I love the upcoming season and appreciate how fall gives way to the long Christmas observance before pouring into Lent and Easter.
Before I converted to Catholicism in April of 2024, the Baptist and Presbyterian churches I’d attended recognized Advent with an extra service, more robust music arrangements, and encouragement to take some additional time to calm our hearts and think about the gift we’d received from God through Jesus.
As a Catholic, I’ve learned about Advent as the Coming of Christ in a sacred way with more time for deeper reflection. I've also come to appreciate the connection to others worldwide through the liturgical calendar, following a few traditions dating back hundreds of years.
What is Advent?
Advent (Latin: Adventus) means “coming.” Whether Protestant or Catholic, it is a four-week period leading up to the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus, offering us a chance to slow down and prepare for the coming of Christ.
In the High Church, Advent is one of the most beautiful seasons of the liturgical calendar. Too often, though, the world rushes headlong into Christmas celebrations the moment Thanksgiving leftovers are stuffed away in old butter tubs.
As Christians we know it is so much more.
One difference between Protestants and Catholics is that, for Catholics, the Advent season is a time of preparation, prayer, and reflection, distinct from Christmas, a time of joyful anticipation, reflection, and spiritual renewal.
As Catholics, we not only use Advent to reflect on Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby but on his second coming as well.
This dual preparation of the meaning of Advent (remember: coming) invites us to reflect, repent, and worship. We’re invited to open our hearts and “be transformed by the renewing of our minds. ROM 12:2”.
Music, food, gift-giving, charity, and time with loved ones reflect faith in action and spark a universal sense of joy and hope. But my prayer is that I honor the days of Advent to set my mind on things above and forget the cares of the world. I pray that reset my seeking towards God’s will. I pray I listen more for the sound of the door opening. For His will is “good, and acceptable and perfect. ROM 12:2).
Duty calls, however, and work, home responsibilities, and life can sneak up and overtake our ONE priority during Advent: preparation. (Note: Having more than one priority is an oxymoron.)
Let’s manage our expectations and live out a season of peace with prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the sacraments, and silence.
How to Have an Active Advent
The Church offers us rich traditions and practices to guide us into the spirit of the season.
1. Prayer & Devotion: Turn your Heart to God
Sometimes, our prayer life can become…routine. Advent is a time to renew our devotion and prayer life to God. Too often, “devotions” aren’t for God at all but for our circumstances. Advent allows us to turn our hearts towards Him in prayer.
The Church’s liturgies fill us with anticipation, emphasizing God’s faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. Here are some ideas for bringing your prayer life alive with your family or alone.
Make or Buy an Advent Wreath and Candles: Light a candle each Sunday, reflecting on hope, peace, joy, and love. As you do, pray as a family or individually, asking God to prepare your heart for Christ. Don’t rush this. Consider making Sunday dinner a silent dinner or a family tradition to pray around the wreath before bed. (Don’t forget to blow the candle out!)
Recite The O Antiphons: An antiphon is a short phrase sung or chanted after the end of a reading of the Psalms. During Lent, they are a special collection of ancient prayers, expressing the longing for Christ’s coming. They are recited from December 17–23. You can find the O Antiphons here. You can hear them here.
Additional Daily Reflection: Add at least ten minutes to your daily prayer time. Consider doing it first thing in the morning. I dress for the weather and spend the first hour on my front porch. The crisp air keeps me alert in the early morning hours, and the night sky reminds me of the Nativity. Numerous resources, from apps to books to radio shows and podcasts, offer a way to reflect on the significance of Christ’s coming.
2. Fasting: Simplifying to Make Room for God This Advent
While fasting is more associated with Lent, it can also be a meaningful part of Advent. And remember – fasting is more than abstinence from food. It’s abstaining from whatever keeps us from the holy creatures God intended us to be. Boy, is my list long! Here are a few:
Simplify Christmas Preparations: My kids are grown and on their own. They can bring more than store-bought rolls and help with some of the heavy meal prep. I’ve also scaled back on holiday shopping and simplified the decorations. I now have extra time to focus on prayer, family, or acts of service.
Digital Detox: The older I get, the more set in my ways I can be which makes social media triggering for me. My phone tells me how much time I’ve spent on each platform, and if I’ve exceeded the limit, I’m done. During Advent and Lent, I cut that time in half.
Mindful Abstinence: Each year, during Advent, I choose something to give up—something that is truly a sacrifice—and offer it to God as a way to draw closer to Him.
By fasting, we create an empty space that God can fill with His peace and presence.
3. Almsgiving: Sharing Christ’s Love with Others
Advent reminds us of the call to love our neighbors, especially those in need. Almsgiving is a tangible way to prepare our hearts for Christ by following His example of self-giving love.
Charitable Giving: Many parishes organize Advent giving trees or toy drives. Participate in these efforts or donate to Catholic charities that serve the poor. Buy gift cards for fast food restaurants and drop them off at the fire station or a police station. They often use those cards to help others in need.
Acts of Kindness: Simple, intentional acts—like baking cookies for an elderly neighbor or writing a heartfelt card—can be powerful expressions of love.
Time and Presence: Time is a valuable commodity for everyone and can be the most precious gift you can offer someone. Offer to read the Bible in a nursing home, volunteer, offer to clean the church, call distant relatives, and let them know you are thinking of them. Ask The Holy Spirit to guide you toward a need for your time and how to use the gifts he’s given you.
Almsgiving shifts our focus outward, reminding us that Advent is about preparing our hearts and the world for Christ’s coming.
4. Sacraments: Encountering Christ in the Present
The sacraments are a vital part of our Advent preparation, offering us a profound encounter with Christ.
Confession: The Church encourages us to seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent. It’s a chance to examine our hearts, confess our sins, and receive God’s mercy, allowing us to greet Christ with a clean heart.
Eucharist: Attending Mass regularly—especially on Sundays—grounds us in the liturgical rhythm of the season. As we receive the Eucharist, we encounter the same Christ we await in Advent. As a convert, this is one of the most transforming sacred elements I never knew I was missing until I had converted.
By embracing the sacraments, we open ourselves more fully to the grace God wants to pour into our lives.
5. Embracing Silence: Listening for God’s Voice
The world during December can be overwhelmingly noisy—filled with holiday music, crowded stores and streets, and endless to-do lists. Advent invites us to step away from the clamor and into silence, where we can hear God speak.
Create Quiet Spaces: My front and back porches are my quiet spaces. I also do a lot of reading and praying in bed. I have a space in my home office for icons, prayer sheets, holy water, veils, and such for when I want peace. I have a favorite place to seek silence and peace if I can get away during my lunch period at work. Be intentional about making time for quiet every day.
Nightly Examinations: Once we’ve tucked ourselves into bed, it can be challenging to settle our minds on what we’ve done wrong or what we missed. But an examination of conscience every day to reflect on Christ and where we may have missed out on His presence, ask for forgiveness, and increase in faith for the next day can be a peaceful and calming way to set the mind before your head hits the pillow.
Silence during Advent allows us to attune our hearts to the quiet, transformative power of God’s love.
Preparing the Manger of Your Heart for Advent
As Catholics, we understand Advent isn’t about adding more to our plates. It’s about clearing out anything that is not of him. It’s a season to clear out the clutter in our hearts, deepen our relationship with God, and anticipate the joy of Christ’s coming.
We can prepare for Christmas and the day when Christ will come again through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the sacraments, and silence.
Let this Advent be a time of true spiritual renewal, where the manger of your heart is ready to receive the Savior.
I promise that if you take the time to prepare your heart during Advent, your ability to manage the threats to your peace will be strengthened.
What traditions do you hold dear during Advent? How to prepare your heart for the coming of Jesus?
Comments