We were meant for community! Let me not forget that. In my last post, I focused on ways we can personally prepare for Christmas. This morning as I pray I am reminded of the importance of community. While it’s great to “hunker down” in our own little corner of the world to pray and grow closer to God, it’s also important and quite essential to our spiritual growth to participate as a community.
Participate
So maybe part of our plan this Advent can be to participate in parish activities. Often parishes will have guest speakers or missions for the special liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. Check out your church bulletin for upcoming events and take time away from shopping to retreat with your parish community.
Many parishes also do Lessons and Carols. This is another beautiful tradition of the Church. If you’re not familiar with this tradition, read about it here.
I’m a big fan of stepping outside your comfort zone. I would suggest trying to do something you’ve never done before. Maybe gather together with some members of your church and do a one day pilgrimage to a local shrine for a day of prayer and reflection. If your parish is planning a bus trip, sign up even if you don’t know anyone.
Donate time and money
Another way to enter into the season as part of your community is committing to at least one holy hour a week to pray for the needs of the community or for the intentions of someone other than yourself. If you’re already committed to one hour, how about doing two? Imagine the graces that will be poured out!
This time of year parishes offer opportunities for charity, like Giving Trees and food drives. How about spending some of your Christmas budget on a gift for a needy child or on a donation to your local food pantry.
Love like He loves
These are just a few things Mother Church offers us to grow in faith, hope and love and to participate in all that’s true, good and beautiful. Will you step outside your comfort zone this season? Can you step away from your worldly obligations to reflect on the reason for the season?
How often we forget that everything we have is gift! 1 Corinthians 4:7 says: “what do you have that you did not receive?”
1 John 3:16-18 says: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Open up
I invite you to ponder and pray with these verses and imagine all the opportunities I’ve listed above as Jesus, knocking at the door of your heart. Will you open the door and let Him in? I promise – all the shopping, gifts, cooking and decorating – will not and cannot hold a candle to opening that door and stepping out of your comfort zone! God bless you!
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