Advent: Season of Penitence and Hope
 
St.  Bernard of Clairvaux described the “Three Comings of the Lord” as the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the coming of Jesus into our hearts in our present time, and the final coming of Christ in Glory on the last day at the end of time.  In Advent, we prepare for all three of these. During most Advents, we spend about 95% of our time focused on the first coming of Jesus.  With a special focus on personal penitence, prayer, fasting, and charity we can make this Advent “the best Advent ever”.  As we experience more darkness outside and at times inside our lives, let us shed more light forth through Advent spiritual practices.
 
I would like to suggest a few key practices during Advent for good spiritual preparation of our hearts.
 
1. Read and practice daily devotion. This will nourish your spiritual hunger.

2. Find some quiet time. In the midst of the busy.
season of shopping and other preparations, seek some quiet time and pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, come into my heart.”

3. Light an Advent Wreath in your home each Sunday of the Advent season and pray together as a family bringing the light of Christ into your homes.

4. Consider receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation to cleanse your heart and purify your intentions. It will make a ready cradle for Jesus to be born with light, love, and hope.

5. Support a charitable organization or promote
social justice causes to be a champion of the poor and the homeless.

6. Promote unity and harmony in our community by speaking light and reaching out to each other in love and forgiveness.
 
As loving disciples of Christ, preparing our hearts for all three comings will help us to move from darkness to light, unreal to the real, negativity to positivity, despair to hope, and sadness to joy.
 
Faith, joy, and peace are unearned gifts only God can give. Through spiritual discipline, we can place ourselves in the posture of humility and gratitude before the Lord, invite the Spirit into our lives, and ready our hearts to respond with love.
 
Wishing you a fruitful Advent season,
Fr.  Tom