Let’s keep Christ in Christmas

With the beginning of our new year of grace and favor from the Lord on Nov. 28, 2021, the first Sunday of Advent, we enter the very heart of the mystery of our redemption. The Incarnation of God as a man happened entirely for our sake and each year, we remember this supreme act of mercy in the season of Advent.

However, as spiritually enriching as Advent can be for us, we must combat Satan’s temptation to either ignore Advent or at least to set it aside in favor of spending all of our time and energy trying to keep up with the materialism with which we are bombarded. I am not saying that the nice things which occur each year at this time should not be enjoyed. I am saying that these nice things have a place but not the first place in our lives.

The very word Christmas tells us Who is to be first in our lives, Jesus Christ. It is because of Him and what He did for us that we can enjoy the good things which Advent and Christmas present to us. However, there is nothing better than to know that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to us to save us from our sins and reunite us to Our Father. That is greatest gift we receive at Christmas if we are paying attention. That is the greatest blessing we receive at Christmas and this blessing does not wear out or break or become obsolete, like all the material things we give and receive.

This Advent, let us all decide that this year we will not just wait for the Lord on Christmas, but we will wait on the Lord at Christmas. Waiting on the Lord in Advent is very active and means we are at Mass frequently, we receive the sacrament of penance as often as we need to, and that we spend more of our money on real charity than on material things and parties.

During Advent, we see nice advertisements which urge us to “keep Christ in Christmas.” That’s good advice and the best we Catholics can do is just that. We can make Advent and Christmas a time of spiritual and temporal renewal of our resolve to be faithful to Jesus by being more like Him in our daily lives.

Let us pray for and with each other this Advent so that we are prepared for Him on Christmas Day, and every day thereafter. Have a most blessed and Merry Christmas and a holy and Happy New Year!