Join the ADVENTure this season!

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - The stores are decked out, Christmas songs are on the radio and in the malls, but it isn't Christmas yet! The Church spends this time in Advent, preparing for the Christmas Season yet to come.

The First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the new Church year and the short season that marches us to Christmas. Advent should not be thought of merely as a religious countdown, however, such as "You have only 25 more reflection days until Christmas."

This is a wonderful time to prepare your heart for what lies beyond as well. As you follow the secular news as well as the reports here at Catholic Online, we are living very turbulent but exciting times. Our faith will be playing an ever-increasing role in daily life and now is the perfect time to establish new devotional practices while reinforcing what you already observe.

As a part of Catholic Online's commitment to participate fully in the heart of the Church, we have provided a special site with stories, articles, reflections, and places to share your own Advent and Christmas traditions.

We would like to invite you to visit our Advent/Christmas site regularly during this important time of year. You can find the site by clicking on the special banner on Catholic Online's Homepage or go to www.advent2008.org.

May God's richest blessing be yours during this great ADVENTure!

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Randy Sly is a communications specialist and Associate Editor for Catholic Online. A former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, he has served in full time Christian ministry for over 30 years. He and his wife Sandy came into the full communion of the Catholic Church three years ago.

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