Today we begin my most favorite time of year – Advent. The word "Advent" means "coming" and refers to the anticipation of Jesus Christ's birth on Christmas and his eventual second coming. I love Advent as it is the preparation time for Christmas. It is also a very busy time. As we prepare for Christmas let us take time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Let us develop a little space where God can dwell within us, and we can be in the stillness with our God of love and mercy.
From the
Advent candle we begin to light this week until we experience the glory of
Christmas in four weeks, a single flame of hope will grow brighter as me move
toward our celebration of the incarnation at Christmas. Being “awake” as both
our second reading and gospel call us to be, includes being attentive to the
goodness, not just the darkness, in our world. Let us be intentional in this
time of naming the hope we see in our communities and in our world. In doing
so, we prepare not only our hearts but the hearts of others to embrace and
believe in the mystery of the incarnation, Christ’s presence that overcomes any
of humanity’s actions that attempt to dim the light.
From our JPIC
Team:
In the
darkness of winter, we approach the holy season of Advent,
preparing
ourselves to be bearers of the light and hope
of
God's own Love Incarnate.
If you are
looking for some inspiration this Advent,
here
are links to several possibilities:
- Advent Simplicity Challenge
- Advent Serviceberry Book Group
- Advent Calendar
from Boston College
- Dilexi Te Reflection Guide (Network)
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