This coming Sunday marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. The liturgical year begins, appropriately, with the season of Advent.
Advent is a time of preparation, waiting, and penance. During this season, the Church provides us with time to prepare our hearts and souls for the coming of the Messiah.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
So often the Christmas season feels like it begins on Black Friday (and this year it felt like it began even earlier – I saw Christmas decorations and heard Christmas music in stores as early as mid-November). For Catholics, the Advent season begins this Sunday and goes through midnight on December 24th; the Christmas season begins at midnight December 24th and goes through February 2nd.
While the world is concerned with buying and shopping and – for all intents and purposes – celebrating Christmas prematurely, we would do well to turn our thoughts inwards. Yes, we may have Christmas preparations on our minds (I know I do! We are hosting Christmas at our home, so I am thinking about the cooking, decorating, gift-making and gift-wrapping that I need to get done)…but, before we focus on these things, there is a more important question that should occupy our thoughts: He is coming, but are our hearts ready to receive Him?
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
This year, let us make a resolution to use the Advent season wisely – to prepare for His coming. Just as Easter is so much more joyful when one has had a good Lent, so too Christmas is so much more joyful when one has used the Advent season wisely. Here are some Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas that you can incorporate into your own family’s traditions. In the list are things such as the Advent wreath, St. Nicholas’ Day, and the Nativity Scene.
But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
We wish our readers a very blessed and holy Advent (and a Happy Liturgical New Year)!
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