Advent: Preparation

Armodoxy for Today: Advent

Advent: Preparation

Preparation is important to the success of any life event. From something as common as your next meal, to milestones such as graduating school, preparation is fundamental to the success and enjoyment of that event. Likewise for events we commemorate in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church offers us times for preparation so that we can come to better appreciate, and thereby enjoy, the message of the Gospel in our lives.

Christmas comes and goes as an event of the Winter. Noting the commercialization or the secularization of the Christmas holiday is only tied to our lack of being prepared for the Mystery we proclaim on Christmas: Christ is born and revealed.

The Church has given a period of times, called “Advent” which means “Coming.” In the Armenian Church this period is called hisnag designating a 50-day time period before Christmas. Prior to Easter we count of 50 days as well (he 40 days of Lent along with the Day of Good Living and Holy Week, add up to 50 days). And that period, commonly referred to as Lent, has a certain notoriety which is missing from the pre-Christmas season. The Advent season is equally important in preparing ourselves to fully participate in the Christmas joy.

The Advent preparation is one of tuning the body, soul and mind to wonders that await us in the manger, under the tree and at our church service.

Beginning today, we will be journeying together toward the day we greet one another with the merriest of Christmas messages, “Christ is born and revealed.” I invite you to join along and follow us in that journey, with our daily messages under the banner, Armodoxy for Today: ADVENT. It will be a different Christmas for sure. Preparing to meet Jesus at his nativity, you’ll come to understand how God interacted with our world in a manger in Bethlehem then, but even more important, how He interacts at the places of our lives today, wherever they may be. We will journey through the 50 days along with the special “12 days of Christmas” at the end.

I look forward to taking this journey with you.

We pray, Heavenly Father, as we begin this season of Advent, open our hearts and our souls to the wonders you have shared with us. As we prepare for the blessed Birth and Revelation of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we ask that you keep us focused on the opportunity to prepare, so that we can fully participate and enjoy the celebration of Christmas. May we be led by the Holy Spirit and begin this day on this journey in faith. Amen.