Advent begins with a white blanket and family sharing our beautiful Faith!

My family is disappointed that I am not up to sitting up towards the front of church with them in our usual family spot, but my leg can't tolerate the entire hour yet.  So I sit in the back and was gifted with this wonderful sight... Ruth's 3 oldest serving together!  This was David's second time, and how wonderful they look in the new robes for the servers.

My dear friend, Father Denny, was presiding!  So wonderful to have him here sharing each week in our parish!

Over night we got about half a foot of beautiful snow!  The only way to church was by pick up, so we helped out getting some grandkids to mass with us.  Lots of snow to move for the farmers today.

A picture postcard with the new blanket of white... Ruth put the garland on both our porches just before the snow came to make it more beautiful!

I surprised myself getting up and out with Pat for 8a mass, but now I am dragging.  This needs to be short today.

So pretty!  Father reminded us that Advent is not all about Christmas but preparing and waiting for Jesus... yes, to come as a baby, but also being ready at all times for when we are called to leave this earth with death to eternal life or when He comes to bring all to himself at the end of time.  We know not when, but we need to always be prepared.

Father mentioned the focal point of the Advent wreath, and lighting the candle each week as a family at the evening meal or after to share some deeper prayer and worship. 

Advent brought our family together in prayer year after year, and sharing the lives of the Saints was a highlight for the kids as well as singing praise and worship songs, reading scriptures, and doing a decade of the rosary.  Cherished times indeed!

My Mary statue almost hidden in the whiteness!

Jesus, we love you with our all.  Come Lord Jesus fill us with your LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Sitting in the back with the sick, elderly, weak... I fit all those categories!

Advent and winter arrived at the same time!

Bishop Robert Barron

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Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples to be vigilant. Today marks the beginning of Advent, the great liturgical season of vigilance, of waiting and watching.

What practically can we do during this season of vigil keeping? What are some practices that might incarnate for us the Advent spirituality?

I strongly recommend the classically Catholic discipline of Eucharistic adoration. To spend a half hour or an hour in the presence of the Lord is not to accomplish or achieve very much—it is not really “getting” anywhere—but it is a particularly rich form of spiritual waiting.

As you keep vigil before the Blessed Sacrament, bring to Christ some problem or dilemma that you have been fretting over, and then say: “Lord, I’m waiting for you to solve this, to show me the way out, the way forward. I’ve been running, planning, worrying, but now I’m going to let you work.” Then, throughout Advent, watch attentively for signs.

Also, when you pray before the Eucharist, allow your desire for the things of God to intensify; allow your heart and soul to expand. Pray, “Lord, make me ready to receive the gifts you want to give,” or even, “Lord Jesus, surprise me.”