Welcome to the liturgical season of Advent. Catholics and Christians worldwide are preparing for the arrival of our Lord on Christmas Day. The Christmas season tends to be very stressful and busy, causing many to lose sight of its true meaning. Let’s look at some ideas that can help you focus more on the “reason for the season.”
The Beauty of the Advent Season
What is the meaning of the Advent season to Catholics and Christians? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) defines Advent as:”
“The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36).”
This preparation season is similar to Lent in that we work to get closer to God, although Advent celebrates His incarnation. We do this by cleansing ourselves of sin, prioritizing what matters in God’s eyes, and discarding activities that distance us from Him.
The season’s busyness can quickly impede prayer and scripture study, drawing us away from God when we should be focused on building a closer relationship with Him. How can we stay focused on Jesus during the busy Advent season? Let’s examine the options.
Advent Prayer Activities
During Advent, quite a few beautiful activities can keep you focused on the Lord. I am sure you have heard of some of them before, but be open to hearing them again and concentrate on drawing near to Jesus through them.
- The first item is prayer, as expected. Set aside a few minutes every day, preferably around the same time, and commit to praying with the Lord for a few minutes. Try and commit to this for Advent. If your schedule doesn’t allow for the same time every day, commit to some period every day for the rest of Advent. If you miss a day, it is not the end of the world; make sure you return to it the next day. You choose the amount of time. Taking 5-10 minutes with God daily will make a difference.
- For those more experienced with prayer, I suggest contemplative prayer around the infancy narratives and the daily scripture readings. Contemplative prayer uses the Ignatian approach of inserting yourself into the gospel story through imagination. Pay close attention to the details using all of your five senses. For example, the smells and sounds in the manger, the cries from Mary as she gives birth, and Jesus as he takes his first breath. The baby Jesus is sleeping, so try to imagine the child’s sounds, facial expressions, and movements. Using all of your senses allows you to feel closer to the scene and draws you closer to God.
- Another idea is to attend church more frequently. If your schedule allows, try to attend at least one daily mass during the week or Saturday morning.
- Try reaching out to someone you have been at odds with or have a broken relationship with to try to reconcile. It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong; the relationship matters.
Other Advent Ideas
- There is a list of other activities in the linked document. Any idea that drives you to reach out to others and do something to help them in any way will draw you to the Lord.
- If you have kids, there are some additional ideas in the document here.
- There are always various Advent calendars that count down the days until Christmas. Some even have doors that keep chocolate inside.
What did you think of this article? Please share some of your experiences during Advent. I want you to know that all comments are welcome and encouraged. Happy Advent all.
Peace
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