“Watch, therefore; you do
not know when the Lord of the house is coming.”
We’re already
well past “Black Friday” and into December, with the First Sunday of Advent marking
the shortening time until Christmas. Does anyone else feel unprepared? There may be a few
people out there with their Christmas shopping and decorating finished, cards
written, and gifts wrapped, but I’m willing to bet that there are many others,
like me, who have just looked with great surprise at the new page on the
calendar and are now feeling just a little panicky.
We often get so
wrapped up in the bustle of Christmas preparations that we forget about the
“little Lent” of the Advent season. Baking goodies and shopping does little to
remind us to prepare our hearts and souls for the most important part of Christmas,
the coming of the Lord. The Church in her wisdom keeps the readings focused on
this kind of preparation. We should each try to put aside a little time, maybe
in the quiet of an early morning or before falling off to sleep at night, to pray
with the Church during Advent and prepare spiritually for the coming Christmas
season.
Follow along with
the daily readings using a prayer book if you have one. Online resources abound,
including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (www.usccb.org)
with links to daily readings and the complete Bible. Many Catholic families
celebrate Advent with traditions like the Jesse Tree, lighting the candles of
an Advent wreath each Sunday, or decorating a Nativity scene.
There are some
wonderful Saints to celebrate in December, too. Our Blessed Mother is
celebrated on Dec. 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, with
special Masses and prayers. Our Lady as the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States, so this is a perfect opportunity to pray for our nation. On Dec. 12th, the appearance of Our Lady
of Guadalupe is remembered. This image of Our Lady is honored as the special Patroness of the Americas, the unborn, and of Mexico. If you’ve never gotten up before dawn to attend the
Spanish Mass at St. Joseph’s in Kennewick or St. Patrick's in Pasco, and to listen to “Las
Mañanitas,” the lovely morning serenades to La Virgen María, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss. The love
for Our Lady is evident, with no translation needed. With a little effort, these old traditions can renew light of faith in this dark month as we await the arrival of our newborn King.
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