It’s that time of year again! Bustling shopping, Christmas lights, holiday music on the radio, and preparations to spend time with family and friends. We may hear the reminder to “keep Christ in Christmas” or be told to remember “the reason for the season,” but how can we be truly spiritually enriched during this time?
Advent provides us with a beautiful and unique opportunity to deepen our faith and renew our lives for Christ. As we continue the mission to Go Make Disciples, we must take advantage of the call to grow in our life of discipleship. This year, let’s make a commitment to embrace the Christmas season and do Advent well.
Advent can be a time of great interior transformation and enrichment for ourselves as well as an opportunity to be witnesses to others. The way we observe Advent can become kerygmatic to those around us. By kerygmatic, we mean an opportunity to understand the salvific nature of Christ.
When we share the kerygma, we start with the Majesty of Creation. God created all the world and all of us with a plan and purpose to love him and be loved by him. However, we do not remain in a state of harmony. We have all sinned and need redemption. So, God makes a plan from the moment of the original brokenness to redeem us. That story unfolds in Sacred Scripture as God reveals his saving work, culminating in the Incarnation. The Word becomes flesh. This is what Christmas is all about. Just imagine living before the time of Christ without the news of the Gospel, desperately waiting for God to send the promised savior. How joyful you would be at the arrival of Jesus! This is the mentality we should foster and share as we call to mind the coming of Christ for our redemption.
Some ideas to do Advent well and prepare our lives and homes for Christ include prayer, study, celebration, and crafts. Note that all of these things can be grounded and enhanced by first creating a sacred, holy space in your home with prominent Advent symbols like an Advent wreath, an image of the Annunciation, a Nativity scene without Jesus, etc.
Prayer
Make a plan for taking intentional time for prayer and devotion. You can do this by choosing a spiritual devotional. One example is Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture by Ascension Press. Another example is to pray a Christmas novena beginning on December 16 for the nine days prior to Christmas. A third option is to pray the O Antiphons by singing or reciting them for the last seven days of Advent.
Study
Throughout Advent, dive into the Scriptures and consider reading a great book about Jesus. One example is Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI. Another option for delving into Scripture is to read the daily readings and meditate on what God may want us to learn in this time of waiting. A third beautiful way to encounter Christ is by reading the Gospel of Luke. December has 24 days before Christmas, so if you read one chapter a day in December, you will read the whole book by Christmas! Finally, on Christmas, start your dinner prayer with Scripture and read the account of the Nativity before you eat, making Christ the true reason for your celebration!
Celebration
Don’t just wait until the week of Christmas! Rejoice throughout the month by celebrating the different feasts that occur during Advent. The first week of Advent alone contains the feast of St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit who gave his life to the efforts of evangelization; the feast of St. Nicholas, known for his generosity and kindness to the poor; and the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Look ahead and see what other feast days are happening in Advent. Also, if you aren’t already going to daily Mass, consider going another time during the week in addition to Sunday. Remember, the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Faith!
Crafts and Activities
If you have children, you can utilize a variety of crafts and activities to connect with your kids and bring Advent to life in a personal and tangible way. Build a Jesse Tree, make your own Advent calendar, and/or check out Catholic Icing for a variety of other Advent related cooking and crafts ideas at catholicicing.com/advent
Finally, trade that Elf on the Shelf for a Walk with the Wise Men for a new family tradition.
Advent should be a time of preparation and joy. Rather than limiting ourselves to presents and Christmas cookies, we should make a plan to put into place some simple things that will prepare our hearts in a new way for a deeper encounter with Jesus, our Redeemer and King! If we do Advent well we can lead our friends and family to a greater understanding of the nature of the Incarnation and the salvific nature of Christmas. In doing so, we give profound testimony to Christ and allow him to shape our lives.