On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh.
Awake and harken, for he brings glad tidings of the King of kings!
Tomorrow begins a brand new year in the liturgical life of the Church. If anything is sorely needed right about now, it would be a new year! Too many things have happened the past several months and they have left many people feeling quite low.
We were once a people brought low by our sins. The consequence of Original Sin brought death to God’s people. They lost the glory that they once had as they dwelled with God in their midst. They became mortal and corruptible.
God promised that He would free His people from the sin and death that had come upon them. In order to do this, He told His people that He would send a Messiah to them. For centuries, God’s people awaited the Messiah. We know that the Messiah came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. The season of Advent that we begin tomorrow prepares us to celebrate the birth of God’s Son.
I encourage you to use the season of Advent to your best advantage. There are many practices that people employ to ready themselves for the spiritual celebration of Christmas: Advent wreathes, Jesse Trees, and Advent calendars, to name a few. There are also many books dedicated to the preparation for Christmas. The songs of the season help us to focus upon the coming feast as well.
Use what methods are best for you. Employ as many options as possible so that, when Christmas arrives, you will be ready to sing God’s praises on the birthday of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. God knows, we need some joy in our hearts after these past several months. Look away from all the bad of the year and look ahead to the glory of God.
FAITH ACTION: Prepare for this holy season by gathering your family together to discuss what Advent is all about. Perhaps construct an Advent wreath to help mark the weeks.