Are you truly ready for Christmas?

I'm sure that you all are in the swing of the Christmas Season. Your tree is up and decorated, cards and stamps bought and maybe at least half of them have been sent out. Out-door lights up and working? Your Nativity set placed under the tree or on a nearby table complete with baby Jesus? What about all those Christmas gifts and parties on your calander. Am i right? So you’re ready right? You should be, the "Holiday Season" started the day after Halloween. Black Thursday/Friday/Weekend, then Cyber Monday, Hurry, Hurry, let’s get in the Holiday season, Buy Buy Buy. Then the big day comes and your family comes over early in the morning to open presents, or you load up presents and travel to Grandma’s house for Christmas. You try to get along with everyone and on occasion avoid others. The presents are opened and you hope that everyone enjoys the gifts you had bought them. Then it’s your turn to open gifts. As you peel the wrapping paper away you are disappointed at what you hoped was something more useful, but you squeeze out a smile and push out a "thank you" towards the giver of the gift. Hours of this torture go by before you are able to go home or even worse to the next relative’s house for Christmas. Does this sound like you? Later that evening you are just happy it’s over. Now you can relax. Nope, the stress over the bills begins. How can this have been different? Do you want it to be different? Did you prepare properly for Christmas, not The Holiday but for Christmas?

No I’m not going to tell you to remember the true meaning of the season, to go to a quiet room and read Luke 2:1-20. I’m sure you do that every year. How can you make this year more meaningful? First you need to purchase or make an Advent wreath. For Catholics, the liturgical season of Advent helps us focus on the spiritual preparation for Christmas and on the coming of Our Lord.

The wreath is a circle, which has no beginning or end: God is eternal, and His love for us is everlasting. The wreath is made of fresh plant material, because Christ came to give us new, everlasting life through His passion, death and resurrection. Three candles are purple, symbolizing penance, preparation and sacrifice; the pink candle symbolizes the same but highlights the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice because our preparation is now half-way finished and Christ will soon come. The light represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of righteousness. Stop for a moment here and reflect on the light emitted from a candle. The light scatters or conquers the darkness around us, allowing us to see. Look deep into the flame and reflect that by Jesus’ birth he conquered evil and showed us the way to righteousness. He is our light through this life and made us a light for others. “In the same way, let your light shine before people in such a way that they will see your good actions and glorify your Father in heaven." Mt5:16

Prayer must be a strong part of our lives. If not, make it so. You can pray the rosary, maybe one decade each night for a mystery, if you have younger children, so that at the end of Advent you have together pondered the various events in the life of Our Lord, and the example of Mary, “the handmaid of the Lord,” who gave of herself to receive the gift of the Savior.

Take the time for confession. Do a thorough examination of conscience. If it has been a while since the last confession, complete a good examination of conscience, and this week pray for help from the Holy Spirit, write down those sins that come to mind. Bring that examination to confession, receive absolution, and do the prescribed penance.

Preach -  one does not have to stand on the corner shouting Bible verses to preach.” There are subtle ways to preach Christmas: Most of us send some kind of greeting card — use religious cards and religious stamps and sign them with “May God bless you” or “I’ll be praying for you at Christmas.” When greeting people, say, “Merry Christmas,” not “Happy holidays” or “Seasons greetings”; people of goodwill will not be offended.”

At Christmas parties the topics of religion and politics inevitably emerge; some will make derogatory comments about our Church, usually out of ignorance. Defend the faith, speak the truth clearly and teach with love. We all know the hot topics, so be prepared

Finally, set up the crèche with all of the figures except baby Jesus. Move the figures closer to the crib each Sunday. During Advent, spend time doing good works, like many parishes or cities have a food drive for families in need in your communities. Maybe you could say a special prayer for someone you know will be alone at Christmas. Or, clean out the closets of old clothes or toys, and give them to a charity. St. Francis said, “It is in giving that we receive,” and through our charitable works, we will receive the love of Christ Himself. Write the good work on a piece of paper and place it on the floor of the crèche or in Christ’s crib; then on Christmas, Jesus, Mary and Joseph will have a home filled with our love.

So, prepare this Advent to receive Christ as though He were coming for the first time. Make this Christmas a celebration of the birth of Our Savior and the great gift of faith we have received. By striving to live in the presence of Christ during Advent, we will receive the best present of all — Our Savior.

Do your homework. find a Christmas service that allows you and your family not to be rushed or too tired to pay attention.

One final thought, Christmas Day, liturgically called "The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord" in the Catholic Church, technically includes both Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, after sunset) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25) itself. For religiously observant Christians, however, Christmas is not just one day, but an entire season, lasting anywhere from 12 days to 40 days in different ecclesial traditions. When people hear about the "Twelve Days of Christmas", they might think it refers to the last 12 shopping days before Christmas. In most Christian traditions, however, the "Christmas Season" properly begins with Christmas Eve , so the "Twelve Days of Christmas" refers to the period from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5. So, Leave your decorations up and continue to celebrate the birth of our Lord.