I don’t know how many of you have social media accounts, but
I am sure many of you do! I like Social media and how it has evolved. I love
seeing people’s pictures and keeping up with friends from all over the world, but
this time of year is a time when I need to step away from face book. Why you ask?
Because its “Christmas Season” and my stream is full of people’s perfect
Christmas trees and light displays, pictures of families going places to see
Santa or the enchanted village, and kitchen counters full of freshly baked
cookies and perfectly wrapped packages.
It is really hard to think about being quiet, and preparing for the coming
of Jesus on Christmas. Instead my
Facebook feed sends me the message loud and clear: I am not doing enough and clearly my
children are being slighted because they are not having enough Christmas experiences!
No matter how committed I am to Advent, the messages are hard to ignore for me,
never mind my children. I have learned
these last few years, that it is possible to embrace the season of Advent, but
it takes intentionality. This Advent
there will be no personal social media for me.
I am going to embrace my Advent, not how others spend the month of
December!
The message of Christmas in our world has become to go more
places, buy more things, bake more, decorate more and certainly be exhausted by
December 25th. My home has an
Advent Wreath, a Nativity Scene, and have birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas
morning, but my teenage daughter insists that the Christmas Season lasts from Thanksgiving
till December 25th. My
message isn’t as strong as the message of the world. I will continue to fight that battle, and
lead by example. How can I lead by example
when I just admitted I have trouble ignoring the messages of the world too? How do we “DO Advent” with intentionality?
This Sunday we hear the famous words of John The Baptist,
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” John is calling us to
repent and to prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior, Jesus. So what does one who wants to celebrate Advent
as a time of waiting and self-reflection do?
When John calls us to repentance
and to ready our hearts. What is he
really saying? He is asking us to visit
the question,
Who is Jesus in our
Lives here and now? Do we know him or
just know about Him? Do our lives look
different because Jesus is our Savior?
One way I have found to ready my heart each Advent has been
the Best Advent Ever by Dynamic Catholic.
If you are not taking part in the Best Advent Ever, I strongly suggest
it as a way to ready yourself for the coming of Jesus. I play the quick video each morning as I put
on the tea kettle and my daughter makes her lunch. I hope
the message will be absorbed even as she vocalizes that she isn’t
listening. On day two the reflection was
particularly good and when I watched it the first time it brought tears to my
eyes. I encourage you to watch it here and subscribe
if you like it:
The question asked of each of us is, Do we know Jesus? If we can’t say yes right now, what might we
do this Advent to change that? John’s
command to prepare is really to get to know Jesus better. My commitment this Advent is to stay off
social media and live my Advent not someone else’s… and I think The Best Advent
will help me? How will you get to know
Jesus better this Advent, so you can welcome him anew on Christmas?
By Jeanne Cregan
By Jeanne Cregan
To live Advent intentionally. And all good "intentions" have dimmed now that we are in the 3rd Week. Thanks Jeanne for calling us back & helping us to draw toward Jesus, not away from him.
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