Prepare the way for the Christ child this Advent

NEW YORK (The Christophers) - When people talk about "the holidays" what they usually mean is Christmas. We tend to give Advent short shrift.

This year, Advent begins on Sunday, Dec. 3. Advent can give us the right perspective to prepare for Christmas on Dec. 25. The word for this season is from the Latin adventus meaning coming. It invites us to recognize all comings of Jesus - past, present and future. The son of God was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. Through grace, he comes within the hearts of his people day by day. And, finally, as the Christ, Jesus will return in triumph at the second coming. Through Advent, we realize that Christmas is not merely a commemoration of history, but a celebration of salvation. Use Advent's four weeks as a time of prayer and spiritual renewal. Wonder at God's everlasting love and his overwhelming gift to each and every one of us: his beloved child. One way to stay connected to the message of Christmas with family is through lighting the candles of an Advent wreath - one candle of each of the four Sundays of Advent -reading the scriptures relating to Advent and offering a prayer for the season, like the following: God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Son of God, baby of Bethlehem, help us to grow in wisdom and grace as you did - and always, in love.