Celebrating Beauty: Advent

An ongoing series about how to add a little beauty to our favorite feasts and seasons

Happy First Sunday of Advent friends! Today we begin the season of preparation for Christmas. Advent begins four weeks before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. While the secular world wants Christmas to begin in October, and then ceases to celebrate after December 25th, the Church, in her wisdom, shows us a better way.

In the Catholic Church, the season of Advent serves as a way to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ both at Christmas and at the second coming. All the readings throughout the month of November have been preparing us for this. Then, once Advent is over, Christmas lasts all the way until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January! Advent and Christmas are a lot like Lent and Easter in that both big feasts have a preparation season beforehand and then last for a significant time after the actual feast day. Like Lent, Advent also has a penitential feel to it. During Advent, we are called to prepare our hearts for the Lord.

How do we do that? Through prayer and service, just like Lent. While the Church does not require the faithful to practice these disciplines in the same way she does during Lent, we are still invited to use these means to prepare our hearts for Christ. During Advent, commit to spending a little extra time in prayer. We have some ideas for you below, but you can also pray the Rosary, attend daily Mass, attend Eucharistic Adoration, or spend more time in personal prayer with the Lord. Spending time with Jesus is one of the best ways you can prepare your heart for His coming!

One beautiful practice the world has during this season is being more attentive to charitable work. As Christians, we are called to serve our neighbor, especially during Advent and Lent. Giving of one's time, talent, and treasure are great ways to prepare your heart for Christ because generosity teaches us detachment from the stuff of this world. Consider giving a little more to your local parish during this season, participating in your parish's giving tree, donating to Catholic ministries that have fed your spiritual life, cooking dinner for an elderly neighbor, or simply making an effort to be more patient and loving toward the people in your life. All are great and simple ways to prepare your heart for Christ!

Finally, the Church has many beautiful traditions during Advent. The most common is the Advent wreath. The Advent wreath is the way we mark the time of our preparation. The candles are meant to remind us that Christ is the light of the world. The pink candle marks the third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete (Latin for "rejoice") Sunday. We rejoice on this day because it is almost Christmas! I pray this season will be a beautiful reminder of the coming of Christ for you all your loved ones.

Let's Celebrate!

Playlist:

Here's the link to our Advent playlist!

Advent Devotionals:

Here's a list of our favorite Advent prayer companions:

Take Up and Read: O Radiant Dawn
Take Up and Read: Rooted in Hope
Blessed Is She: All the Generations
Blessed Is She: Maranatha
Magnificat: Advent Companion

Other Prayer Opportunities:

Are you looking for more prayer opportunities this Advent? Consider signing up for the online Pray More Novenas Advent Retreat! It's an online self-paced retreat featuring videos from popular Catholic speakers and best of all, it's free! However, they do accept donations if you want to give a little more this Advent. Also, we would also suggest subscribing to a monthly missal like Magnificat. These missals have readings from saints and approachable versions of liturgy of the hours as well as all the Mass readings for that month. I love Magnificat because they also highlight at least two pieces of beautiful sacred art every month and introduce you to new saint friends almost daily. You can subscribe here.

Decoration:

Decorating our homes is something we all do to prepare for Christmas. But don't forget about Advent! Set your Advent wreath in a prominent place in your home and burn the candles during family meals! Also, if you want to try to bring the spirit of preparation into your home in a tangible way, consider decorating your home slowly. Not only does this help lower stress on decorating day, but can also be a fun way to prepare your home for Christ's coming in one small way every day.