Slowly Prepare And Anticipate


I am returning from my three week blog rest. I took that rest because too many things were going on in my life during that time and blogging was actually becoming stressful. I think I am ready to return and Advent seems like the perfect time to do so. Advent begins a new Liturgical Year, so first off: Happy and Blessed New Year to you all. Those of you who responded to my last post and asked for a patron saint, they are in your e-mail so please be sure to check. If anyone else would like a patron saint for this year, just tell me so in the comments and I will be happy to prayerfully choose one for you. (The saints really do the choosing.) So business being taken care of, here are my thoughts on this blessed season...
I love Christmas, but I love the fact that God, through His Church, has given us this four week season to prepare and anticipate Jesus' coming both at the end of time and at Christmas. It forces us to slow down. If you watch TV for even 15 minutes you will see the world just wants to jump right to Christmas and it is not because they are in a rush to celebrate Our Savior's birthday!
I don't like to rush with decorations either; the only thing out in my home right now is my Advent wreath. The rest will come out gradually during the third and fourth weeks of this beautiful and sacred season.
More important than preparing my home, is preparing my soul to receive Jesus at Christmas. I always make it a point to go to confession early in the season. This year my parish is especially blessed to have the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal come and give a parish mission December 8-10. I am waiting to go to confession with one of the friars. The primary reason for their coming is that December 8th of this year is the 15th anniversary of our parish's Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel. If you are anywhere in the vicinity of St. John the Apostle Church, Clark/Linden, New Jersey, please join us for the mission.
Advent reading is also part of my preparations. I am not sure what I will use yet, but I will let God lead me in that area. I have a book of Advent essays and In Conversation With God by Fr. Francis Fernandez on my shelf so I may use one or both of those.
Let us take these four weeks to slow down, and spend some time with the God who came to save us because Jesus is Emmanuel~God with us.
May you all have a blessed and fruitful Advent.

*Note: Up in my stand alone pages you will find a link for Advent Reflections. I wrote these last year during the Advent season and thought I would put them up again for this season.

Comments

Welcome back.

Happy Advent.

God bless you.
Anne said…
Welcome back Karinann! I missed your words of wisdom these past few weeks and look forward to reading your blog during Advent!

Many blessings to you!
Anne said…
By the way, I didn't receive an email with a saint companion. Would you mind asking a saint to choose to spend 2012 with me? Thank you so much for doing that, it means so much to me!
Unknown said…
Victor and Anne,
Thank you for the warm welcome back; it is nice to be back.
A blessed Advent to you both.
Mary N. said…
It's good to have you back, Karin. I hope your break gave you a chance to rest up a bit. Sometimes blogging gets hard if a lot is going on and a little vacation from it gives us some breathing room :)I hope you have a blessed Advent too!

Now, I'm going to hit publish. Wish me luck!
Mary N. said…
Ha! It worked! You're right about St. Peregrine being more than only the intercessor of those with cancer...he can get rid of those silly exclamation/star/caption thingies too ;)
CWrites said…
I am glad you are back too, and I am very happy to learn more about the great saint who chose me. I am planning on slowing down during lent.
Unknown said…
Thanks Colleen and Happy Advent to you as well.

Mary, I am glad you were able to get past that pesky exclamation mark thingy. Thanks again for the warm welcome back.

Colleen(ID), I know it feels like spring instead of mid-autumn (at least in these parts), but I think you meant Advent not Lent. Although it is never too soon to prepare for that holy season either :)
Sorry, I couldn't resist; it is the teacher in me. Thanks for the welcome back and glad to hear you are looking forward to getting to know your patroness for this year a little better.

Blessings to all of you.
CWrites said…
Karinann, I know it is Advent that is upon us, I was indicating the reality that I don't think I'll be able to slow down until Lent, due to temporary state of being over-committed due to being a high school basketball coach on top of everything else that was already in motion. Nothing will be slowing down until after the basketball season for me, but I will find a few quiet moments in Church.
Unknown said…
Oops sorry Colleen. That's what I get for reading comments at 2am! I didn't see the "until" first time round. Thanks for the correction (always good for my lack of humility :)
CWrites said…
Not a problem at all. I do learn much from you. St. Catherine of Alexandria is a really exciting saint too. I am so glad you do this, because I am actually more excited to learn about her than to figure out how my team can score more against a zone defense!
Slowing down sounds good. I'm using Divine Intimacy for my meditations since it's based on the liturgical year.

I thought I'd asked you to pick a saint for me, but maybe I forgot or it went to the spam folder at my service provider, though why that would have happened I don't know. So could you pick me a saint? Thanks.
Unknown said…
Barbara,
I love Divine Intimacy and thought of returning to it for Advent, but I seemed to be more drawn to Fr. Fernandez's In Conversation With God.
Check your e-mail for your saint.