It happens every year. You know what I'm talking about. It was just after All Hallow’s Eve this year when Christmas items made their way into stores and began to dot the yards of our neighbors. It wasn’t too much after that neighborhoods exploded with Christmas ornaments and lights. Oh yes my friends, the contest for who can burn the most wattage is on! It's quite the cultural phenomenon. We are obsessed with the future, which deprives us of the gift which is the present. In the present we are in the beautiful season of Advent. A season that calls us to proclaim... "Come Lord Jesus!", in BIG ways as with the Incarnation of our Lord and His second coming, and in little ways, by our actions and interactions with other people. Actions which make Jesus present in our world through our little part in it. So here we are... the season of Advent, the beginning of a new Church year! If you want to enter more deliberately into Advent, there are some great devotions you can mark these special days approaching Christmas with. The Jesse Tree: The Jesse Tree is an ancient devotion that can be as simple as a small felt or foam cut out of a tree, to as elaborate as a 10 ft. fir or pine. The Tree is a symbolic walk though Salvation History (and the genealogy of Jesus) that encompasses both Old and New Testament. Each day during Advent, a symbol or ornament is added to a tree which tells the story of God’s relationship with humanity. A story which begins with God’s creation of man, and ends with the birth of the New Adam, Jesus Christ. There are numerous resources online and in print to help you create your Jesse Tree and symbols. The Advent Wreath The Advent Wreath is a devotion that goes back to 16th century Germany. A ring is adorned with greenery, symbolizing everlasting life. The wreath is punctuated by three purple candles and one pink or rose colored candle. One purple candle is lit on the first, second and fourth Sunday of Advent. The pink is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete (or joyful) Sunday. There is an initial blessing which inaugurates the season and the prayers for the Advent Wreath. Children’s Advent Calendars Children’s Advent Calendars normally begin on December 1st and are a way for families with young children count down the 24 days before Christmas in a simple and fun way. Children’s Advent calendars are usually whimsical childlike depictions of the Nativity or other religious imagery. The calendars are usually cardboard and have 24 windows, children open, one at a time. Good Children’s Advent calendars have scripture verses behind each window to help keep children connected to the story of Jesus birth, in the weeks before Christmas. The O Antiphons Between December 17 and 23, the Church invites us to include the O Antiphons to our daily or evening prayers. The O Antiphons are a series of seven prayers recited or chanted in the Octave before Christmas. These seven antiphons normally come before the Magnificat during Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours. Regardless of what your family chooses to pray during this season of Advent, make a conscientious decision to wait, enjoy the present and celebrate Advent. The Christmas Season (December 25- January 9) will be upon us soon enough.