First Sunday of Advent Reflection
First Sunday of Advent
by Deacon Bill Hill
There was a man who was standing in line with his 5-year-old son at a card store during the Christmas season. The son noticed on the counter a small statue for sale, depicting Santa kneeling at the manger of baby Jesus. Curiously the boy asked, “Daddy, did that really happen?”
Knowing it had not happened but not wanting to blow any Santa legend, the father simply replied, “No, it did not.”
Satisfied with his answer, the boy stepped over to be with his mother, while the father remained in line with the card he was going to purchase. The woman standing in front of him in line turned around and snapped, “How dare you, sir?” He said, “How dare I what, ma’am?”
She said, “How dare you tell your little boy that didn’t happen?”
He pointed to the statue and said, “This? Well, it didn’t happen.” She insisted, “Oh yes it did! It’s in the Bible. You really ought to read it!”
Chuckling to himself, he told her that he did indeed read the Bible and in fact was a Christian minister. She slammed her cards down on the counter without buying them and stormed out of the store. He apologized to the clerk if he had cost her a sale, but she couldn’t stop laughing, saying, “I can’t believe she actually thought that really happened! I guess some people don’t know the truth about Christmas.”
Indeed, some do not because Amazon has over 100 Nativity scenes with Santa Claus kneeling next to the manger.
Advent is a four-week period of preparing for the coming again of the Messiah. This should be a time of great expectation and great anticipation. But exactly what is it that we anticipate? What are we getting ready for? What do we expect to happen? Are we preparing our hearts and spirits to receive again the coming of the Christ child into the world? Is Santa Claus or Christ at the center of our Christmas celebration?
Although most of us do not believe that Santa was present at the manger as the lady at the card store, in many instances our Advent preparations are more associated with Santa Claus rather than Christ. For many of us, the center of our Advent preparation is concentrated on Santa Claus! Santa’s purpose was solely to give gifts and that is what dominates our Advent preparation.
This year, can we try to put Christ back into Christmas and prepare for His coming? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could give Jesus a gift from us?
Please think for a few minutes how you individually can make Christmas more about the coming of Jesus. I am not talking about anything earth shattering, but maybe you can try the following:
- Pray with the Advent wreath at meals, or pray a decade of the rosary each day.
- Read a chapter from the Gospel of Luke each day.
- Go to a few Masses on weekdays.
- Think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us by taking on our human form, and just thank him. Amen.