So how is your Advent going so far?  Feeling a little guilty (like I am) because the good intentions that you had at the beginning of Advent to try and come to the quiet and to “be still and know that I am God.” (Psm 46:10) Perhaps the problem might be with our understanding (or ignorance) of Advent.

Advent as defined means “a coming into place, view, being, or arrival.  From a liturgical perspective we are focused on the Nativity, the night that Jesus (God) was incarnated into the world.  We begin to hear the homilies from the pulpit admonishing us to not put up our Christmas decorations too early.  Slow down and spend more time in silence, to try and bring ourselves to a more quiet and peaceful place while meditating on the incarnation of Christ, all very sound and good advice in and of itself.  However, not to long after I try and bring myself to a meditative, quiet place, I begin to lose focus and I am left with the question-why?

Because Christmas dinner is at your home and you have all of the family, plus some very close friends, coming over to share Christmas day with you and you only have a so many days and so much spare time to get ready.  Heaven forbid that you have to be ready for the business or neighborhood party that will happen some two weeks before Christmas.  Waiting until Christmas Eve to begin decorating isn’t one of the options.  When you do decorate there is the question of how to set up that Nativity scene, should the baby Jesus be put into the manger or left out.  You want to put him in to complete the scene but then you feel guilty for jumping ahead of the season, wondering where the anticipation is, the longing for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ Child.

I too struggled with all the images that are there for us in this time of Advent, preparing and leading us to that glorious Christmas day.  As I was reflecting on all of this a question came into my thoughts, “why do I need to remove Jesus from the manger during Advent?”  He has already been born, lived and sacrificed his life on the Cross for the salvation of all of us.  I can’t undo his birth and life and pretending that He hasn’t been born yet by not putting the baby Jesus in the manger.  Yes, the Church will tell us that we are really waiting for the 2^nd coming of Christ as was promised.  While this is correct and then what is the issue over Jesus being put into the manger scene too early.

When I prepare to celebrate the birthday of my children or grandchildren, I don’t go around and take down all of their pictures and put all the images of them away, as if they never existed so that I could wait in anticipation for their birthday.  I use the images and pictures that are hanging around to help me to prepare for the day that we celebrate with them the day of their birth, again and again.

What then should be my purpose during Advent, what should I meditate on, how do I prepare for the second coming of Christ.  I believe that we are given the answer in Scripture: First with the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42.  While Martha was busy preparing and getting ready to serve the meal for all who were in her home that day, Mary would be sitting at the feet of Jesus looking apparently as if to be doing nothing, at least in the eyes of Martha.  When Martha complains to Jesus about Mary not helping, the Lords response to her was “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her. LK 10:42  What did Mary choose, what was she actually doing.  Nothing, that is right, she was doing nothing except sitting quietly in the presence of the Lord.  She wanted nothing, desired nothing.  Everything that she needed and desired was already in her presence in the person of Jesus Christ.

Another example for us to follow can also be found in the Gospel according to Luke.  In Chapter 2 of Luke we read about the message that came to the shepherds who were in the fields keeping watch over their flock at night.  An angel told them of the miracle birth of Jesus Christ and the shepherds went to see this baby child, Jesus Christ.  The shepherds had nothing to give, nothing that is but themselves.  They too came before the Lord wanting nothing and asking for nothing, other than to just be in the presence of the God-child, Jesus Christ.

To celebrate Advent,while looking on in anticipation toward the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, all we need to do is to bring ourselves before the Christ child, Jesus who is Lord above all.  We are to want nothing; we are to ask for nothing.  We simply and humbly desire just to be in the presence of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will have a very blessed, quiet and peaceful completion of Advent