Yesterday, I awoke and made some cookies for a friend at church.  I looked around my home to find where I had stashed the Advent wreath from last year’s clean up after the holidays.  I, then, came to my blog to attach two pages back to the blog.  Both of these pages had been private during the year but now it is Advent so they are live again.

Advent is a season in the church  year.  Remember here I am Catholic but was not brought up Roman Catholic.  I have only been Catholic for 27 years.  I was, though, raised in the Anglican church which also celebrates Advent.  The Advent season is the four Sundays prior to Christmas and is the beginning of a new church year.  Isn’t it wonderful to start off the church year with a season of anticipation and waiting for the celebration of a wonderful event – the birth of Christ?

Similar to the weeks of Lent, Advent is a season of waiting and a season where sacrifice can be practice.  Do we have to practice sacrifice during this holiday season?  Isn’t the last month of a pregnancy normally a time of nesting and anticipation?  I like to think of the sacrifices that we make during Advent as different than the almost penance-like sacrifices of Lent.  In Advent, we may reach out to our neighbors more.  We may help the elderly or those who do not have enough by using some of our wealth to allow them to celebrate Christmas.

I spend, and have for 20 plus years now, the Advent season following a book called Awaiting the Child. Isabel Anders has provided daily devotions to help us slow down during the Advent season.  I was brought back to this concept in church today as the homily discussed taking time to enjoy the season and the anticipation of what is to come.