Advent is a season of preparation; expectant waiting to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. Wikipedia defines the term as an Anglicized version of the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”.

Sometimes, I wonder how we ‘ring in’ Advent as compared to Christmas with all the ‘busyness’ responding to commercial ads thrown at us on a daily basis. I recall how advent was celebrated in a culture where I grew up as a child and teenager so many, many years ago. I try to compare the celebration of Advent with our culture In the States.

We got ourselves prepared spiritually as a family. We turned to the Word. Without all the distractions of the American Holiday Extravaganza, we were able to focus a bit more on what Advent meant to us as Christians. Reading what the prophets foretold about the coming of the Messiah always paved the way for a deeper understanding about what it meant to ‘expect’.  We were reminded that as we waited we should look for His presence in our daily lives – not the future but right now because of the certainty of His return. I feel exceptionally blessed having had the privilege to have experienced and shared the Advent season with families and friends in so many. The tradition is universal.

Agatha Pratt