“What did you go out to the desert to see?” Jesus asks the crowds not once but three times what they seek, what they are looking for, why are they driven to pursue John the Baptist. Could Jesus be asking us the same questions? What are the deserts in our life that we have to go into in order to pursue our deepest questions? And, when we get to these places of desolation and emptiness, do we actually know what we want and what will bring us to peace, fulfillment, hope, meaning, and life?
St. Ignatius, in the Spiritual Exercises, begins many of the exercises with having the exercitent name the desire for which he or she seeks. To identify the longing of the heart, to name the emptiness, or to articulate the ache within allows for a great advance in the spiritual life. St. Ignatius recognized that before we can obtain any grace from God, we, the recipient must recognize that which we lack. After-all, why is the Sacrament of confession so important? Because it forces us to name the weaknesses with which we are struggling. To name the sin and face it head-on allows for us to willingly amend our lives from such sins. The same psychological principle applies to pursuing fulfillment. Jesus is asking us what we want.
So, as we enter this third week of Advent and celebrate Gaudete Sunday, a Sunday of rejoicing as we move ever closer to Christmas, can we name the deepest longing of our hearts which will allow us to fully rejoice? Do we even know what we are looking for when we, like the Magi, will approach the newborn Christ-child as we present our gifts to him?