Coming Soon: Advent

Dear Family in Christ, 

Though it seems a little early, I would like to get a head start on some of the ways that we as Christians liturgical seasons of Advent. Permit me to make myself a little bit less popular in this respect:

Holy Mother Church concludes the Liturgical Year with the Feast of Christ the King (next Sunday), and begins the ‘new year’ with the First Sunday of Advent, (November 30th this year). Advent continues until our celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas, which begins on December 25 with Midnight Mass. 

Every year, it seems that the secular celebration of Christmas begins earlier and earlier. Advent is skipped, and no sooner do ‘Halloween’ decorations(don’t get me started) come down, then do Christmas trees go up, and the first bars of ‘Jinglebells’ announce their entrance on the radio airwaves. Invitation to ‘Holiday’ parties roll out, and coffee shops change over their menus from Pumpkin Spice to Candy Cane. The shopping rush begins, drowning out any evident Christian significance- and, since this is the world that Christians like you and I live in, we get swept up in it. 

The problem, as I see it, is that the lead up to Christmas ends up in some ways becoming a burden to be dreaded. We make it to Christmas exhausted, partied out, counting on big gifts and great deals on ‘Boxing Day’ to pull us out of the weariness. 

What if we pushed back a little this Advent? What if we moved the needle, even just a little, away from materialistic tyranny and towards the wonder and awe that the Church wants for us? If you want to have a longer conversation, I would love to hear from you. Off the top of my head, here are some suggestions for living this Advent as a Christian:

• Prepare to make a Good Confession before Christmas. It’s the best gift you can give Jesus, your priests, and yourself!

• Penance and Fasting: from sweets, alcohol, fast food, music, social media, TV… whatever your thing is. You’ll enjoy the feast of Christmas that much more!

• Silence and Prayer: commit to coming to Mass every Sunday this Advent. If you already do that, try coming to a daily Mass once a week. Stop in the adoration chapel, mix in a Rosary, read the first chapters of Matthew, Luke, and John. Find one of the many great Advent daily devotionals (recommendations available upon request)

• Decorations, Music, Parties- during Advent, we can absolutely make these about preparing for the birth of Jesus. In the Christmas season, celebrate His birth!

I love Christmas, and I know you do too. Let us make this year’s celebration of the Birth of our Saviour the best ever, by living Advent as the Church calls us to live it.

God love you, 

Father Daniel