breaking up the Assyrian legacy with sledgehammers and explosives. Meanwhile, Isaiah’s words of hope are still being read in the synagogues and churches. To make our hopes both realistic and present, we must prepare our hearts and minds. So, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”