Advent means “to come, to anticipate, a coming, an arrival” and, when capitalized, is most often referring to as the period including the four Sundays just before Christmas…the birth of Christ. It may also refer to the Second Coming of Christ in the Last Days to gather His Bride (Church).
Do you find yourself pressured and tired during the holiday season? Are you lonely? Amidst our busy lives we tend to forget that Advent is a growing anticipation. The image and focus of Christ sometimes gets crowded out by so much frantic activity and noise during the holiday season. Our many activities and celebrations during this season leave us exhausted. We soon find ourselves wishing for an end rather than anticipating a coming.
This year I noticed Christmas lights going up on houses weeks before Thanksgiving Day. Even I dug out my Christmas music and started listening to it. I use a free streaming service which has a nice video of hours as a fireplace burns and Christmas music is played. People would frown at me. People said that they “don’t know why stores have started putting out Christmas things for sale even before they take down Halloween” displays and merchandise.
Last month my life seemed so busy I even dreaded this holiday season, but when I started playing and singing to Christmastime music the busyness seem to ebb away. Why? The Christmas music got my focus back where it needed to be, on Jesus. Now, much like a child anticipates his birthday, I look forward to celebrating my Lord’s birthday.
Advent is a gradual reminder to keep alive and deepen the real meaning of the season. In our American culture we find waiting so difficult. Advent is anticipation. Anticipation is waiting with a focus. In Advent our focus is on Christ Himself and preparing again to receive Him as the shepherds did many years ago.
In this time when we are overextended with little leisure time or peaceful moments Advent brings the opportunity to think daily about the way we prepare for Christmas. It is like a call to a deeper, more prayerful sense of joy and contentment in our relationship with our Lord. We can come to know again that He understands all the empty painful places in our hearts and that He is reaching out to share His Light in our darkness.
Advent also helps us to see that as busyness and pressures encircle us during the holiday season we can become insensitive to others: treating them the wrong way, being short-tempered, and not noticing those who are in need. When we focus on Jesus then it is easier to treat others as He would treat them: not ignoring them but noticing them, taking a deep breath and speaking kindly, showing them love. Showing love is a worthwhile endeavor because love counteracts the bitterness and anger that usually destroys the spirit of the season.
Each person may celebrate Advent in a different way. Some individuals and families light candles, some read portions of scripture, some use an Advent calendar opening a window in the calendar for each of the days in December that lead up to Christmas Day. Some attend special Church services throughout the month. I sing Christmas songs and write letters. The key thing is to do something daily to renew your focus on the Coming of Jesus.
You
have a special opportunity this year to anticipate daily the coming of
Christ. Make a plan. Celebrate Advent!
