By Sarah Fox
I don't know about you, but I love Christmas. I come from a large family and this is the one time of year we are all able to come together. However, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to actually wait until Christmas to breakout the music and decor.
The last four years I've tried to live the seasons of Advent and Christmas intentionally liturgically. My general rule of thumb: does it mention Baby Jesus? It's Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Crank it up! All I Want for Christmas Is You? Do your best Mariah Carey high notes! But Hark the Harold Angels Sing? It's not Christmas yet, so are they singing glory yet? Nope, wait until the main arrival Dec 25th. I usually only have to deal with this starting the day after Thanksgiving but this year Christmas exploded over stores the day after Halloween!
So then, how do you prepare for the arrival of Jesus, keeping Him at the heart of your joyful anticipation, without jumping the gun?
Vintage Wrapping Paper
Jesus is the "reason for the season" but the Christmas season. Since He says time and time again that YOU are all He wants, you already know the perfect gift to present to Him Christmas morning and Advent is the perfect time to "wrap yourself up."
Of course the Sacraments are a great way to prepare yourself for Christmas. You shower your body for Christmas Mass, parties, and visiting family. Why not "shower" your soul clean in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? We are, after all, body and soul. But if you've already been to Mass and Confession, you'll need something to do with all that excitement before the baby arrives! That's a great time to look at another part of our Christian tradition, The Spiritual Acts of Mercy and The Corporal Acts of Mercy.
The Corporal Acts of Mercy | The Spiritual Acts of Mercy |
Feeding the hungry | Counseling the doubtful |
Giving drink to the thirsty | Instructing the ignorant |
Clothing the naked | Admonishing the sinner |
Visiting the imprisoned | Comforting the sorrowful |
Sheltering the homeless | Forgiving injuries |
Visiting the sick | Bearing wrongs patiently |
Burying the dead | Praying for the living and the dead |
The Parcel
For those of you that like to get out and be in the excitement everywhere, or you are a people person, you'll probably thrive embracing the Corporal Works of Mercy. I know these days have made people wary to give food or drink to just anyone in their community. But you don't even have to provide the food and drink. Contact your local soup kitchen to ask if they need help serving what they already have to hand out. You could also ask your local Knights of Columbus, or St. Vincent dePaul group, if they know of events to help feed others this season that are in need of volunteers. Even closer to home, if there is a family in your community that just had a baby, I assure you, they could use a meal! Or offer your church to provide goldfish for the children's ministry. These ideas are great even if you aren't a person because you can just drop off you food donation. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who is hungry right in front of you.
If you're worried about the myriad of illnesses that go around this time of year you could still visit the sick by calling them and having a conversation. This could also include someone who is homesick or sick at heart, grieving a loss. You could ask them for a cup of coffee or even just ask if there is anyway to make this season better for them.
Even sheltering the homeless. This may not mean literally in your case. If you are not able to help shelter someone in your house, you can still give someone a home. Maybe invite a friend who doesn't attend a church into your Bible Study or to Mass. If you can't do the act of mercy one way think of another!
The Corporal Works of Mercy are a way that the Holy Spirit can work through your body. You being present to someone can help them experience the love of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who is on God's "Christmas list."
The Internal Packaging
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are addressing the soul. It may be addressing someone else's - like praying for them - or a way to die to your preferences and raise up your soul. For example, this time of year we typically see more friends and family. This could often cause stressful situations and tensions to rise. Those times you chose to "bear wrongs patiently" or "forgive injuries", you can picture taking those moments and packaging them up to hand to Our Lord. "God, here is a time I could have had the perfect, humiliating, comeback. Instead I chose peace and let it roll off my back. I pray that I continue to find my strength in You."
You could get creative with an Advent calendar and pray for a different person, living or dead, everyday leading up to Christmas. You could also have a Mass said for someone - living or dead.
Instructing the ignorant could be you leading a fun craft teaching others how to cut out snowflakes, or asking you PSR Director if they need volunteers for PSR.
Take a moment with the Holy Spirit to see if you have been given a special gift or talent that would be a blessing to be used for another.
Currently Out of Stock
Some of these may seem far fetched to achieve in a specific amount a time. You may not be invited to a burial during these few weeks or approached by someone doubting seeking your counsel. But the beautiful thing about these Works of Mercy is that it's not a check list. You don't have to do everything on the list in order to make yourself a gift.
Another important thing to remember is that this is supposed to be a peaceful and fulfilling time. Yes, life is still happening around you, schedules still need to coordinated, services attended, and our regular responsibilities fulfilled. However, running ourselves ragged is not the goal. Just as we don't need to complete every line item in order to "finish" the Works of Mercy, we also don't need to spend every waking hour filling it with something. Taking a quiet moment with a lit candle and listening to O Come O Come Emmanuel is just as prayerful a way to prepare your heart.
Out for Delivery
No matter if you stick to only corporal works or spiritual works, or do a little of both, anyone who receives your works during Advent will, hopefully, catch the joyful anticipation for the arrival of baby Jesus. You will wake Christmas morning and receive Baby Jesus, born again in your heart. This precious gift to the world who cam in order to grow up and lay down His life for you, the ultimate gift. How much more beautiful to wake that morning and have had an intentional and fruitful Advent in order to present Him with the one thing He asks for in return: a relationship with you.
What a gift that will be to bring before the King!
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