Today marks the first Sunday of Adent. Advent is a perfect time to pray and invite Jesus into our lives - it's the weeks leading up to Christmas and Christ's day of birth. The joy of Christmas is not the same as the happiness we might experience giving and receiving presents, gathering with family and friends for special meals or listening or our favorite carols and hymns. "The wonder and the joy of Christmas is knowing our Savior came to free us from sin and death, so that we might have a share of the very life of God, now and forever. "
Whatever your religion is, whoever you might believe in, take some time this Advent to give thanks to the one who truly matters (who ever that might be in your life).
Being a Sunday school teacher in the past, I always remembered how fun and excited my sister and I would get planning our Advent activities for the kids. It was our time to teach them what Advent means, how to prepare our hearts for the Lord, Christ's birthday and how to use the special wreath with three purple and one pink candle. "The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas."
I was so excited to go to mass and celebrate the first Advent Sunday. I can't thank God enough for the blessings he gives to me and my family everyday. This Advent is another reason to be thankful for Him and His many blessings! I am going to be incorporating special blessings and Advent scripture readings this seasons. What will you be doing?
Have a wonderful Advent and Christmas Season.
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