Advent 

   “Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known among the people his deeds.  Sing praise, play music; proclaim all his wonderous deeds” (1 Chronicles 16: 8 – 9) 

   Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent, a period to consider all God has done for us and to welcome the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Advent is from the Latin, meaning “coming”.  It is intended to be a time of prayer and preparation for the gift of the Incarnation, a time to recall the true meaning of Christmas.

   We are to celebrate the greatest gift of all, the coming of the Messiah.  It saddens me to see Jesus pushed aside for more and more sales and profits.  Decorations of every kind are everywhere, but few commemorate the birth of Christ.  There are some who remember and celebrate the true meaning, but it seems that more often than not Christmas is nothing more than a reason to spend money.

   Santa Clause now seems to be the big hero of Christmas, but I wonder how many know the traditional origin of Santa Claus.  Saint Nicolas, who lived in what is now Turkey in the late 200’s, is customarily seen as the origin of Santa Claus.  Tradition says that he secretly provided a wedding dowry for three poor sisters, saving them from being sold into slavery or prostitution.  It is said that he gave away his inheritance and traveled the area to help the sick and the poor.  These are the true gifts of Christmas, loving and caring for others.

   As we being this period let’s take the time to remember the greatest gift of all and give thanks for our Lord.  Do a little something extra for someone who needs it, help a food bank with some extra contributions of time and money, even fast from a special treat as an offering of thanks to God.  Don’t let commercialism and earthy celebrations rob you of the true meaning of Advent and the coming it is intended to celebrate. 

We begin preparations for the greatest gift.

Let us recognize what Christmas really means.

Let us prepare ourselves for the Savior’s coming. 

Amen