HAPPY ADVENT!
It's a pretty hectic time of year with all this hustle and bustle. Christmas shopping. Travelling. Final exam studying. But despite all that, it's still Advent! It's a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus's coming. It's a time to give more than just material gifts. It's a time to share the joy of the Lord.
This Sunday's Gospel is extremely fitting for this. It's Luke's account of the Second Coming. He warns us:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkeness and the anxieties of life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap."
With everything that goes on this time of year, it's so easy to become overwhelmed by the "anxieties of life." Time flies by so quickly and before you know it, Christmas just comes at you. Sometimes it comes at you so fast that you can't even appreciate and be present in the holiday. There are so many distractions and responsibilities that sometimes it feels like you can't ever stop to just think.
So to counter this, find something a little extra that you can do to center your hearts and minds. Here are some things that I have discovered!
1. Have some quiet time
This time of year is literally the darkest. With the sun rising later and setting earlier, you might have some days where you never see natural light. This reflects the darkness that was present before God. It was dark and chaotic and uncertain. A lot of us are probably getting those vibes right now, so take some time out of your day to just reflect quietly.
It can be in a dark setting to reflect life before God. It can be in Adoration. Or it could even be walking or driving in silence.
It doesn't have to be long either. Even just ten minutes of silence can help clear your mind of all the stress and anxiety of the coming winter.
2. Do something selfless
There are a lot of service opportunities everywhere this time as well. Local food pantries and soup kitchens are really busy. A lot of organizations are also taking donations. Places are also probably taking donations for Christmas gifts for children who might not receive any kind of gift.
It's also getting really cold outside so clear out your closets and donate some wintery clothes, hats, gloves, scarves, and blankets! If you really want to try something outside of your comfort zone, walk around a city, talk to people that live on the street, ask them of their names, offer something to help keep them warm, and pray with them.
Praying more in general is also huge.
3. Be watchful
In this Gospel, we are told to "be vigilant at all times." Like I said before, it's easy to find ourselves wrapped up in the hustle and bustle. But in all of that, there's still some good. Often you might just see Him in the little things, but be mindful of all of it, and offer it up.
And give thanks! Even though before I said that it's the darkest time of the year, you can still find some light and give thanks for all the God moments in your day, big and small. Maybe someone gave you a really big hug. Or flashed a cheesy smile at you. Or genuinely asked you how your day is going. Look for this light and be the light for others.
These are just a few small things that you can change for this season of Advent, and who knows, maybe even after! There are so many other ways to prepare your hearts, but I find that the little things are a great way to start.
Oh, and here's just one thing that I noticed in the Gospel that I'll leave you with to think about.
Luke spends a lot of time in the beginning with very vivid and dramatic images of earth during the Second Coming. He writes that " there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves." This just illustrates the glory and power of God. But this really contrasts the first time God came into this earth.
He first came as a baby born in a humble manger.
This isn't flashy and dramatic at all. I'm not sure what this means, but it's just something I noticed. It's possible that it relates to how at the time of the First Coming, the world was in complete darkness. There was work that God needed to do on earth in order to grant us salvation. The world back then wasn't ready for the power of God, but for the Second Coming, the time will be right.
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