by Marcy Buzzelli

Created on: December 11, 2009

During the Advent season we are preparing our hearts and our homes to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus.  Although this time of waiting is not the typical 9 months of pregnancy, the anticipation of waiting for a baby to be born is every bit the same.  When a human baby is about to come into this world, there is much excitement and happy anticipation. The expectant parents make phone calls to the grandparents-to-be.  Friends and relatives get ecstatic messages on their voice mail announcing that a baby is coming. Clothes have to be bought for the new infant, nursery walls painted, and a crib set up. Baby showers are given for the little one who is just starting life on this earth.

During Advent, a four-weeks religious season observed by Christians, many of the same types of preparations occur. Christian churches take the weeks immediately before December 25 to remember the birth of Jesus and to prepare for His coming into our hearts.  Sometimes the materialism of Christmas celebrations in American overshadows the true spirit of the season, but that should not take away from the beauty that Advent can be.

Preparing the house for guests is a time-honored tradition as Christmas draws near. To those who recognize Advent, the routine house cleaning will remind them of Christ, the perfect guest who wants to come and live with them always.  Christmas parties that are given to share the joy of the season can be memorable events just like a baby shower is for an expectant mother. As parents-to-be make phone calls and send emails to announce their exciting news, Christians send greeting cards to convey the good news of Jesus’ birth.  The phrase “Merry Christmas” is heard throughout the mall, the grocery store, and the factory.  To someone who is celebrating Advent, however,  “Happy Holidays” will not be a part of his vocabulary.

In a home where Advent is celebrated, the first Christmas decoration to appear will be a nativity set with Jesus in a manger.  As parents who are about to welcome a new child into their family know, the baby crib is a necessity, and so it is with Advent preparations. When the family Christmas tree is set up, the glowing lights can initiate talk about Christ being the light of the world. Some families like to display an Advent wreath during this season for the same reason.

Although there is much secularization surrounding the birth of the baby Jesus, to a Christian, Advent can be a strong reminder of days to come.  Advent is a time not only to prepare the house for the coming of guests, but it is also the season to prepare the heart to celebrate the coming of Jesus.

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