KERLIN: Turning the page towards Advent

In a sea of Christmas green and red, the purple and pink advent candles draw us into the sacredness of this season. Advent as a season of preparation for the coming of Christ dates back into the early centuries. 

Derived from the Latin word Adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival,” it is a time of anticipation, hope and preparation for the birth of Christ. The journey through Advent is a journey of hope, peace, joy and love, celebrated candle by candle around the Advent wreath. 

I will confess that there are times when my preparation for Advent feels much more frantic and far less spiritual than I would like. Over the years, the Advent wreath that I light each evening before dinner and Advent prayers have created that moment of pause and reflection for me during this busy season.

When I truly reflect on the mystery that God came to us, to be with us, in the human form of a baby within a family, I am awed and amazed. I can only imagine that Mary and Joseph may not have felt too prepared for Jesus’ arrival, given that they were in the middle of a census that required travel and landed them in a town with no accommodations. And yet, in the Scriptures, we hear that the entire world changed, and a brand-new chapter in the story of faith began when Jesus arrived. Shepherds stopped what they were doing and sought out Jesus, wise men from lands far away were drawn to meet Jesus, an infant. Light came into a dark world.

God chose the holy family to express the love of God. Family is such a representation of our shared humanity. No matter where you go in the world or what language people speak, we all begin as infants, and we all need family, biological or chosen, to grow and thrive. Christmas time has always been one of my favorite times of year because of the coming together of the people I love. 

I cherish each season I have with my daughter, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, knowing that some people cannot be with their loved ones and some people are grieving loved ones who are no longer with them here on Earth. For those for whom this season is a time of darkness, let us be kind and loving and seek to bring some light into their world.

When we come together as a family this season, we have the opportunity to share life from generation to generation, deepen relationships, and create meaningful traditions that can be handed down from generation to generation.

This season, consider one of the following to bring the sacredness of the season into your home and family:

• Advent wreath;
• Advent calendar;
• Advent service project;
• Prayer;
• Storytelling;
• Crafts and decorations; and
• Advent reflection and study.

May we all experience the profound love of God and a season where “all is calm, all is bright.” 

Kristine Kerlin is the director for the Office of Aging Ministry.