[Salvation]

**Take the time to humbly repent of your sins, ask for the grace of God to fully appreciate the gift of the Christ-child, and commit yourself to serving those in need this Advent and you will enter into the joy of the Lord.**

Beautiful words.

Any thoughts?

[Salvation]

Praying through Advent -- 2006

Experience the Joy of Advent

Advent: the Reason for the Season

The Advent Wreath

Advent Activity - The Jesse Tree

That incredible shrinking Advent-Christmas season (Christmas should start, not end, Dec. 25)

Advent Thoughts: Some of the Church Fathers on the Divinity of Christ

The Relationship Between Advent and the Change in the Seasons (Dom Guéranger)

[Ciexyz]

Bump for Advent joy.

[Ciexyz]

Prayers offered up in gratitude for heavenly protection during Thursday evening's snowstorm in my area, Pittsburgh. Streets were a sheet of ice, but I got home safely. A relative of mine smashed up his car but wasn't personally hurt, thanks be to God.

[betsyross1776]

I love every part of the Advent season.The start of it the end of it and all the in between. I still believe in Christmas and of Course I thank the Lord everyday for his wonderful gift to this world. Yes , folks Jesus is alive and well, and no matter how they try to stop HIM.HIS LIGHT WILL ALWAYS SHINE THROUGH1

[lightman]

The Church watches three major figures as it prepares for Christmas: Scrooge, Jimmy Stewart and the Grinch. Actually, they are Isaiah the prophet, John the Baptist, and Mary, the Mother of God.

The repentant Scrooge (after all of his visitations) is a good Advent paradigm of the Church, living "in the past, the present, and the future", a proclamation made in the mystery of faith "Christ has died (past); Christ is Risen (present); Christ will come again (future). The remorseful ghost of Jacob Marly "man of the worldly mind!" conveys all the ferocity of John the Baptist "you brood of vipers..."

The Grinch? A fine parable of death and resurrection, of dying to self and living to serve others, a fulfillment of the hope conveyed in Philip Brooks carol "O little town of Bethlehem: O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray, cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today..."

Jimmy Stewart (obviously intended to mean his character George Bailey) is a tougher fit. Feelings of hopelessness engulfed the prophets, but moreso for Jeremiah than for Isaiah. But the character in that film who quietly endures, and treasures her wonderful life...Mary Bailey...seems an example of "consdering these things and pondering them in [the] heart."