The Reason for the Season

image1 (3)Our first Christmas as a family was spent in the NICU of Huntsville Hospital. We had just been given the news that Katie may have neurological issues. It did not feel like a time to celebrate. It was a time of great uncertainty, but with that uncertainty came hope. On our second Christmas we no longer had that hope. Katie had turned 1 and we knew things were not normal. My emotional state was really bad.

I will never forget taking Katie to get her first professional Christmas picture made. I couldn’t wait to make that adorable Christmas card to show off my baby to all my friends and family. She couldn’t sit up well and her vision was significantly impaired so her eyes would just roll up. She was very fussy that day and would not cooperate. It was all still so new to me and was very hard to deal with in front of a complete stranger, that poor photographer. We finally gave up and left, I had a complete breakdown in the car.image2 (3) I was bawling crying because this was one more thing that was just not going the way I had planned. I was still in a place of complete selfishness, I wanted that Christmas card come hell or high water. So we tried again and got a great picture, I made a fool of myself to get that smile, but it was worth it.

I’m reminded of these early years when we decorate for Christmas. Our tree is filled with ornaments given to Katie that first year. As I was rushing to get the tree up and place that decorated garland on the mantel that my husband loves so much, (he cusses me every time he tries to change the channel on the TV), to get all those Christmas gifts purchased, the cards ready to mail and all the millions of other things that come this time of year, I realized I am not doing these for the right reason.

So I stopped and started praying and reading the advent book I picked up at church. “Advent is a time of anticipation, but anticipation of what?”, Dianne Bergant, Daybreaks Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas. I had wondered the same thing. Jesus was already born, so aren’t we just celebrating His birthday? Spiritually speaking what are we waiting on, what are we preparing for?

In the Catholic Church we have very specific readings from the Bible at mass leading up to Christmas, “They all point to a new age of peace and harmony when the promises made long ago by God will be fulfilled. We do indeed look forward to Christmas. However, we do so not merely because it is the anniversary of a past event, but because these promises made so long ago…”, (Bergant) The promise that God will come back to Earth.

“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Mark 13:32-33

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We watch for opportunities to bring God’s forgiveness to others in our lives; we are alert to the needs of others so that we can bring them God’s compassion; we are awake to ways vulnerable people are being ground down so that we can stand up with them; we are prepared to open ourselves to being an agent of God’s love in our world.” (Bergant)

Father Robert Barron says the biggest challenge of Advent is realizing we desperately need a savior. In today’s society we have the mentality of “I can do anything”, “I don’t need any help”. But there is so much that we have absolutely no control over. He says until we realize this we can’t appreciate God’s special gift.

Father Barron always uses such great comparisons to explain a teaching, this time he uses the story of a man so deeply addicted to drugs. This man is completely out of control, as much as he tries to help himself he is powerless. He can’t help himself because his will is the very problem, his will is only toward the drugs, it is tainted. After loved ones convince him that he needs help he turns his life over to others, over to a higher power.

Father Barron explains that the human race is marked by original sin. We can try hard every day to live a sin free life, but we fail because we are human. This sin taints our will, it changes us and takes us away from God. There is nothing we can do to change that. We need a savior, someone who can break through our dysfunction and heal us. That savior is Jesus. At the second coming, when God comes back to earth, we will no longer have sin or evil, we will be glorified if we have lived according to His will and not ours.

IMG_6436So I want to be ready and worthy of that beautiful life God has planned specifically for me. I am trying this season to stop the rushing, stop the things that don’t really matter and concentrate on the one thing that does…GOD IN ALL HIS GLORY!

One thought on “The Reason for the Season

  1. RoseMarie Bruno

    Wow! That’s about all I can say. You have opened my eyes to the real meaning of Advent and Christmas. I too hope that I’m ready when the time comes. God Bless You and Your Family!!! Love you all!!!!

    Reply

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