Parish Bulletin Article: "Learn about Advent": 12-3-17

            We welcome to a new year through our liturgical calendar and we begin it with Advent.

            This evening I recollected what Advent is, and how we should prepare ourselves toward Christmas.  To do so, I checked out the website from our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and here is a succinct teaching for our new season:

“Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.  The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas).”

Take some time to learn more about Advent.  A great way to do this is to walk with your family that will assist you and your children.  Here are some great questions to be reminded or grow this season:

·      Why do we use a wreath?

·      Why do we see the color purple at Church or at home?  Why are there three purple candles and one pink/rose candle?

·      Why do we have a manger?

·      Why do we have Christmas trees?

Finally, we will be walking through Advent until the evening of December 24^th.  At that point we will begin Christmas, not for just one day, but eight!

Let’s have a powerful Advent!

God Bless!