St. Thomas Aquinas described four senses of Scripture, four methods of interpreting Scriptural texts. The first method is called the literal sense. In this approach a scriptural passage is viewed in its most basic form. The literal sense seeks to understand what is happening in the story. It places the text in its historical and cultural context.

The dominant geographical feature of Israel near Jerusalem is the steep change in elevation from the top of Mount Zion to the Jordan River below. The terrain is not unlike parts of Arizona, where flash floods erode the hillsides, flood the plains, and make roads impassable.

At the time of this scriptural text, when a Roman official, dignitary, or king was expected, workers were sent to clear the roadways and make the road not only passable, but presentable. Thus, the literal sense of this story is about repairing roads. It is about rolling out the red carpet. It is about preparing for the arrival of a king.

The second method of interpreting scripture is the allegorical sense. In this sense the message is conveyed in symbols. The mountains which shall be made low are symbolic. They symbolize mortal sins. The mountains represent our egos and our pride. They represent a tendency to seize control, an insistence on being right, a desire for recognition, or a desire to live a luxurious lifestyle. The mountains are spiritual disorders where we exult ourselves at the expense of others. They separate us from the King, block the road, and rob us of our salvation.

The age-old gorges are the valleys that need to be filled. Again, they are symbolic. These chasms represent a lack of virtue. Sins exist only where there is a lack of virtue: a lack of love, compassion, or generosity. These spiritual chasms represent an unwillingness or an inability to change, and an unwillingness to even see the need for change.

The rough ways that need to be made smooth symbolize venial sins: the stones and potholes that lead us astray and cause us to stumble. The winding road that needs to be made straight symbolizes a lack of focus, a lack of direction, commitment, persistence, or endurance.

The third sense of scripture is the moral sense. This view discerns moral concepts and principles.

Some years ago a neighbor of mine found a box at the foot of his stairs. He didn't think much about it, but after stepping over it a few days he started to open the box. His wife snapped at him saying, “Don't touch that! It contains important confidential information.” He replied, “Can we put it somewhere else so we can use the stairs?” She responded, “I'll take care of it, leave it alone!”

Sometime later they sold their house and the box finally had to be moved. To my neighbor's surprise it didn't contain confidential information at all - just some blank forms. For five years everyone in his house stepped over or around the box. It was an obstacle that could have been cleared, a path that could have been made smooth.

This story mirrors our spiritual lives. How accustomed we become to obstacles that could have been removed: forgiveness that could have been asked or granted, behaviors that could have been reformed, attitudes that could have been changed, bitterness that could have been resolved, or injuries that could have been healed.

In the moral sense, preparing our heart, mind, and soul for the arrival of the King must be our first and highest priority. This moral principle is explicitly expressed in Sacred Scripture. Jesus says, “Seek ye …first the kingdom of God.” 3 Anything that is unholy, anything that is contrary to our faith, and anything that blocks our path or the path of others, must be set aside.

The eschatological sense deals with the highest and last things. The road is like Jacob's ladder to Heaven. It is our pathway into the spiritual world. The road that we prepare to welcome Jesus is the same road that we will travel to meet Him. The obstacles, the boulders, and potholes that prevent His coming to us, prevent our going to Him.

In terms of the 'highest and last things', the road is our path to salvation. One day we will stand before God. To some He will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”, 4 and to others He will say, “Depart from me, … you evildoers!”5

The road mirrors our hearts. It is the door where Joseph and Mary knock, searching for room at the inn. It is the gate that we open to welcome Christ into every facet of our lives, or the gate we close to lock Him out. It is the door we open with great joy, or the door we close and say, 'I have no room for You'.

The literal sense tells us that our lives can become so distracted, so filled with secular activity, so filled with diversions, that one of the things we have lost, individually, and as a people, is our time with God. Silence, prayer, and meditation are essential components of our spiritual lives. Advent is a time of preparation. A time set aside to calm our minds, discern our path, and prepare to meet our Lord.

The literal sense tells us that everything that distracts us from God needs to be rethought, revised, or cast out. We need to clear and simplify our lives so that we can maintain our focus on Him, on His love for us, and on our role in His mission. The literal sense tells us that we have one primary objective: to clear the road, to make straight our pathway to the King of Kings.

The allegorical sense tells us that we need to recognize and discern the boulders and potholes in our lives and take positive steps to change. The mountains of pride, greed, lust, envy, and resentment have to be made low. The valleys of hatred, neglect, bitterness, and indifference need be filled with virtue and the fruits of repentance. We need to examine the conditions lead us into temptation, what conditions cause us stumble, and what conditions cause us to lose hope or faith. These conditions are unique to each individual. It calls us look beyond illusions and to discern ultimate truth, to seek virtue, to be humble in all our relationships, and to be honest with our faults. The allegorical sense calls us to spiritual evaluation, spiritual direction, and the Sacrament of Confession.

John the Baptist said, “Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance” 6 To enter into the Presence of the Great King, we must bring to God an open and repentant heart! Improper attitudes and behaviors must change. We must grow in love and charity. Jesus must be the true center of our lives: the purpose of our existence. In all things, He must increase and we must decrease.

The moral sense in this passage brings to light several principles.

In terms of the highest and last things, we are called to be vigilant, to long for the coming of our Savior, and to focus on being with Christ for all eternity. The road of our salvation must be cleared. Can you imagine Christ, the Great King, and His heavenly entourage of angels and saints, approaching on a highway until He comes to the boulders we have left in His path? He turns to us and asks, “Is it a lack of love for me? Is that why you have not cleared the path to your heart?”

Longing for the Kingdom, longing to be with Jesus, encourages, and enables, us to reform our lives. Focusing on Eternity brings a transformation of mind and heart. It fills our souls with the desire for holiness. It brings everything into a proper perspective which gives us hope and joy.