Isaiah 40:1-11 / Matthew 18:12-14
One of the things in life that can be difficult to handle and control is distraction.
Because distractions don’t often appear as bad.
In fact they often appear as something that we might need, or that they seem to be helpful or useful.
So distractions appear as attractions, and they do seem attractive.
But as we know, distractions always make us lose focus and also make us lose our way in life.
When Jesus told the parable of the shepherd looking for the lost sheep, we may want to think about what made that sheep become lost.
Whatever it may be, that sheep could have been distracted by some grass over the other side that seems greener and ventured off to graze there and eventually got lost.
But as the 1st reading tells us, all things attractive is like grass and its beauty like the wild flower. The grass withers, the flower fades.
What was attractive may turn out to be distractive, and when we give in to the distraction, then we will lose our direction.
Advent is a time to re-focus on God’s love for us as we meditate and reflect on the coming of His only Son Jesus Christ.
Let us keep our focus on Jesus Christ so that we will keep our direction and find salvation.