Advent is coming: Dive in!
The Gift of Christ at Christmas cannot be fully explained in human words. The birth of Jesus some 2000 years ago was a cosmic, world-changing blessing from God the Father and Creator of all things. The proper celebration of Christmas, like all true celebrations, demands focused preparations. Will you properly prepare? How can you even prepare?
Daily prayer
Open your heart to God. Ask Him for the grace to appreciate the love He poured out on that quiet morning in Bethlehem. Welcome Jesus who desires to come in new and profound ways into your life in 2025. Set aside 15 minutes a day and completely dedicated that time to our Lord and your desire to grow in your love for Him.
Here are some ways to begin with daily prayer:
Journey through Advent with one of big hitters—Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, Isaiah the Prophet, Elizabeth or Zechariah. Strive to view the time of preparation for the coming of Christ from their perspective throughout Advent. Pick a gift, a virtue or some other inspiring element from their life and seek to imitate it during these four wonderful weeks
View the world intentionally through the lens of a prominent Advent theme such as joy, light or humility
Pick one verse or phrase from the daily readings for Mass and write a one paragraph prayer that flows from that Scripture passage
Develop an attitude of expectation—expect Christ to come to you during this Advent season in both usual and unexpected ways. Keep an eye out for the Lord who deeply desires to come into your heart and soul in a new way this Christmas
Make an effort to attend daily Mass
How seriously do you take Jesus’ command at the Last Supper: “Do this in remembrance of me”? (LK). Name a saint in the Catholic Church who was not dedicated to the Eucharist. It is no coincidence that Bethlehem comes from the Hebrew for “house of bread.” Do you want to draw close and stay close to Jesus? Jesus proclaimed in Capernaum: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56).
Bring yourself before the Lord in Confession
John the Baptist is a central figure in God’s plan to prepare the world for the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us. His principal message was “Repent!” No one can properly prepare for the One whose sandals John was unworthy to fasten without heartfelt sorrow for their sins and a burning desire to hear God say, “And I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart, show you your sins, increase your sorrow for them, inspire in you a firm purpose of amendment and warmly perform an act of penance. Here is a good guide to make an examination of conscience from Ascension Presents.
Serve your neighbor
Genuine encounters with Christ always drive us to be more loving and Christ-like with our neighbor in need. Such charity is a simple response to the superabundance of God’s blessings in our lives. It is a way to imitate Christ whose service of His neighbor flowed from a sense of compassion for the needs of those who are hurting.
