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ADVENT is the beginning of the Church's liturgical year.
The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas). -USCCB.org
How to prepare? Here are a few ideas...
The Friars at St. Paul Church invite you to come to Advent Confessions on Wednesday, Dec.16th from 7-8pm.
What a great way to start the Year of Mercy. Even if you have been away from the church for a while, the Friars want you to know that you can come to the Sacrament of God’s Mercy and be at peace with God. There will be 4 friars available on Dec. 16th. Confessions will begin at 7pm and the friars will stay until after 8pm if necessary. All are welcome, always!
Daily suggestions for prayer, reflection and action during the Advent and Christmas seasons are available on the USCCB website. (Click on the word 'Advent' or 'Christmas' for the link.) These sites use clickable calendar formats that allow visitors to open "doors" to suggestions for each date.
Visit Catholic websites to learn more and deepen your understanding and for articles/videos like this one from Catholic News Agency:
What Does It Really Mean to Observe Advent?
Say a prayer whenever you see a Nativity SceneThe tradition of having a nativity scene or "crèche" was made popular by St. Francis of Assisi. Saying a simple prayer such as this will help keep Christ in our hearts throughout the Advent season:
Lord,
bless all who look upon this manger;
may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus,
and raise our thoughts to him,
who is God-with-us and Savior of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen