LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM
“Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before Him, at peace.”
-2 Peter 3:14—from today’s second reading
Our God is coming to save us, and we must ready ourselves. It is a person that is coming, Christ the Lord. I challenge you to re-read today’s second reading and consider what must change in our life for us to be ready to welcome Him. Perhaps we can think in two categories: what is present that must be strengthened and what is present that must be rooted out. Our Advent preparations must be both exterior and interior, both physical and spiritual, both noticeable and hidden, but they must be real preparations rather than theoretical ones.
Here are a few preparations that you might notice around our parish that might encourage you to make some preparations of your own:
+ Notice the wreathes on the doors as you enter the church building. This year’s wreathes were made by the Holy Family Home, a nonprofit organization based in the Twin Cities which does mission work in Ukraine: www.jmjhome.org. By purchasing these wreathes we made a contribution to their praiseworthy mission, but their presence on our doors reminds us that this time is different. May we be willing to live differently than those who do not know Christ as we know Him.
+ Notice the more subdued décor in each of our sanctuaries and the color violet which reminds us of the color of the confessional stole and the royal robes of Christ the King of Mercy! Don’t forget that Advent is a privileged time to make a confession, especially if it has been a long time. Less clutter reminds us that less is more as we allow His love to be enough. Perhaps that is the meaning of gift giving that we might easily overlook: it is better to give than to receive because in giving I hold on to less that distracts me from desiring to possess only Him.
+ We are not yet at Christmas and Advent unfolds slowly, from considering the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time in last Sunday’s readings and the emphasis on St. John the Baptist in this Sunday’s Gospel. If our Christmas decorations are all out, perhaps we might backtrack just a little bit to create a greater attitude of longing, anticipation and unfolding. There is a gradualism in this season, as there is in the stages of Salvation History. If you have lights on your tree, perhaps wait to plug them in. Certainly, the Baby Jesus should be removed from our Nativity Scenes, but maybe we could progressively place out only a few figures at a time. Traditionally, the crèche was set out only after December 17 and even then, only some of the initial figures such as at the shepherd, the animals, Mary and Joseph. This year marks the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s famed re-creation of the Christmas events with his Living Nativity at Greccio in 1223. We should be intentional with our Nativity scenes this year. I am grateful for the Holy Cross CCW-Rosary Guild’s generosity in having the figures of our Holy Cross Nativity restored this year.
+ Advent is also a time for looking ahead. Decide now how you will celebrate Christmas (not just the day but the whole season of Christmastide). Think through what traditions you will make your own— perhaps many are long-standing traditions, but perhaps this is a year to form a few new ones. Please take the Christmas Mass survey to help us plan. All are invited to a few opportunities to keep the glowing going during the Christmas Octave: a festive Yuletide Celebration and Variety Show on Tuesday, December 26 and a Holy Hour | Happy Hour on Thursday, December 28 both at St. Clement and the New Year’s Eve Party hosted by the Polish Committee on Monday evening, January 1.
+ The Eucharist is the heart of this season, both in Mass and quiet Adoration. Let’s live Advent as a preparation for Him by realizing that He is already with us, Emmanuel.
-Fr. Howe