Dear Parishioners:
I hope you had a joyful Thanksgiving Day. On my drive to and from my Sister's home in Saratoga, New York, the radio was full of Christmas music. Of course, the stores put up their Christmas displays on Halloween! Good grief, as Charlie Brown would say!
I get critical this time every year because we celebrate Christmas too early. I prefer to go back to when the tree didn't go up until close to Christmas Eve, the cookies could not be enjoyed until Christmas day, no carols could be heard until mid-December, and no "holiday parties" took place until the great Feast. Then, once Christmas arrives, look out! We celebrated until Epiphany, January 6. No more. The decorations have been up since September in some places. The parties start, the songs are heard nonstop, the trees are up, and sadly, the season will end, not start on December 26.
I could complain, but it does no good. What I'm saying, to paraphrase Auntie Mame, is: "We need a little Advent right this very moment!" Mother Church is a wise teacher. She knows that all good things demand preparation. Christmas is worth preparing for, and Advent invites us to prepare for the Savior’s birth properly. Advent begins next Sunday, and in our worship in Church, we Catholics "stand out" these weeks because we will not celebrate Christmas until Advent is over! Somber, purple vestments; no carols yet at Mass; no manger or decorations until Christmas Eve. It may be December 25 already in the world, but in the Church, we slow down, take our time, and prepare because it's Advent.
I am not an "Advent warrior," as some purists have become. I'm not on the warpath about Christmas being too secular or its celebration coming way too early, although I would agree on both counts. But I love Advent and know Christmas is more meaningful if we use this holy season to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. How can we "salvage" Advent? For one, enjoy the Advent feasts: St. Nicholas, December 6; the Immaculate Conception, December 8; Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12; and, of course, the four Sundays of Advent.
If you put up your tree and the crib in your home, save the baby Jesus' arrival until Christmas Eve. Put up an Advent wreath, calendar, giving tree, or "Jesse Tree" in your home. They are wonderful Advent devotions.
If we worry that Christmas has become "too commercial," shop for others instead of buying more stuff for people who already have too much stuff! OLM Outreach, Emmanuel House, or the Little Sisters of the Poor always need support. Gift cards and financial donations always help.
Advent is a time to be more charitable and generous with our money and also our time. Visit someone who lives alone, in a nursing home or hospital, or is homebound. Send a card or make a call to an old friend, someone who is grieving a loss or is lonely.
More silence, reflection, and prayer are much-needed Advent practices in this busy and hectic time. Come to a daily Mass, pray with the bible passages of the season, and make more time for prayer in your daily life. Pray the joyful mysteries of the rosary every day in Advent since they help prepare for Christmas.
Advent is a time of peace and reconciliation. It is time for us to reach out to someone we are estranged from and make peace. It is a time to forgive someone who has hurt us and work for reconciliation. And finally, a time to pray for peace in the world, especially in the Holy Land.
Advent is a great time to make a good confession. You'll find your Christmas Mass and Holy Communion on the Feast more joyful and meaningful if you have experienced the mercy of the Messiah in the Sacrament of Penance this Advent. Mark your calendar for Confessions every Monday and Saturday. On Monday, December 18, Advent confessions are from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. with four priests. On Saturday, December 23, Confessions with two priests are from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Today is the Feast of Christ the King! A feast designed to give special recognition to Christ's dominion over all aspects of our lives. Let's truly worship Him as the ruler of our lives this coming Advent so we may truly "keep Christ in Christmas!" Do good. Be well. God Bless. Advent is coming! Prepare the way!