The Advent of Christ

The Advent season is my favorite time of year.

I enjoy the weather as the temperatures begin to spiral downwards. I appreciate the signs, sounds, and smells of as folks ready themselves for Christmas. I love the giving of gifts and the closeness to others that seems to be ever-present each year around this time.

I, one might say, was made for Advent. But rather, in an even greater sense, Advent was made for me.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.

To both the cultural anthropologist and likewise the casual observer, it should be quite evident that this time of year has become radically commercialized and increasingly secularized. In response to such, the almost natural reaction is to fight back. After all, why shouldn't we get in fight? While I'm no pacifist, it occurred to me the other day that my wife and I, rather than choosing to struggle against the move of our culture in regards to Christmas, have instead simply disarmed it. We live for this time of year and actually love it. We make the most of Christmas and actually don't leave it feeling exhausted and exasperated. Our kids get excited about seeing Santa and Rudolph just like they do about Mickey or Tweety, and yet they know that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, that Mommy and Daddy give them their gifts, and that there's something magical about singing hymns and reading scripture as a family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Morn.

Advent was made for me in that the Son was made incarnate for the sake of humanity. It was made for me... It was made for my wife... It was made for my kids... It was made for you. May the blessings of His Advent be yours this season of Holy Days...

...unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given...