Last Minute Advent | Making the Most of the Liturgical Season

The season of Advent is now upon us in 2022! I believe that we can gain much for living liturgically as Catholics, and Advent is a beautiful season full of rich tradition to nurture your spiritual life. If you have not prepared weeks in advance– do not fret! Our goal is not perfection, but a preparation for the coming of Christ.

The idea here is to provide you with the basics of Advent and what you might want to start now. I will be posting a few other ideas related to feast days and other practices in the upcoming weeks.

What is Advent?

A lot of folks like to call Advent a sort of mini Lent. This is a time of penitence, preparation, fasting, almsgiving, etc. before the Octave of Christmas. In fact, many families do not even decorate for Christmas until Christmas eve in observance of Advent. Essentially, the focus of Advent is the preparation of our hearts for Christ. This is true for overall preparing for the Christmas season- but more pointedly preparing for when Christ shall come again in glory.

Technically speaking, Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas day. Many Christian denominations also participate in Advent as it marks the beginning of the liturgical year.

Advent Wreath

This year my husband and I invested in a true advent wreath, as last year I used a jar with a candle each week. I was finalizing plans for our wedding last advent (we were married December 18th) and did not fully commit to decor. Although I do love the new setup, you do not need anything glitzy to participate in this tradition. In fact, you can even Dollar Tree DIY the wreath or find the supplies easily on Amazon.

Here’s a fully decorated wreath for a decent price!

Here’s a ring if you wanted to DIY the wreath.

Heather at A Catholic Mom’s Life on YouTube also shared her wreath DIY

In general, you will want to purchase three purple (or blue) and one pink candle. Many families also have one white candle in the center. If you’d be so kind, please check out my shop where I am selling Holy Family candles! These are great for year-round reflection and prayer, but might also be a great fit for your advent wreath. *Site coming this week*

Devotionals

My personal last minute purchase this year is an Advent devotional. These are wonderful to have to inspire you to reflect on the season. I have used many of Blessed is She’s devotionals in the past, and this year the book is titled “Peace Has a Name,” which sounds lovely. If you don’t mind waiting for shipping, this is a great option.

I have decided to read “Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation” by Fr. John Burns illustrated by Valerie Delgado (by the way- her art is gorgeous and I recommend you check out Pax Beloved). This is available on Kindle, so you have the option of starting today!

I also noticed Sr. Miriam James is doing a series for Advent on Ave Maria Press’ YouTube channel. She is such a lovely speaker and I enjoy the content she puts out dearly.

Another VERY accessible option is to read the 24 chapters of Luke days 1-24 of December. This is a common practice and you can likely get Christians from all backgrounds to join in, if desired.

I will soon be posting some overall content related to feast days and other related traditions. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment below or contact me personally. I would love to hear from you!

May the Peace of Christ be with you this Advent,

Caroline