The countdown to Christmas is on! I’m reminded of this daily by the flood of discount coupons in my email and online pop-up ads warning that there’s only a few shopping days left til Christmas.
I try to ignore these things, but their sense of urgency is very compelling. Should I be doing more shopping? In these times of Covid, should I be on the internet, taking advantage of the great discount deals?
Time is running out! It makes me feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, watching the sand drain out of the hour glass, not sure that things will end well. To say the least, there’s a kind of expectancy about all this that’s not life-giving for me.
But that’s where Advent comes in! The sense of expectancy in Advent doesn’t compel me to shop or buy or make endless to-do lists. It invites me to think about how my life can help bring Christ anew into the world.
For me, it’s a great time of reflection and of expectation that is life-giving and not anxiety producing. It helps me focus on what’s most meaningful in my life when lots of other stuff is competing for my time and attention.
So today, I offer some resources from A Nun's Life for the Advent journey. I promise that they won’t make you feel like you should immediately run out to the mall or hop online and check out the sales. But should you need to go shopping, they may help you feel more centered, more focused, and more joyful.
- A webinar about the Advent tradition, with prayers and reflections to help you enter into the spirit of the Advent season
- A blog post about Advent and its insights for discerning God's calling in our lives
- A Random Nun Clip podcast about our favorite scripture passages for Advent
Archived Comments
December 11, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Thanks Sister Maxine…this is a great reminder. In my line of work (Finance) this time of year is not only rushed because of the shopping frenzy of Christmas but it is also completely insane in preparing budgets under horrible time constraints – talk about hating December! But I resolved that this year would be different. We only have so many Advents given to us, and I am remiss if I allow myself to forget that I’m supposed to be waiting with joy! So I am listening to the beautiful sounds of the “Advent at Ephesus” CD which accompanies me to and from work in the dark early morning and the dark evening – and I’m taking forced breaks in my work to go outside, breathe and re-focus myself on the most important part of this month. Not budgets – not shopping – just my relationship with Christ. God Bless.
