The Sahara Desert is the biggest desert in the world, and it is growing. It is estimated the size of the desert will continue to engulf many parts of Africa.  It’s a big desert, yet there are other deserts, and those are the spiritual deserts we experience in our  lives of faith.  These deserts may also be growing because of the lack of prayer.   These deserts have some spiritual symptoms perhaps being experienced. 
     First symptom is fear. Those who trust in God do not have to fear, for their hearts are firm in God.  But if fear is frequently experienced, the desert is growing.  
     Second symptom, impatience.  St. Paul reminds, “You too must be patient for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”   
     Third symptom, complaining. A grateful heart must praise the Lord, but those who have so much desert, they only seek to complain.
     Fourth, vanity.  John the Baptist continues to remind of a simple living.  When we are focused on exterior, we lose sight of what is important, the interior.
      Lastly, sorrow and mourning.  Those whose desert is so great experience grief in their hearts.  Yet there is a solution. God will send rain.  God will send his prophets.  God will send a person who will be greater than John the Baptist in the kingdom of heaven, who will be the bearer of good news and will help you to come out of the desert.  The person on behalf of God may be the person you least expect. The person does not need to be perfect but be like a small reed swayed by the wind yet used as an instrument of God.  This fragile and single reed can help you with God’s grace to usher your transformation. Perhaps they too were a desert before, but they started to change for God. Your desert will start to vanish to give way to a beautiful forest like the Lebanon, full of God’s graces.  The Good News will bloom like a flower, and your parched land will overflow with water.  This season of Advent calls to address our deserts, recognize them but also ask God to come to fill them with his graces and transform them into beautiful oasis of his love. Advent is for us allow the Good News to renew and refresh our deserts even through people God sends us as messengers.