By Eli Pacheco

Secular traditions for the Christmas season are wide-ranging, from carolers to greeting cards, Santa’s sleigh to sensational sales. The hustle and bustle can become dizzying, drawing focus away from participating fully in Advent. 

In the Catholic tradition, Advent includes the four Sundays and accompanying weekdays leading up to the anniversary of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning arrival or coming. Advent is the start of the liturgical year for the Roman Catholic Church. 

Advent explained

Advent is a reflective period that helps to prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus’ second coming. For Christians, local celebrations and observations may vary, but each of the four weeks of Advent focuses on the same themes: 

  • Hope

  • Peace

  • Joy

  • Love 

How can we prepare ourselves for the spiritual journey over these four weeks? We asked friars for guidance. But first:  

Who celebrates Advent? 

Christians worldwide celebrate Advent, including: 

  • Anglicans 

  • Lutherans 

  • Orthodox Christians 

  • Protestants  

  • Roman Catholics 

For some, Advent devotions include the Advent wreath, a physical way to remind us of the meaning of this special season. 

When is Advent? 

Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. In 2024, Advent began on Sunday, Dec. 1. It will end on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Throughout Advent, we are called to be in a state of active anticipation and preparation for the second coming of Christ. Part of that preparation involves penance – quieting and disciplining our hearts to receive the joy of the Christmas season. 

From Dec. 17 to Dec. 24, we heighten our focus on preparing for Christmas by singing the “O” Antiphons, which evoke imagery from the Old Testament that proclaims the coming of Christ. 

Why do Catholics celebrate Advent?  

Catholics celebrate Advent to ready themselves for Christmas Day and the celebration of the anniversary of Jesus’ birth. 

The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, or Christmas, is a Holy Day of Obligation, meaning you should attend Mass and refrain from needless labor. To fulfill your obligation, attend a Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) or Mass on Christmas Day (Dec. 25). 

Preparing for Advent 

Many Catholics observe Advent, but some still find parts of the four weeks leading to Christmas a mystery. Here are suggestions on how to observe Advent from friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

A priest performs mass in white and gold vestments with four clergy behind him.

(Photo courtesy of Br. Octavio Duran, OFM) 

1. Attend Mass more intentionally

This Christmas Eve, the Catholic Church will usher in a jubilee year that Pope Francis has decreed a “year of hope,” especially in light of ongoing wars, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.  

Br. Jim Gannon, OFM, guardian of St. Francis of Assisi Friary in New York City, sees a wonderful opportunity in attending Mass during an Advent leading to the Year of Hope.  

He recalls a verse from Romans 15: 13 (NIV):  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

“The word that stuck with me is—hope!” Br. Jim said. “Advent is referred to as a season of joyful expectations. The theme for this jubilee year is Pilgrims of Hope. The Church and world need the hope that a holy year brings to serve as a positive goal for tomorrow.” 

Try this

Listen for messages that support the theme of the upcoming jubilee year during Mass. “We hear God’s hope for his creation,” Br. James said. “May hope fill our days

An advent wreath with three purple candles and one pink one sit in a church.

(Photo courtesy of Br. Octavio Duran, OFM)

2. Reflect with an Advent wreath 

The Advent wreath is a comprehensive representation of the meaning of the season. Br. Ed Tlucek, OFM, is a Provincial Councilor for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He offers these interpretations of the wreath's symbolism. 

Circular shape of the wreath 

“This represents the eternal nature of God—His never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness,” Br. Ed said. “It also symbolizes the unending cycle of seasons and the continuous nature of time.” 

Evergreen branches 

“Evergreen branches, which do not lose their leaves in winter, represent the everlasting life found in Christ,” Br. Ed said. “They symbolize hope and renewal, pointing to the promise of eternal life through Jesus.” 

Lighting of candles 

“This is an important tradition,” Br. Ed said. “The light from the candles represents Christ coming into the world."

A person sits on a bench under a tree.

(Photo courtesy of Jeswin Thomas)

3. Find room for silence 

Br. Carmen Scuderi, OFM, serves out of Assumption BVM Friary in Pulaski, Wisconsin. He shares a story of the Great Spirit — a depiction of God from Indigenous people of the U.S. and Canada — as a reminder of the importance of cultivating an expectant stillness within yourself during Advent. 

In the story, the Great Wind delivers a message of Great Love to the four corners of the world and sends the Wind with it. At first, the Great Wind finds a house of great chaos too noisy to receive the gift of Great Love. 

The second place Wind visited was much quieter, but its inhabitants were so preoccupied with their own thoughts that they could not receive the message. 

Finally, the Wind arrived at a humble hut where a poor but loving couple lived. They immediately heard the Wind, and a visitor came upon them that day to bestow abundance beyond their understanding.   

Wind told the Great Spirit they were the only ones whose hearts were open and ready to hear. “Both quiet and expectant enough to hear my whispered message,” she said. 

“Our days and nights can often be crowded with noise and self-absorption, and in the din, we often miss the Whispering Dance of the Wind,” Br. Carmen said.  

“Advent reminds us to give pause to the din, find the spot where the fire within still burns, and allow the Wind of God's Spirit to quietly whisper the Gift and the Love: ‘God so loved the World He gave His only begotten Son,” he said, quoting John 3:16. 

Try this 

Take a retreat day during Advent. Even a contemplative walk can be a welcome break in a busy season. An empty sanctuary can also provide just the space needed for pensive prayer.

A friar wearing glasses hears confession from a man in a suit behind a screen.

 

4. Prepare yourself for a meaningful confession 

Advent is a season of penance.  

Br. Hugh Macsherry, OFM, is guardian of Duns Scotus Friary in Durham, North Carolina. He recognizes Advent's gravitas in contrast to Christmas joy. 

"It’s a mood of preparation more than anything … preparation for Christmas, to celebrate Christ’s birth and eagerly await his coming in glory,” he said. "In this sense of preparation for the coming of Christ's kingdom, we can think of a joyful preparation for the sacrament of penance. The sense of getting ready for a party: the effort, the care and attention, the desire to be with others sincerely and in a good way."

In addition to going to confession, Br. Hugh invites people to consider seeking forgiveness from others. He tells of a Mission Theology and Practice class he took with Fr. David Blanchard, O.Carm, at Washington (D.C.) Theological Union. Fr. David shared how the Advent tradition of Las Posadas in El Salvador brought the community together over time and allowed them to experience healing. 

“Often people who had unresolved tension from the past year might find themselves at multiple homes in the community singing about Holy Family's search for lodging," Br. Hugh said. "Then they might find themselves inside drinking some hot chocolate and eating a sweet bread together.  And one might lean over and say something like, 'Are we good?'  And everyone is reconciled.

"It's hard to ask forgiveness, to forgive with intention, and to reconcile. I like this story because it shows how time and community can help bring about the reconciliation that is so hard to ask for on our own," said Br. Hugh. "It reminds me of the grace needed to live in the right relationship to which Christ, born among us and ready to come again, calls us. This right relationship is celebrated in the sacrament of confession."

Try this 

Asking for forgiveness is not easy. Can you find instances in which you could give and accept forgiveness from those close to you?  

A friar stands before the San Damiano cross.

 

5. Pray more — and for guidance

Br. Erick López, OFM, likens prayer to a soup called caldosa.

“Communities from el Río Bravo to la Patagonia, including the Caribbean, have some version of caldosa, depending on the ingredients available in the region,” said Br. Erick, a Provincial Councilor for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Caldosa contains basic ingredients: 

  • Cilantro  

  • Corn 

  • Garlic  

  • Onion  

  • Potatoes 

“In the same way, Advent is celebrated everywhere in the Christian world according to the local religious culture,” Br. Erick said. “There are basic ingredients that need to be used for Advent to be Advent.” 

 These ingredients, he said, are: 

  • Christ came 2,000 years ago as a child 

  • Christ comes to us all the time, so be sober and alert to re-discover him, learn more from him, and convert to him again 

  • Christ will come again in glory 

“When we mix these ingredients in the pot of our beings, all it is left for us to do is to wait while they cook,” Br. Erick said. “Waiting for the Lord is the focus of Advent.” 

Waiting for the Lord is different from waiting at the doctor’s office, where one hopes that the nurse will eventually come for them, even with a needle. 

“It means to wait fruitfully!” Br. Erick said. “It is the waiting of the pregnant woman ... she thinks carefully through her path ahead, delights in anticipation, and waits for her baby by doing a bunch of material and spiritual things. 

“She re-arranges her life around her little person’s arrival.” 

Try this

Make the best use of your time before Christmas. Pray for guidance in this time of waiting and anticipation.

“In His presence, we have experienced compassion and new hope, which infuses how we act toward our brothers and sisters and are exactly what the world around us, especially the little ones of the earth, need the most,” Br. Erick said.   

“Spending time with him, thinking through our path ahead, delighting in anticipation, and rearranging our lives around the Lord’s coming will make for a tasty Advent."

Advent preparation for kids

The entire family can prepare for Advent together. Here are three ways to get your children involved. 

1. Make a Jesse Tree 

Named for Jesse, King David’s father, the Jesse Tree introduces kids to Jesus’ family tree. Encourage children to create the ornaments that depict Jesus’ ancestors as a valuable learning opportunity.   

2. Bless your Advent wreath 

A crucial part of Advent preparation for Christmas, the Advent wreath helps kids learn more about the meaning of Christmas and mark the time until Christmas Day.  

At the beginning of Advent, bless your wreath using this Blessing of an Advent Wreath prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

3. Set up and bless your nativity 

The first live Nativity scene was created by St. Francis of Assisi in the Italian village of Greccio in 1223. The nativity recreated the story of Jesus’ birth using live animals and a simple manager – ordinary items telling an extraordinary story. 

Today’s model nativity sets invite us to imagine that we were present at this holy event. 

Some wait until Christmas morning to place baby Jesus in the manger, and some move the figures of the wise men closer to the manger throughout Advent, symbolizing the story of the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1 – 15). Read more about how to set up a nativity scene.