Advent is the season I love most! Its gentle force can quiet our souls and prepare us well for the season of Christmas. While the world hurries toward December 25, the Church invites us to slow down, to wait in hope for the Light of the world to break through winter’s darkness.

Here are some considerations for Advent. This season focuses on the coming of Christ. He will come in history, mystery, and majesty.

History. Advent calls us to remember the Lord’s coming in time. He came at a specific moment in history, born into a human family.

Mystery. Whenever we gather to celebrate Eucharist, Jesus reveals himself in the gifts of bread and wine offered by God’s people. Jesus in present in the assembly, in the preaching, in the hospitality we give to others.

Majesty. Now, we await with expectant hope of his return in glory where he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Advent calls us to wait for his coming all at once! This season is more than just counting down days for Christmas. It is a season that invites us to wait and pray for Jesus in history, mystery, and majesty.

One sound very familiar to this season is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Michael Trotta offers a beautiful rendition. Below is a video of one of our choir rehearsals a few years ago. Making music in this chapter of life, gave us so much hope. Enjoy!

The First Sunday of Advent opens this season with reference to Noah and his Ark. The mosaic at the top of this post is from a series of panels depicting Noah’s story from the twelfth century Palatine Chapel in Palermo. Most art in the second millennium depicts Noah in a boat with several windows. In the first millennium, art depicts Noah in a chest, coming from the Latin word arca. Putting Noah in a chest suggests this idea of God protecting his prized treasure.

The photo above is a piece of art that depicts Noah in a stable-like structure with three windows for Noah, his wife, and the ox and ass. Interestingly, it is fitting that the animals in the boat will later show up in Saint Francis’ manger scene. In both scenes, the raven is eating away at the body of a person or animal left behind from the flood (Genesis 8:7).

Jesus points to the story of Noah. During that time God’s people were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (Matthew 24:38). God’s people were distracted. Jesus then gives the image of the disappearance of people in the field and the mill. Half will be left for the day of the Lord will have arrived. Jesus urges us to stay awake!

As Advent begins, what distracts me from fully embracing God’s presence in my life? I must be still, wait for his coming, and be ready to welcome Jesus in the most unexpected way. How can we do this? Prayer and the poor.

Prayer. Mass is the best way to rehearse for his coming because at Mass Jesus truly comes. Pause in your day, recommit to silence, and make Mass part of the rhythm of your Advent season. You’ll hear the overtones of Isaiah, John the Baptist, Joseph’s dream, and Mary’s annunciation which all move hearts to the coming of Christ and awaiting his return in glory.

Create a simple Advent wreathe and dedicate a space in your home for prayer. Sit in this space, light the Advent wreathe and let its beauty draw you into the silence. In the silence, we can hear God’s voice.

The poor. God will come in poverty. There are many opportunities to serve the poor. If we are elderly and at home, we can be informed of food poverty in our local area. Reading up on this concern, sharing this concern with an email or text or donating to Saint Vincent de Paul. If our state in life allows, we can serve the poor through the work of our hands. Clean out that closet that needs to be purged of stuff and donate it. Find ways for creative involvement in your parish to support the needs of the poor. The poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11; John 12:8) and in them we will find the poor child of Bethlehem.

Let us be on our way. Stay awake!