The meaning of Advent

From guest writer, Mary Carolyn Voght

For the past month, I have been meaning to sit down and write a spiritual reflection about Advent. I thought I would write about taking time to pray and meditate on the coming of Christ rather than succumbing to the frenetic commercialism of the holiday season. But the more I thought about it, that message is already quite evident to most practicing Christians. From bumperstickers that proclaim “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” to the various Advent programs offered by many churches, taking a stand against the secular materialism of Christmas has become the common cause of many within the religious community.

The Episcopal Church, in particular, tends to stress the fact that Advent is a time of reflection and waiting. This year I happened to attend a small rural Episcopal Church in Tyro, Virginia, on the first Sunday of Advent where I heard an eloquent sermon express this exact point and I remember having heard similar such sermons each year in December growing up. This past week I thought about this sermon and others I’ve heard, mulling the messages over in my brain and wondering if I had any new insight to offer about the meaning of Advent.

I continued to think about these things as the first week of Advent raced by, waiting for a block of free time to be able to sit down to start writing. And then the irony of the situation hit me. How could I write a piece about the importance of prayer and reflection during Advent when I couldn’t even manage to carve out enough time to get my thoughts on the subject down on paper?

The idea of setting aside time for peace, quiet, and self-reflection during the holiday season is quite appealing to me, as I assume it is to many others, but unfortunately it is also not easy to do. And like most of my friends and family, the reason for my limited time is not because I’m getting up at four in the morning to line up outside of Target or because I’m spending countless hours shopping at the mall. Instead, my time is taken up with holiday social commitments and charitable projects, along with the usual business of life.

Although Christmas has become synonymous with commercialism for some, it is still a time for giving and good works, and for family and friends, to many. Spending time in prayer and quiet reflection almost seems self-indulgent when there is so much work to be done helping those less fortunate than ourselves or devoting time to nurturing meaningful relationships with friends and loved ones. Taking time to meditate on the meaning of Advent is worthwhile, however, because it reminds us why we give so much of our time, talent, and resources to others during the holiday season. We give to show gratitude for God’s gift of his Son to us, and to help share God’s unconditional love with others.