the word "advent" comes to us from adventus...
Latin for "coming"...
today was the first Sunday in Advent...
a varying period of time...
that includes the 4 Sundays before Christmas...
if Christmas Day is a Sunday...
then the previous 4 Sundays are Advent I-IV...
if Christmas Eve is on a Sunday, it is Advent IV...
as Christmas Eve is always the last day of Advent...
for liturgical Christian...
it is a time of joyful anticipation...
of waiting and preparation...
& it is the beginning of the church year...
there are 3 main themes in Advent...
awaiting the arrival of Jesus as "God, among us"...
seeing Christ revealed to the world in word & spirit...
awaiting the return of Christ, when He comes in glory...
the season's character is of preparation & penance...
as some will prepare for baptism on Epiphany, January 6...
the liturgical color is violet, like Lent...
except for Advent III, Gaudete ["Let Us Rejoice"]...
when the color of vestments & alter clothes is a rose pink...
these colors are evident in the Advent wreath...
a tradition that came to us from Germany...
the evergreens represent hope & newness...
the circle shape represents the eternal power & love of God...
the candles, the light of God...
the first violet candle is lit on Advent I...
a second on Advent II...
the pink or rose "Gaudete" candle is lit on Advent III...
the last violet candle is lit on Advent IV...
some include a white "Christ" candle in the center...
it is lit on Christmas Eve...
to symbolize the "Light of Christ"...
come into our dark world...
here you see an English church's Advent Wreath...
right in the middle of the church...
for those who are Christians...
this is a time to look "inside"...
to take stock of our lives and relationships...
a time to set right that...
which may have fallen into disrepair...
to "trim our lamps"...
watching for the signs of His coming...
they aren't in the malls...
or on the 24/7 "holiday music stations"...
the signs are not on QVC or HSN...
you can't find them at WallyWorld...
or online...
you have to look deep inside yourself...
and to do that... first you must be very still...
and listen for that voice from within...
that is so easily drowned out by the world...
about this time last year...I did that...
and what I found was that God had gotten "downsized"...
by my lack of attention to Him and my focus on me...
as I entered a long and painful several months...
of renewed self-awareness...
I began to face my failure as a person...
accept His forgiveness and began to allow Him to run my life...
the more control I gave Him...the more peace I found...
and the more I began to become who He wanted me to be...
I'm still very much a work in progress...
but it's Advent again... and I continue to work...
work to overcome myself and the power of a selfish life...
for it is to those who overcome their mistakes and self...
that much will be given...he that overcomes shall rise...
and I hope...
