Advent, My Favorite Season

from Loyola blog by MEREDITH GOULD

Forget childlike excitement on the night before Christmas, this adult is way more enthusiastic about celebrating four weeks of Advent.

Advent is my favorite season, which is somewhat ironic because I’m not known for having much patience. I gave up baking soufflés many years ago because they required “watchful waiting.” The only houseplants I’ll buy are ones labeled as “fast growing.”

I could add more examples, but I’m sure you get the point and I want to get to this one more quickly: during Advent, I slow down to contemplate, with great wonder, the radical notion of “yes.” Advent-specific images, colors, scents and sounds help awe flow freely through body, mind and spirit.

Chez moi, Advent has its own big storage bin of stuff—special candles and wreathes; violet and Sarum blue placemats; icons of the Archangel Gabriel and images of the Annunciation. The scent of frankincense and myrrh replaces Nag Champa. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” sung and the “O Antiphons” chanted top my play list. Magi start traveling toward a manger scene that doesn’t get set up until Christmas Eve. And, believe you me, my Magi absolutely do not arrive until Epiphany.

What’s the rush? It’s Advent!