Advent

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. realized that a revolution of values is the true end o nonviolence.

As Catholics, we stand before two doors: secular time and church time. The ancient Greeks — and thus the early church — had two words for these different senses of time. Chronos is chronological: earthly, ordinary, one day after the next. Kairos, on the other hand, is sacred: extraordinary, holy and perfect whenever it interrupts our daily lives.

During Advent, we spend four weeks trying to balance ourselves. Like standing in the middle of a seesaw, we often have one foot in the materialistic world of gifts, decorating and parties, while the other foot is in the spiritual world of prayerfully expecting the miracle of Christ’s birth.

When you light your Advent candles this season, may it be a reminder to reflect on how you will fan the flames of hope in the year to come.

Thomas Merton spells out a path for all Christians to follow and authentically seek a world of peace.

Liturgy directors and parish volunteers are busily preparing buildings and worship spaces for a prayerful Advent season and anticipation for Christmas.

Prayer, almsgiving (charity) and fasting were seen by the early church as naturally supporting and completing each other. They’ve been called, in fact, the three pillars of Christian discipline.

What sets Advent apart from the usual secular preparations for Christmas is the spiritual dimension: Advent is a time of both prayer and penance. As Catholics, we are called to exercise a more disciplined approach to our spiritual lives during the four weeks of Advent and to pay special attention to our words and deeds as we wait patiently for the coming of Christ.