Photo by Anna Dziubinska on Unsplash

The race to Christmas, that is.

It seems like this time of year, time just flies by. These last few weeks of December can at times feel like being on a train that is going 100km/hr, and there is no stop coming up or chance to get off until Christmas.

Work projects need to be finished in the next couple of weeks before the holidays; gifts need to be bought and given; friends and family need to see; parties need to be attended. Days turn into weeks, and soon enough, we reach Christmas without ever having a chance to pause, slow down or reflect. 

In the Church, this isn’t race season or finale season. In fact, our new liturgical year just began. This is the season of Advent. And Advent in our lives must not be a time of rushing, busyness or racing.

While the world seems to speed up, the voice crying out in the wilderness calls us to slow down. I am unable to hear that voice—God’s voice—if I am so preoccupied with activities that have me running to and fro. 

Jesus invites us to live differently. The time of Advent is an excellent opportunity given to us each year to live as disciples and pilgrims. 

A number of years ago, I was introduced to a book by Fr. Alfred Delp, titled Advent of the Heart. It is a book of homilies he gave in 1941, a time marked by war and instability in the world. I often pick it up at this time of year to be inspired.

In his homily preached on the first Sunday of Advent 1941, priest and martyr Fr. Alfred Delp proclaims that “the season of Advent is a time with its own special access to our hearts, its own special access to our souls and minds… The main point of Advent is not merely to remember and reenact some kind of historical waiting. No, Advent centers on fundamental principles and fundamental attitudes of our lives, of life in general.” 

Advent is a time to get real and contemplate what really, truly and ultimately matters. We have the opportunity now, this Advent, to take the time to slow down, wait on the Lord and live for our Heavenly home. 

So this year, let’s resolve to get serious. The reality is that we can so easily get caught in the race that we miss this season altogether. 

While the secular world begins to already celebrate Christmas, may we truly make every effort to lean into this sacred season of waiting. 

This will take some grit and some digging deep. It means intentionally choosing to slow down, carving out space for silence and prayer, and giving sacrificially.

For me, this means saying no so that I can say yes to Christ.

But by waiting on the Lord, we are giving Him space to come and occupy a place in our hearts.

“Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame” Psalm 25:3. 

Patrick is a beloved son of the Father who desires to use his gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. You can read more of his writing on his blog.