What are you waiting for?
I'm going to be honest! I sat down to write a reflection on Advent for you all this week and stumbled across one I wrote a couple of years ago. It still seemed so relevant that I have added to the newsletter again this week. I hope you don't mind! I also hope that it brings some reflection for you during this time of waiting. Thank you for taking the time to read, reflect and journey with me over the year.
Have a safe and happy holidays!
God Bless you and your family today and always,
Lauren Considine
Advent always puzzles me. I am in a constant tension between what society is trying to tell me at this time of year and what Jesus is. While the church tells us that we are waiting and journeying to Christmas, everything else tells me to put my runners on and fulfill an endless list of to-do’s before rushing to Christmas. Buy presents, get waaaaay to much food, sing carols, and maybe fit in time at church. With Christmas trees, parties and Santa wish lists, we can often forget the opportunity we are given to turn to God during Advent and fully prepare for Christmas.
Entering the Church over the next few weeks, you will notice the transformation straight away. Gone is the green, replaced with a sea of purple. A very clear statement for each of us that something has changed, and so will we. At school, students are told that the colour purple represents ‘waiting’ in the church through the Seasons of Lent and Advent. But moreover, Purple is the colour of change as shown through the sacrament of Reconciliation. The purple stole worn by a priest tells us that through this experience there will be a change and we will grow closer to Jesus.
You may be reading and thinking, well I already know this so why do I have to hear it again. My response, we ALL know the real reason for Christmas, but how often do we live the real meaning? Christmas IS about family and friends coming together, sharing a meal made with love and hearing stories about what everyone has been up to and sharing gives especially picked to show how much they mean. But is it also about Jesus! and just like you can’t just arrive at Christmas lunch without reconnecting, or recentering on what Christmas is about. You also can't be nourished by Jesus if you don't spend some time with him before hand preparing.
Advent is God’s gift to us. A time to step away from all of the end of the year commitments and focus on four of our values. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Though these values we can truly prepare for Christ at Christmas.
When turning to Christ through this season of Advent we also need to turn to the young people in our lives too. The older I get the more I find that Christ is revealed through them, especially at this time Christmas. They live and breathe the Advent spirit so authentically- without even knowing it.
They are full of Hope, that all will be fine on Christmas day, no matter what might be going on in their lives.
They are full of Peace, because they are oblivious to the mad rush that adults place on themselves to make sure everything for Christmas is perfect.
They are full of Joy, with every Christmas light, movie and song that they hear.
But mostly they are full of Love knowing that they will spend Christmas with the people they care about the most, their families.
While our children can often see the lens of Christmas through a commercial eye, let's not take away from who they are, and what they are feeling. Through our witness of them, we can be reminded of the pure innocence and joy we are called to receive every year as we all journey to Christ this Christmas. May we all remember to set aside some time with Jesus this Advent season so we too, just like our children, grandchildren or students can experience the real joy that Christmas will bring.
I’ll leave you with one last thought. In years to come, all of the gifts and presents this year will be a vast memory but hopefully faith in a loving God will be lasting. So maybe we need to ask ourselves, what am I truly waiting for this Christmas?