Advent Thinking

Advent has been on my mind lately.  With all the "exciting" events this year -stories here, here and here-  I am desiring some sort of faith-immersion/retreat to thank God for the redemption story that is my life.  I don't mean just the "you are saved" redemption but a redemption of faith and from everything else that could have gone so very wrong.  Bearing the brunt of these raging storms, survival was only possible through the immense mercy and love that God has shown me. I can't even begin to dig through all the grace-filled details.  So I feel compelled to spend Advent in quiet so I can truly hear Him who speaks to our hearts in silence and thank Him and beg Him to keep the grace flowing.

I'm contemplating a fast, possibly a social media one like this past Lent.  My temporary plan is to fast forty days, as usual I will need a dry-run to avoid withdrawal convulsions!  We will once again go through the 33-day preparation for Marian consecration (renewal) in time for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I don't think I can handle the deMontfort version this time around, my nerves are already shot so we will use Fr. Gaitley's book instead.  This book is great for the whole family, my kids love it.

We're also hoping to get our home enthroned during Advent.  The pastor of our neighborhood parish (not our home parish) will be offering it, I told him I might sign up first!  We're very fortunate to have his friendship even if we are not his parishioners.

I'm currently searching for something new and different this year, maybe a tradition from the old country.  It's almost absurd that I'm employing google for this search when really I can just think back to my childhood. We have some books and movies lined up and as always chant will be my music of choice.  I'm pretty sure chant cures everything that ails me.  And of course, there are the feast days to look forward to. I guess I better get planning!

What I'm looking forward to the most is just the quiet (with a little dose of snow please!)  I hope there are no more life emergencies before then because if something else happens I might just commit myself to a hermitage LOL.

Are you already thinking about Advent?

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