Advent vs Christmas

The priest at our church is a lovely and very holy man who lives out his faith everyday in who he lives.  Every year he covers our church and rectory in Christmas lights starting right after Thanksgiving.  There are some people who love the lights and some who object to them as participating in the commercialization of Christmas and not giving the season of Advent it's proper place.

We as Catholics are supposed to use the season of Advent to prepare our lives and our hearts for the coming of our Lord and Savior.  It is a time of reflection and prayer and also a time to show our love for God by helping others.  In the world, this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has become an orgy of spending and consuming.  A time to beat the next person to the best deal on some new gadget.

If the world has forgotten the meaning of Christmas, whose fault is that?  Is it the stores?  The media?  Or is it our fault?  What good is it, in the midst of all the busy shopping and preparation to have our little church be dark?  As people pass by they would not be reminded at all that this time of the year is different. Instead when you pass St Paul's you can not miss it.  It shines like the light of Christ.  It is the lamp what can't be hidden under a bushel.  It is a beacon to remind people that there are still Christians in our world and that we are preparing for the coming of the God of Love.

How can we as followers of the Light of the world honor Advent in our lives?  What are we called to do to carry that light into the world?  If the world has left Christ out of Christmas it is our fault,not theirs.  To often we fail to carry Gods love in our hearts to rest of the world.  We don't practice our faith in the most meaningful ways, by loving.  To truly prepare for the coming of Christ we have to prepare our hearts by forgiving those we need to forgive.  By examining our thoughts and beliefs and purging ourselves of our biases and prejudices.  Christ is coming into our world and we don't know how he will look.  Is he the homeless man who asks us for a couple of bucks?  Is he the immigrant who doesn't speak English?  Is he the single mom who just needs some help to feed her kids?  The answer is that he is all these people.  Celebrate Advent and Christmas not just by not doing but by doing.  Show Christ to the world by how you live and how you love,and just by not putting up Christmas lights.

As always I write this blog more as a reminder to myself than anything else. If you find anything useful in it please let me know.  If you find anything you disagree with, please also share that.

Becoming me

My Lord, my God, my King, my Beloved, help me Dear Savior to become more me. You made me, so whatever I am is good, as long as I am what You created me to be.  Help me, Dear Lord to envision my world, my being, as You created me to be.  How my King should I react with Love at this moment to those who hurt me? Teach me to love myself and not to worry about what others think of me.  Help me to be bold in my love for You and all You have created.  Teach me to love others where they are while encouraging us both to grow.  Show me how to respond to hatred with love.  Help me remember that people's reactions say more about themselves then they do me and I can not change them, only myself and how I react to others.  My King, I know that changing my life, becoming who you created me to be will bring joy and fulfillment to my life.  It will fill my life with color and whimsy, which is how you made me.  You have called me not to be alone and isolated but part of a community.  I know that this means conflict and disagreements but it also means love and companionship.  Teach me not to run away when it gets hard but to realize that the difficulty just shows me it is worth it.