Create a path
in my heart,
Lord.
Remove the stones,
the brambles,
the debris …
I want to make
space
for Infinite Love
to roam freely
here,
in me.
Gospel Mt 3:1-12
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Lord, help us to be bold in the proclamation of Your kingdom like John the Baptist was. Fill our hearts with conviction and trust in Your saving love and divine plan for our lives. Give us the grace to speak out about You whenever You call us to in whatever way You ask us to.
Help us to become more aware of the stones, brambles and debris in our own hearts that need to be cleared out to make room for Your graces, love and heavenly kingdom.
Reveal to us any way in which we like the pharisees are deceiving ourselves and others for the sake of our egos. Give us the grace to see where we are unforgiving, selfish, doubtful and failing to serve you in our daily lives.
Even more importantly, give us the grace of true and thorough repentance of every area of our lives where we are blocking Your graces from flowing into the world by holding onto our misguided ways. Give us the courage to admit when we are wrong and earnestly seek to make amends, even when it’s hard.
Strengthen us to withstand the process as you “lay the ax to the root” of all the areas in our lives, which are not bearing fruit and never will. Help us to grow in love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control, along with the other fruits of Your Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
Prepare us to bring Your heavenly kingdom here to our little corner of the earth.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
What brambles, stones and debris in Your heart are blocking the Kingdom of Heaven from flowing through you? Comment below, and I’ll be delighted to keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
