My priest, who is from Kenya, in his homily yesterday said to us, “In my country there is a proverbial saying which goes: Don’t pray for the rains until you’ve cultivated the fields.”
The point of the saying is that you need to prepare first in order to receive the blessings you ask for well.
A perfect saying for Advent.
He went on, “We run around doing all the commercial things that our secular society offers for Christmas and do little to prepare for the Christ-Child that is to come.”
He will come, but are we prepared to receive the blessings He offers?
We ask God for many blessings. I imagine millions upon millions of requests for blessings are offered up every day. But, have we prepared our soul to properly receive them? Like an uncultivated field, the rain may come, but if the rows haven’t been made, and the seeds haven’t been planted, and the dead matter hasn’t been removed from last season, will you get the harvest you want or need?
Most likely not.
We ask God for all kinds of blessings and, many times, we ask but we don’t want to do much on our side to be ready to fully accept those blessings. We cultivate by:
Prayer
Confession
Almsgiving
Some fasting
Scripture reading
Advent is a time to cultivate our fields, so to speak, Catholic Pilgrims, so that we are ready for the blessings that come with Christmas.
Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Monday.
