What is Advent, anyway?

Hello friends,
Heavenly Father, may the souls of the faithfully departed, rest in Your peace. Thank you for your many blessings in our lives, Lord. Thank you for the health and healing of those who were sick. May all marriages, and all single people, keep you at the center of their lives, so that You may guide them on their daily journeys.

The Catholic church started Advent this past weekend.
I asked myself, but what is Advent? Then I did some snooping around, and found out that Advent is the beginning of the Liturgical year for Catholics.
But how do we 'do' Advent? Do you remember how you felt about Christmas as a child? As a child, Christmas was about - the wonderment, the excitement, the 'not knowing' and 'knowing' about my presents... Well these feelings are the beginning of 'doing' Advent.
Advent is an exciting time. It is a time of anticipation; we are anticipating Christ's return to us. We are looking forward to His return, but we are also looking inward, for His return to our hearts.
We need to pause during all the unnecessary busyness we'll find ourselves in, and look inside ourselves; we need to find Christ inside of ourselves.

Christmas is the best time to think of others; our connections to others and to ourselves; but most of all, it needs to be a time where we seek a stronger bond to Christ.
If we lack a true, sincere, and serious affinity for Christ, Advent is the time to start making that association! All of the readings during this time puts us back in the time of Christ, when people felt distant from Him. They were longing for his Salvation. For the goodness and fulfillment only He could give. The same is true of us today...
Christ longs for us to be closer to Him; He longs for us to talk to Him like we would talk to a very close and personal friend.
If you've ever looked for a best friend, someone with whom you can honestly be yourself - warts and all - if you've wanted someone you can rely on day in and day out, each and every day of your life and after, Christ is the One you've been searching for, and the One who can fulfill you.
Take some time this Christmas to see CHRIST in Christmas. You'll be happy you did.
Blessings on you, my friend, and Merry Christmas.

If you 'd like some prayers to say during this special time of the year, check out this great web page:
Advent information.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa