It can be hard to know what to do during Advent. Lent has a clearer focus of praying and fasting with Jesus in the desert. Advent focuses on expectation and hope, but what should we expect during Advent?
During this preparatory season before Christmas, we put ourselves in the place of Israel, awaiting the coming Messiah. Israel had lost the Davidic monarchy and hoped for a restoration of an independent kingdom. Jesus did come as the Messiah, the Davidic king, but the kingdom he established went beyond a mere political state. Jesus opened up the kingdom of heaven for people all over the world. He continues to come to us anew, being born in our hearts and bringing us the peace we long for.
During the Season of Advent exercise, we will be reflecting on Israel’s expectation for the Messiah through the daily Mass readings, mainly taken from the Old Testament prophets. The readings will give us a clearer spiritual focus on how to expect the coming of Jesus in prayer. We will embrace a joyful asceticism: making space for Jesus to enter into our lives more powerfully at Christmas and as we begin Exodus 90 on January 1st.
We can make this our best Advent ever by engaging in daily preparation for Christ’s coming. Like Israel, there is much we need from the coming of our king. This Advent, we can bring our hopes and fears before Jesus, preparing our hearts to receive him anew. We can also offer a joyful witness to hope during this season at all the family and social gatherings. Jesus comes to bring us freedom and if we truly express our hope and longing for him, we can enter into Christmas in a more powerful way than ever before.
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Dr. Staudt holds a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Ave Maria University and B.A. and M.A. in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN). He serves as Director of Content for Exodus and as Visiting Associate Professor at the Augustine Institute in Denver. He was previously the Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Denver. He has founded a Catholic school and served as a DRE in two parishes and as Director of Catholic Studies at the University of Mary. He is the author of How the Eucharist Can Save Civilization (TAN), Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture (Divine Providence Press) and The Beer Option: Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today (Angelico Press). His editing experience includes six years as the managing editor of the journal Nova et Vetera and the books Renewing Catholic Schools: How to Regain a Catholic Vision in a Secular Age (Catholic Education Press) and The University and the Church: Don J. Briel’s Essays on Education (Cluny Media).
