" For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:5-8)

As we prepare to enter into the Advent season, I thought reflecting on this passage from St. Peter could be helpful. Each season has a focus. That of Advent is to prepare for the present coming of Jesus into our lives. But for his to come, we must make room for him in our hearts. How? By seeking to grow in the above virtues. The spiritual journey is a process. Like any journey it involves one step at a time. It calls for us to put on the mind of Jesus. He modeled these virtues in  his own human life, so that we can learn from him how to live in union with the Father. What is the key to all these virtues? Love. The reason why we are called to grow in these virtues is that we may grow in love.  That is what Jesus is looking for when he chooses to come into our lives in a fresh new way. Prepare the way of the Lord.