Happy Advent-What is that?

Yesterday began our Advent Season. After Mass last evening, my family sat down to a delicious homemade turkey soup dinner (thanks Mike) and lit our first candle on our family Advent wreath. After our mealtime prayer, the conversation turned to everything Advent.

Alexander, Matthew and Catherine are at the age where I want to be sure that they are beginning to grasp what Advent is all about and the significance of the different seasons of the liturgical year. Also, I am in the process of planning my lesson for my Faith Formation class this afternoon and I wanted to be able to get a child's perspective on Advent in the hopes of better explaining it to my 2nd graders.

I had a hard time sleeping last night. Tossed and turned with a hundred different to-do's going through my head. As I stared at the clock I again began to think about Advent and how I might best discuss the beautiful season in our church to my 2nd graders.

So, if you are interested in learning more about Advent or rather my perspective on Advent...READ ON. If not, check back another time for cute pictures of my kids or more rants from me about whatever is on my mind.

Basics of Advent:

Beginning the Church's liturgical year.

Purple is the liturgical color.

Advent is the season leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.
Advent devotions remind us of the meaning of the season.

Special Advent Devotions:

The lighting of the Advent wreath

The Advent calendar helps remind us of the season with daily thoughts and activities

Advent prayers prepare us spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ.

Personally for me, I see Advent as action to "Wake up!" and prepare for Christ's coming at Christmas. It is a time of waking up to Christ. It is also a time of the year to remind me to look for Christ's presence in the present moment: right here, right now. Where do I see Christ, right here in this moment, at 9:31 on a Monday morning? This is a wake-up call (so to speak) that I always need this time of the year. I tend to grow complacent. I fall into compartmentalizing the times that I look for God. At Mass on Sundays? Certainly. In precious moments with my children? Yes. In my daily interactions with friends and family? Well, not usually. At the grocery store when it's crowded and I'm in a hurry and people are cutting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and then WALKING SLOOOOWLY as a seemingly deliberate attempt to DRIVE ME INSANE? Umm...no.

Looking for Christ in each moment, no matter how mundane or routine or frustrating my circumstances, is something I definitely need to work on!

Lord, I know that you will reveal yourself to me today. Give me the eyes of faith to see you. Help me be awake.