Our hymns are “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’” (Is. 40:3). Just as St. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ by calling the people of Israel to repentance (Matt. 3:1-2) so too does the Church prepare us for the Nativity by exhorting us to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:8).
Repentance begins with humility, contrition, tears, and confession, but it does not end there. The fruit of repentance is love and forgiveness, peace and unity:
Holding fast to the law of love, let us embrace the intent of brotherly love, establishing peace one with another, and oneness of mind; for Christ, the Giver of peace, is coming; bringing peace to all.
(Canon of Compline of the Forefeast; December 22; eighth Ode)
We are to prepare with faith and works, with contemplation and action, with prayer and charity. We must increase our talent of grace and not neglect the virtues God has given us (Matt. 25:14-30). If our joy is not a truly spiritual joy that softens our hearts and wakes us up from our spiritual slumber, then it is the joy of the world and not of Christ.
It is not enough to celebrate Christmas. We need to be changed and shaped by what we are celebrating. If our spiritual life is no better in spite of all our praying, fasting, and church services, then we have not yet begun to fully respond to the significance of Advent and of the Nativity.
The Church’s invitation to prepare for the Nativity is above all a command to us to open the gates of repentance, that Christ may enter our very being and be born anew in our hearts, and to offer our virtues to the newborn King. Instead of gold, we offer charity; instead of frankincense, prayer, instead of myrrh, repentance.
Then, like the song of the angels and the adoration of the shepherds, our worship will be pure and our love without pretense.
~ Adapted from Vassilios Papavassiliou, Meditations for Advent: Preparing for Christ’s Birth
