The Advent season is almost here, as the First Sunday in Advent is November 28th. It usually surprises me when it comes, since it usually starts in November and I still have Thanksgiving on my mind. The beauty of Advent is that it is a season, not a day. Preparing for Advent as Catholic means that we are able to enjoy the richness of our faith which helps us to prepare our hearts and minds for celebrating the coming of the Christ child on Christmas. Are you ready to dive in?

 What is Advent season in the Catholic Church?

First of all, it is good to review what Advent is in the Catholic Church. Advent is a four-week spiritual preparation for celebrating Jesus’ birth (and His Incarnation). Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas day. We have four weeks of Mass readings and prayers to help us focus on Jesus and what He has done for us.

I mentioned the Incarnation. It is one of the most amazing truths we know. Incarnation means God made man. God, our mighty Creator, became a human. He did not just arrive on earth fully grown one day. No. He humbled Himself to be born as a baby,

God, in His infinite wisdom, love, and humility, became a man for our sake. He did not have to do this, but He chose to. This is a great act of love. We celebrate His coming on Christmas. We prepare our hearts to celebrate His coming during the season of Advent.

What does Advent prepare us for?

Celebrating Christmas-Jesus’ birth in a humble stable-is about celebrating God becoming man for our sakes. This is a lot to take in!

Advent is a gift to us. The four weeks of Advent help us to prepare us to truly celebrate Christmas, to contemplate and understand (as much as we are humanly able) the great reality of God becoming man for our sakes because of His great love for each of us.

Jesus became a man knowing ahead of time that He would suffer and die for us on the cross. His whole life on earth was dedicated to loving, teaching, and serving us so we can learn more about Him and can choose to be with Him in Heaven. His birth is a great reason to celebrate and a remarkable gift to us.

Advent gives us the opportunity to reflect more on the truths about Jesus and our Catholic faith so we can spiritually prepare our hearts for celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas.