“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33-37).

Emmanuel—God Is With Us

All Advent, we prepared for the Lord’s arrival. We journeyed together and encouraged one another to keep watch for the Lord in the here and now of home, work, and vocation.

In the Church’s wisdom, she invited us into this penitential season of readying our heart and soul for the greatest romance story: Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. That the long-awaited and desired Messiah came in the most extraordinary and unexpected way to be with us in ordinary life.

This alertness and vigilance heard in our Gospel readings throughout Advent does not end at Christmas. The readying of our heart and soul is an invitation every season and every day. We prepare our hearts to receive the Lord and, in receiving Him, grow in intimacy with Him.

The Small and Everyday “Yes”

How often we look for a sign—a confirmation in flashy lights or a straightforward answer of where the Lord wants to lead us. But the answer rarely is as direct as the Lord telling St. Paul to stop and change his ways (Acts 9:1-9). Rather, it’s in the whispered movements of our heart where the Lord does most of His talking.

Being attentive to our heart and our surroundings comes from journeying with the Lord. It comes from growing and maturing in our faith, which means it does not come overnight. Those big highs experienced at retreats, conferences, or Adoration are the Lord calling us out like he did with St. Paul and asking us to follow Him. The small and ordinary “yeses” are the Lord inviting us to fall in love with Him more deeply.

We each have our own love language with the Lord. He knows us so well and knows how to speak to and stir our heart. He created us to have this unique love language with Him and waits patiently for our response. We learn our love language with the Lord by learning about Him in prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments. It’s a wonderful adventure with Christ.

This Advent season, I found myself more aware of the stirrings of my own heart. The Lord called me to be quiet, slow down, and eliminate distractions. His invitation is one of growth, purification, and deeper intimacy. There have been moments of embracing and running away from it, of choosing the lesser thing over Him. I’m more like the Israelites in the desert and His apostles doubting His goodness and promises than like Mary and St. Joseph trusting the Father’s word.

A Call to Transformation

Even now, there is still a call to be alert and watchful. The splendor of Christmas is that God is with us, and He fulfills His promises. The majesty of our Messiah is how lowly and humbly He came into our world. We are alert and watchful for what He wants to do in our heart. We are not called to be stagnant but to be transformed into who God created us to be. God is inviting us into relationship with Him, in both big and small moments.

In Advent, we prepared for His coming. In Christmas, we celebrated His arrival. The Lord is moving us; He wants to do great things. Jesus lived an ordinary life for 30 years, and it’s really in our ordinary moments that He whispers to us. Sometimes, we decide to not respond, but in His mercy, we can begin again and say, “Yes.”

Let us keep alert to the stirring of our heart and watch where the Lord is leading us! Some stirrings mean purification that will be difficult, but the Lord wants all of us, not parts of us. He is calling us into deeper intimacy and patiently waits for our “yes.” May we begin again … and again … and again.

Alexandra (Alex) Harrel resides in Irving, Texas. She is a new student affairs professional within the world of higher education. In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite prayer is Hail, Holy Queen. You can follow her on Instagram at @2012alexandra.