Spirited Times - November 2007

Through Advent to Christmas Take comfort, prepare your hearts Yearning for more than decorations, gifts, and cookies?

By MANDY DILLON

Once again we find the season of Advent fast approaching. And whether you relish the thought of Christmas preparations or shudder when you think of all that you want or have to do, the most important thing in this season of preparation is to remember just why we do all of this.

The Scriptures we will hear throughout the season of Advent have two very evident messages in them. The first goes along with the hustle and bustle of the season: Prepare! Get ready! Stay awake! But the preparations we must make go far beyond the decorations and the presents and the cookies and the cards. Those things are the extras, the icing – they are what make the season different from the rest. But our focus needs to remain on preparing our hearts. As fun as Christmas is, without taking some time to prepare ourselves for the real “reason for the season,” we miss the boat.

We hear this message of being prepared right from the beginning, in the Gospel on the first Sunday of Advent: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

The second Sunday of Advent continues this theme with John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord and proclaiming “’Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” What do we prepare our hearts for? We are preparing for the coming of our Savior. We are preparing for Emmanuel, “God with us.” Our God is not somewhere “out there,” but rather, right here at our sides.

Our God loves us so much that he became one of us. That is what we are celebrating! And as a part of our preparations for the celebration of Christmas, we are called to make room in our hearts for the loving and healing presence of God.

Peace is the second message that winds its way through our Scriptures this season. The prophet Isaiah describes visions of the time to come when people shall “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” and when the “wolf shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.” Isaiah also speaks of a God who will make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap and the mute sing.

Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Those in conflict and those who suffer will one day have peace. This is a message of comfort and hope for our world today. We must continue to have faith and believe that one day we will all experience the peace of God.

So in all the busyness of the season, don’t forget to stop and remember what all of this preparation is for. Take comfort in the promise that God is here with us now and always, and prepare your heart in a special way to receive the many blessings that God has given us in Jesus.

You’re welcomed to Church of the Holy Spirit anytime. Advent preparations are the four Sundays prior to Christmas. Christmas Masses are:

Monday, Dec. 24, 4:00 and 6:00 (planned for families), and 8:00. Tuesday, Dec. 25, 12:00 Midnight (bilingual, multicultural); 9:00, 10:30, 12:00 Noon (Español).

Mandy is pastoral associate at Church of the Holy Spirit.

 
Trees, ornaments, wreaths, lights, sculpture, cookies, carols, and presents, all call us to the real comfort, the real gift of Christmas, Jesus.