Advent is one of the most grace-filled seasons of the year.  It is a sacred time that encourages us to focus on the real meaning of life, a journey to the Father’s House made possible by the Son of God becoming man and dwelling among us.  God became man in the person of Jesus, so that by following Him, we could become like God.  The most important preparation we can make centers on our relationship with the Lord and others.  We invite families to light our parish Advent candle each week and to prepare our families through prayers and Scripture reading for the beauty of this season.  It is a time we give birth to Jesus in our daily living.  Kindness, love, forgiveness, reaching out to those in need so we attempt each day to live as Jesus lived.  Let us join as a parish
family to make ready the way of the Lord: Daily Mass at 7:45 A.M., the reception of the Sacrament of Penance and a more fervent reception of the Eucharist on the weekend.

         As we begin a new Advent season, Jesus is asking us to be on watch.  We tend to relegate this command to simply keeping guard: guarding our minds against sin, guarding our bodies against over-indulgence, and guarding our families against harm.  However, this is only one part of the picture.  Our Catholic faith tells us that we cannot live this Christian life solely by our own power - by our own watchfulness.  We need the grace of God if we want to become like Christ.

                So, whether we are at Mass, saying the Rosary, sitting before the Lord in adoration, or lying in bed at night, the Lord asks us to “watch” by fixing our eyes on Him and opening our ears to His still, small voice.  

              Of course, we can come to the Lord in a number of different frames of mind.  And - of course - some are better than others.  We can be preoccupied or caught up in daydreaming.  As you might expect, this is not all that effective.  Worse, we can be hardhearted, as if we were telling Jesus: “I don’t want you to tell me what to do.  My way is better than your way.”  And this is only one step above being proud.  The last thing we want is to come to the Lord with an attitude that is always comparing ourselves favorably against others.  This leaves us so caught up in ourselves that it’s almost impossible to see ho Jesus wants to minister to us.  

              A better approach would be to come with a heart of petition.  It’s always good to pray for our needs and the needs of others.  But there is another form of prayer that is better still: seeking Jesus - and especially at Mass.  The more we ask Jesus to fill us with His grace, the more we will find His presence.  And finding His presence, we will find everything we need.  May we all make this a watchful Advent in the fullest sense of the word!   

The History of the Advent Wreath

by Fr. William Sanders