“The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah” (Jer. 33:14).

 Advent is my favorite season, partly because it falls during winter, my other favorite season. It is no coincidence that the liturgical season so perfectly aligns with the natural season. Just like the natural world, the Church lives in a cyclical manner, mirroring the Creation which God has made. We move through one season into the next, always the same yet always changing. What I love most about both Advent and winter is that they are seasons of preparation.

 This is a time of rest and rejuvenation. Winter is necessary. At the close of the harvest season, we put our gardens and fields to rest. The land needs an opportunity to recuperate from its outpouring. It has given life to the many plants which grew in it throughout the spring and summer. As the snow lies upon the ground, the nutrients are returned to the soil. The land receives moisture from the snow. Pests and parasites which have moved into the soil are killed by the cold temperatures. As the daylight decreases, we humans feel ourselves slow down. Our outside activity decreases or changes timbre. We begin to look inward, to quiet places inside, warm places with friends and family where we can rest and rejuvenate. Winter is necessary. Advent is also necessary. As the sunlight decreases, we search for a greater light, the light of Christ. He is coming. We begin to shed our old selves and our old habits as we enter the new Liturgical year. We make space in our hearts, just as Mary and Joseph made space in the stable, preparing a soft bed for our Lord. Advent is necessary.

 This is a time of anticipation and receptivity. Winter holds its breath. Beneath the snow on the fields we cannot see the preparations for new life. The soil receives the nutrients which the snow brings. It receives the seeds which have fallen from the trees and plants. The land anticipates what the next year will bring forth. Winter holds its breath. Advent holds its breath. It breathes in deeply of the traditions of the Church: hope, peace, joy. We sense that something wonderful is just beyond the horizon. At any moment it will dawn upon us, the anticipation of its arrival causing us to lean forward into the unknown, ready to receive the new life about to be born in us. Advent holds its breath.

 This is a time of quiet and silence. Have you ever heard the snow fall? The only way to hear it is if the world is quiet and still. The snowflakes fall quietly upon the landscape, muffling the noise of the world, softly covering everything with its gentle presence. Have you ever heard the snow fall? Have you ever heard God’s voice? He always speaks to us, but we can best hear Him when we are quiet and still. Gently He guides us; tenderly He loves us. His Presence covers our imperfections and heals what is broken. Have you ever heard God’s voice?

 Winter and Advent are both seasons of preparation. They help us to recognize God’s Presence in the world and in our lives. They prepare us for the dawn of new life from the land and in our hearts. This time of preparation will lead us to new and hidden beginnings, to the time when the LORD fulfills His promises in us. From the darkness of winter will burst forth the Light of Christ. From the stillness of Advent will blossom the Hope of the World. Hidden in this season of Advent is a call to each of us to become quiet, to hear God’s voice and rest in His Word, and to be receptive to His workings. May this Advent fill you with the Peace of Christ, the Light and Hope of the World.