When we think about the weeks leading up to Christmas, we think of gifts, baked goods, days off of school and work, and parties. In a more religious sense, we think of Advent wreaths, nativity scenes, and the Christmas stories. We don’t usually associate this Christmas season with penance, fasting, and alms giving like we do during Lent. But what if we did?
This year for Advent, I’m giving up some things just like I do for Lent. It will be hard to turn down that glass of wine at some Christmas party or those ever-present holiday treats. But I feel like I need to empty my soul (and my stomach) to make more room for Jesus this year. I feel like I can make this Christmas much more meaningful by reminding myself every day of what’s to come in a few short weeks.
Many of us live in a world that doesn’t require much preparation or waiting. I can complete my Christmas shopping in an evening in front of my computer. I can get any sort of cookie or candy treat all year long. Basically, I can treat Christmas like any other day of the year or any day of the year like Christmas if I so choose. But I don’t want that!
In a time when every day can just feel the same, I’m choosing to make this Advent and Christmas feel different. I can’t invent a time machine and go back to the Christmases of my childhood when I was filled with excitement upon seeing all those decorations, Christmas trees, gifts, and treats. But I can change my disposition. By delaying some of the earthly delights in my life for the next few weeks, Christmas will be that more joyful.
I’m not talking about delayed gratification. It’s not like I’m giving up treats and alcohol so I can indulge in gluttony on Christmas Eve. I want this Christmas to feel meaningful. I don’t want the nativity story to be relegated to some images on Christmas cards and something recreated in a school Christmas pageant. I want to feel genuinely excited about celebrating the birth of our Lord. I want to honor Him like the shepherds hearing the news from the angels.
Many of us struggle to find gifts for one another. We often end up giving people things they don’t really need (and sometimes what they don’t really want). This Christmas, consider giving people something truly meaningful — your prayers, fasting, penance, and service. It may not be something that you can wrap up and put under a tree, but your prayers will have a greater impact than anything bought from Amazon or Walmart.