Stir Up Our Hearts: Preparing for the Child Who Comes as Judge and Savior

This sermon reflects on “Stir Up Sunday,” the Church’s intentional beginning to Advent preparation, marked by the repeated call of excita—“stir up”—found in the season’s collects. Just as the body must warm up before exertion, Christians must spiritually awaken before encountering the mystery of Christ’s Nativity, a coming both comforting and fearsome. The Gospel’s feeding of the five thousand becomes a symbol of Christ’s humble first arrival: unnoticed by most, yet able to multiply grace beyond measure from the simplest offering, like the boy’s barley loaves. Yet the other readings remind us that Christ’s second coming will be markedly different—He will arrive as King and Judge who separates sheep from goats according to their works. Advent, therefore, is a call to spiritual readiness: to prayer, fasting, self-examination, and concrete acts of mercy. Amid the noise of commercial celebration, the Church teaches that true preparation for Christ comes not through material excess but through embodying His love in the world. May we use this season wisely, stirring up our hearts to receive Him anew.