Advent....Here we go again...Stay Awake!

Happy First Sunday of Advent! I'm making an extra effort this year to really enjoy and grow during the advent season. Usually, I am dreading this time in preparation for Christmas because I'm a terrible gift giver so I stress about what to get all 546 people on our Christmas list. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but with all that focus on gifts before I know it Christmas has come and gone and I've spend the entire time thinking about presents and hardly a moment on the true purpose of advent, which I feel is said so well in the second reading at mass today from Romans:

"Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;" Rom 13:11-12

Advent is all about remembering that we aren't here for this life on earth, our future lies in heaven, and we must keep our focus there. It's so easy to get pulled into the crowd and put such a focus on "stuff" but Jesus came to show us that if our focus was on "stuff" we were missing the point of life completely. I have so many times where my faith dips up and down. Times where I really commit to prayer and other times where I feel so far from God and have not been making an effort to put Him first or pray often. St. Paul says we must "Awake from sleep" and he couldn't be more right. We have to wake up from our normal routines and as God to change our hearts, so we might be able to see with His eyes that this world has nothing that can satisfy the hunger we have for Jesus and to be with Him forever.

In an effort to make the Advent Season a little less about shopping and black friday and a little more about Jesus, I invited my family over for a baking and craft day. We make advent calendars that give your family something new each day to do to help us grow in holiness and we approach the holy day. They turned out very cool. I also included a scripture from the daily readings each day. Below is the list if you'd like to make one yourself!

December 1^st – 1^st Sunday in Advent – Rom 13:11-14 - Light one candle and say a prayer for your heart to be open and changed this advent. Put green in your house (Christmas tree, wreaths, etc)

December 2 – Mt 8:5-11 – Pray for someone who is sick or hurting. Send them a card, call or visit them.

December 3 – Lk 10:21-24 – Be childlike today! Play a game, stop to look at the stars, and laugh at silly things!

December 4 – Mt 15:29-37 – Bring food to a food drive or the food shelf.

December 5 – Mt 7:24-27 – Set up a nativity set. Play with it a little!

December 6 – Mt 9:27-31 – send a letter to someone who has impacted or changed your life (teacher, friend, aunt, etc.)

December 7 – Mt 10:6-8 – Give one of your toys to someone who needs it more (women’s shelter, toy drive, friend)

December 8 – 2^nd Sunday in Advent – Mt 3:10-12 – Light 2 candles, put lights on your tree and up around the house.

December 9 – Luke 1:26-38 – Do someone else’s chore for them today.

December 10 – Mt 18:12-14 – Talk to someone new or someone who’s alone today

December 11 – Mt 11:28-30 – Listen to your favorite Christian song, close your eyes and just rest in God while you listen.

December 12 – Luke 1:26-38 – Act out the bible story. Use garland for a halo and a sheet for Mary.

December 13 – Mt 11:16-19 – Try not to judge others today. Smile at EVERYONE you meet.

December 14 – Mt 17:9-13 – Make a popcorn string! Eat some too!

December 15 – 3^rd Sunday in Advent – Mt 11:2-5 – Add ornaments to your Christmas tree.

December 16 – Psalm 25:4-9 – Tell your family something you learned today.

December 17 – Mt 1: 16-17 – Make or wrap a gift for a grandparent.

December 18 – Mt 1:18-25 – Write nice messages to Dad on sticky notes and stick them all over the house where he’ll find them.

December 19 – Lk 1:5-25 – Wrap presents. Talk about gifts you’ve waited a long time for.

December 20 – Psalm 24:1-6 – Get in jammies and drive around and look at Christmas lights. Give an “award” to the best one with some goodies and a note.

December 21 – Lk 1:39-45 – Sing Christmas carols

December 22 – 4^th Sunday of Advent – Is 7:10-14 – Deliver Christmas gifts, put a treat for the mailman in the mailbox, etc.

December 23 – Lk 1:57-66 – Put $ in a vending machine for the next person or pay for the person behind you in the drive through.

December 24 – Lk 1:67-79 – Act out the Nativity story

December 25 – Luke 2:1-14 – Celebrate! Jesus is born! Make today holy by only saying nice things.