Sunday Meditation: First Sunday of Advent

Our Advent began with Mass and a big brunch celebrated with our youngest and her family and my oldest brother and his wife. But before brunch the three oldest children (eight, five, and three) helped me cut greens for the advent wreath off our pine trees and red berries off the nandina bushes.

What fun it was to have them poking the greens into the pine cone wreath (a gift from my sister Laura many moons ago!) and then adding the berries. Since I didn't have any new advent candles we scoured the candle drawer for three already used purples and one pink.

Advent Thoughts

The pine cone wreath made by Laura

This time of year I try hard to block out all the Christmas songs and decorations, so I can live Advent. Visiting family in Austin after Thanksgiving, we missed our usual preparations during the first eight days. Instead, we shared those preparations with our son and his family. But we returned last night so today I began my own welcome for the Divine Messiah. Larry brought up the Advent wreath and I cleaned the family room and set up the creche. What memories are stirred as I add every day to the adornments that fill each room with the spirit of Christmas.

Daddy made the creche and I laugh whenever I put the green branches on the back that are coded to fit into their holders. I never remember my dad without a project. One was painting and crimping little juice cans to make a "building set" of tubes for grandkids. And I know he must have made the little manger for Jesus. There's even a pile of miniature wooden logs that rest beside the stable. St. Joseph would surely have been busy making sure there was plenty of fuel to keep his family toasty warm.

As We Prepare for Christmas...

by Fr. Tom Collins

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is helpful to note that the tendency of our secularized age to marginalize or even eliminate Him from the celebration of Christmas is nothing new. In Bethlehem, He was marginalized and consigned with Mary and Joseph
to a cold and crude stable the night of His birth. And King Herod sought to have Him killed. And Jesus, Mary and Joseph ended up as refugees in Egypt.

As we prepare to celebrate the Birth of the Christ Child, we should keep in mind that He reveals Himself as He really is to the pure of heart (e.g., Mary and Joseph), to the vigilant (e.g., the shepherds carefully watching over their sheep), and to those sojourning as humble pilgrims seeking the integrity and splendor of truth (e.g., the Magi). 

May these attitudes become more deeply infused into our lives and relationships over the coming days, so that the light of Christ may radiate more gloriously from our hearts and homes, so as to
draw more souls into a sanctifying fellowship with the redemptive humility of God, revealed to us in the Christ Child. 

Have a blessed and joyous Christmas!