Sunday Reflection | Let's Open Our Hearts

There is a legend about St. Jerome that is especially pertinent to the invitation we hear in today’s readings. If the legend is not true, as the saying goes, it most certainly should be.

St. Jerome lived in the 5th century after Christ. He is most famous for translating the Scriptures into the common tongue of his day, the Latin language. He was an austere and solitary scholar. He did much of his translating work in a cave in Bethlehem, desiring to be as close to the conditions of Christ’s birth as possible.

Legend has it that while he was putting the finishing touches on his translation of the Bible, the Christ child appeared to him in a vision. At the sight of this, Jerome fell to his knees and did the Lord homage. The Christ child then asked Jerome how he would honor Him for his coming birthday. Christmas was right around the corner. Jerome said, “Lord, I have completed my translation of the Holy Scriptures so that all peoples might come to know your Word. I give it to you to the honor of your name.” The Christ child replied, “Jerome, your labors please me, but this is not what I desire for my birthday.” Flustered at this, Jerome scrambled to think of something fitting for the Lord. Finally, he said, “Lord, I give the few remaining possessions I have to the poor in your honor, and I will fast and pray in preparation for Christmas, your birthday.” Again, the Christ Child replied, “Jerome, this would please me very much, but it is not what I want for my birthday.” Jerome, at a loss, broke down, begging the Lord to tell him what He wanted for his birthday. The Christ child responded, “Jerome, I, the Son of God, became a child to take away your sins. What I want for my birthday is to take away your sins. Give them to me. I want you to go to one of my priests and to confess your sins so that I may free you from them.” At this Jerome was struck to the heart and did as the Christ child commanded.

What was true of St. Jerome is true for all of us. In our Gospel we hear St. John the Baptist call on all of us to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight our paths and open our hearts to the coming of the Savior. This is not just a polite suggestion! In the Christmas season we tend to make all sorts of resolutions about celebrating Christmas right, about staying focused on what really matters. Like St. Jerome we can have all sorts of high-minded plans about how we are going to love God, our families, and our neighbors more fully in the Christmas season. We might volunteer to help the less fortunate. We might make a point of coming to daily Mass more often. We might go out of our way to be more cheerful and caring towards others. All of this is good and pleasing to God, but something more fundamental must come first.

The most fruitful Advent preparation we can make is to allow the Lord to clear out the sins, the bad habits, and destructive attitudes that clutter our hearts. To receive

the light of Christ this Christmas we have to renounce the darkness in our lives, not just in a vague and private way, but in the concrete way Christ gives us to heal us of our sins and prepare us for his coming: the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

We are only as sick as our secrets. When we keep our sins to ourselves, when we fail to give voice to them, those sins have a way of keeping us old in the spiritual life. When we confess them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the exhausting clutter of our bad decisions is finally cleared out. Christ takes them away, and nothing pleases Him more than giving us this freedom.

If you want to prepare for this Christmas well, if you want to prepare a place in your heart for the light of Christ to be born in you afresh, go to confession during this Advent season. There is no better way to prepare for Christ’s coming.