Meditating on the propers this week, Father Harris confronts our modern disillusionment. Drawing from John the Baptist’s stark warning that "the axe is laid to the root of the trees," he reflects on a generation that once placed its hope in technology and human potential to build a fairer world. We now find ourselves empty, isolated, and confronted by the barrenness of our own hearts. This sermon explores how Advent begins by stripping away our illusions, revealing our bondage to folly and misplaced hopes. Yet it does not leave us in despair. We are called to clear a path in the wilderness, to repent, to turn from empty ambitions, and to fix our hope singularly on the coming Kingdom. It is a timely call to acknowledge our need, submit to God’s judgment, and find our true preparation at the altar.