Thoughts for the Celebration of Advent

The Religious Education Director at my parish asked me to speak to the parents are preparing for Advent.  I have given this talk in the past and went in search for some new material. In the context of the Year of Faith here are some of my thoughts about preparing for the coming of Jesus. 

In October 2011, our Holy Father released a letter that declared a year of faith beginning Oct 11, 2012 and ending on November 24, 2013.  The Year of Faith is also tied into the much promoted New Evangelization. Pope Benedict believes that the Holy Spirit is giving us the opportunity and grace to rediscover our faith in this Year of Faith.  And what better time for us to begin than in preparation of Christ’s birth?

Let’s review some thoughts of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict.  On Wednesday, during the general audience, our Holy Father spoke about the role of family in faith.  Speaking specifically about parents, he said: 

·        Sharing the faith with children and others should be done in a clear, joyful and simple manner.

·        The Second Vatican Council says that parents are the first messengers of God. 

·        They are called to rediscover their mission to open small minds to the love of God.

·        A fundamental role of parents is as the first catechists. 

·        Always be joyful. Help all members of the family understand that faith is not a burden, but a deep source of joy.

Do your children know who Jesus is and what it did? St. Bernard describes Jesus life as follows:  He lay in a manger and rested on a virgin’s breast, preached on a mountain, and spent the night in prayer. He hung on a cross, grew pale in death, and roamed free among the dead and ruled over those in hell.  He rose again on the third day, and showed the apostles the wounds of the nails, the signs of victory; and finally in their presence he ascended to the sanctuary of heaven. 

And He sent the Holy Spirit to remain with us until He comes again.  One activity that may help Jesus come alive in the hearts of your children is to use the internet to find the places where Jesus lived.  Explore them together.

Advent is a time of waiting and preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ.  We can and should use this time to rebuild our own hearts.  I suggest a three-fold approach to rebuilding Advent hearts in your homes, adoration, Mary and Penance.

Adoration - I used to think that you had to be really holy to go to Adoration.  Now I believe that Adoration is for everyone, even the unbeliever.  During Adoration you may pray, think, read, and contemplate in the presence of Jesus. Plan to attend Adoration with your family during Advent. Come with your family and spend 15 or 20 minutes with Jesus.  Do this every month in 2013 and see what a difference it will make in your life and the life of your family.

Celebrate Mary – Because she said, " Yes", Jesus was born. Three great Marian feast days take place in the next month – Dec 8 –Mary’s Immaculate Conception, Dec 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Jan 1 –Mary, Mother of God.  Come as a family to mass all of these days.  (Two of them are Holy Days of Obligation.)  Pray a decade of the Rosary each evening with your family.  You’ll be through all four of the mysteries before Christmas comes!

Penance - It is the most misunderstood sacrament of the Church.  I recently heard a priest say that the best reason to come to confession is because Jesus should have the opportunity to say, “I forgive you” and that is what he does thought our Priests.  In Psalm David writes, “Create in me a clean heart, Oh Lord”.  Have all of your family members receive a clean heart during Advent.

Today, after you pick up your children, sit down and talk about Advent.  Ask them how your family should prepare for Jesus’ arrival on earth.  You might be surprised with their response.  However you celebrate Advent, remember the Holy Father’s comments: clear, joyful and simple manner, open small minds to God, faith is not a burden, but a deep source of joy.

Turning our Minds to Heavenly Things

                On this second day of the Year of Faith, I’m feeling a like a have a double hangover.  Yesterday, I spent much of the day reading about the year of faith, attended mass and a Holy Hour and have many thoughts buzzing through my brain.  I also spent time, into the wee hours of the morning, watching play-off baseball.  Various members of my family are Nationals, Orioles and Tigers fans.  Each team was facing elimination from the play offs if they didn’t win.  All three teams won, in dramatic fashion.

               

               So in this prayful-baseball haze, I try to make some sense of the potential for the Year of Faith and of the experiences of yesterday.  I have been personally excited about this Year of Faith since Pope Benedict declared it a year ago. I wonder, what can this year mean for me?  For my family?  For those around me? Pope John XIII, who convened the Second Vatican Council, said that the Council was to “turn our minds to heavenly things”.

                In his homily on Oct 11th, Our Holy Father Pope Benedict said that “the Church proposed a new Year of Faith and a new evangelization, . . . because there is more need of it, even more than there was fifty years ago”.  He defined the Year of Faith as a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei 6). In other words, the Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion – to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. The “door of faith” is opened at one’s baptism, but during this year Catholics are called to open it again, walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.

                The priest who preached at the holy hour spoke of life as a pilgrim on a journey. And, that like pilgrims, we can’t go alone.  He remarked that by reaching out to others during this year of faith, we can have a profound effect on our culture.  As we try more clearly to “see the light”, we can help others also find it.

                At mass, the priest described the Year of Faith as a time to fall in love with God all over again, or for the first time. It is a time to return, renew, discover, learn and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

                With so many ideas and thoughts surging through my mind, I do think that Blessed Pope John XXIII said it simply.  This year is a time for us to turn our thoughts to heavenly things, as we let go and stop grasping for the material wealth of this world.