The First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Tradition calls for us to light up one of the candles in our Advent wreath before we sit down for breakfast, and that we did.

I find this Advent wreath tradition a very simple and direct way of reminding us what Christmas is all about: that it is about the coming of Christ. That this is one way of celebrating being a Christian. That is it is about giving, not only material things but also those things that we sometimes take for granted... like visiting our relatives, sharing time with those in need of them, saying things that would make someone else happy, giving a smile, lending a hand... these are only examples, I am sure we could do more.

Nope, we dont need to wait for Christmas to be available for other people; but doing these during the busy days of Christmas mean a lot because it would show how you really take time off to share a part of you. Let's reflect on this...

Christmas is not about Santa Claus, or gifts, or parties...though sometimes we tend to focus on the fun of it. We even sign our Christmas cards happy holidays or enjoy the season. But you know what, with this Advent wreath, I always remember that we are celebrating Christ.

The kids know this, they learn and practice it in kindergarten and we religiously follow this at home. I hope they would never forget the real meaning of Christmas.

Wikipedia states that Advent is:

Advent (from the Latin word advenio, meaning "to come", "the coming of Christ our saviour") is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known outside the Church as the season of Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western Christian year and commences on Advent Sunday. The Eastern churches begin the year on 1 September. The progression of Advent may be marked with an Advent calendar reckoning Advent to start on 1 December, a practice introduced by German Lutherans.

Adventus is the Latin word for "coming", and is the exact Latin equivalent for the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Jesus.