Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent. Today I find myself at the laundromat. You’re probably thinking there’s not much in common. Where is this disconnected line of thought going?

Waiting. Both Advent and the laundromat have waiting in common.

Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year, the start of the church year. It is also that period of time when we wait for Christ to come.

If you are a woman and have ever had a baby, you may be able to understand what Mary was waiting for that first Advent. On the other hand, Mary was young by our standards. She was marrying a man who was not the father of her child. I’m not sure any of us could put that together with a sudden, almost due date trip to a strange area.

Yesterday at Mass, Father did not talk about waiting in this sense but he talked about it in the sense of distractions from being present in our lives and about instant gratification. As you wait through the days until Christmas, remember how rough that first washout must have been. Put yourself in Mary’s or Joseph’s place. Be in the moment off the mess of making cookies worth children. Be able to put off your own gratification to help someone less fortunate.