O Come, O Come Emmanuel: Living liturgically during Advent

Joyful anticipation and prayerful preparation are the foundation of Advent. While the world is already celebrating their version of Christmas the day after Thanksgiving (or, earlier if you’re a big box store!), Christians are asked to wait in joyful hope for the great mystery of the Word made Flesh.

Advent is, technically, a season of fasting before the longer Christmas season of feasting. And while the Roman Catholic Church doesn’t require fasting during Advent (Eastern Rite Catholics, however, have a Nativity Fast!), it is still a beautiful time to practice acts of mercy and carve out extra prayer time to prepare the heart and home for the Incarnation. 

How can Christians be in the world, yet not of it when it comes to celebrating holy days that have become mass-marketed holidays? Liturgical living. Bringing the beauty and blessing of the liturgical calendar into the home is a powerful way a family can authentically live out their faith and invite others along for the ride.   

Join when necessary, wait when not

Part of drawing people toward the glory of a life with Jesus is living a glorious life! Each person will discern different ways of doing this depending on their temperament, the communities where they live and work, and how God is calling them to live their faith personally. 

Finding ways to intentionally save the most festive time for the Christmas season is a small yet powerful way to live joyfully within the liturgical calendar of the Church. For some people, this might mean skipping the Christmas music until December 25! For others, it might mean saving their big Christmas party for the third day of Christmas. 

Ask God for guidance on ways you can slow down during Advent and purposefully save the best feasting for Christmas. This might be attending your work Christmas party during Advent but quietly fasting from the artfully decorated sugar cookie. For someone else it might be holding off on decorating the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. Everyone’s Advent will look different, and that’s okay! What is important is that there is extra time carved out for prayer, acts of mercy, and frequent reception of the sacraments during this sacred time. 

Looking for some Advent inspiration? Here are some ways to fully embrace the liturgical season of preparation with joy, anticipation, and wonder. 

Make the most of your Advent wreath

Gathering around the evergreen wreath each Sunday of Advent is a time-honored tradition among Catholic families. Find a place of prominence in your home for the wreath, and gather regularly to read scripture, sing hymns, and light the candles. 

Singing a hymn while lighting the wreath adds an element of joy, especially when praying with young children. Some options include O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Light One Candle, and Light the Advent Candles. 

To make the wreath lighting even more memorable, consider eating dinner from only the candlelight of the Advent wreath. The first Sunday of Advent dinner will begin in near darkness, and as the first candle is lit the room will be quite dim. As Advent progresses and a new candle is added each week, dinner will get noticeably brighter as we near the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. 

Enjoy your Christmas Eve feast surrounded by the beautiful flickers and cozy warmth of a fully lit Advent wreath. As you light the entire wreath, including the white candle in the middle, read from the first Chapter of the Gospel of John. 

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. 

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be. 

What came to be

through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race; 

the light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.

He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 

He was in the world,

and the world came to be through him,

but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory as of the Father’s only Son,

full of grace and truth.

Deck the halls, but not so fast

Believe me, the temptation is real to get every bit of Christmas décor out and beautifully displayed the minute Thanksgiving dinner is over. The season feels so short, there is no wonder people want to enjoy the trimmings for as long as possible! However, fighting this eagerness to make Christmas appear all over my home has helped me spiritually. The external sign of a home with minimal Christmas decoration reminds my heart that we are still waiting in joyful hope.

However, our family often travels the day after Christmas, making me want to decorate a bit to allow my family to enjoy our own décor. So, what’s our compromise? We bring out a few decorations each Sunday of Advent, beginning with tons of greenery and purple and pink garland, and then slowly adding Christmas specific decorations as Advent progresses and December feast days are celebrated.

There are some families who wait until Christmas Eve to decorate their home for Christmas. This is a beautiful tradition, and perhaps if you stick close to home all Christmas season this might seem like a good option. However you decide to time your decorating, avoid comparison! Keep your eyes on Christ and how He is calling you to draw nearer to Him this season. 

Bedtime hymns

There are some stunning Advent hymns that are not as well known, especially when up against the popular hymns of Christmas. Focus on learning a new hymn during the Advent season, adding a new verse each week. 

Sing the hymn each evening as you clean up after supper or head to bed. In no time you will have added some beautiful Advent hymns to your repertoire! 

Feast day feasting

In His great mercy and kindness, God has given us some truly wonderful feast days to enjoy in the lead up to the Nativity. Here are a few (there are plenty more!), and some ideas for feasting. 

St. Nicholas, Dec. 6 – Set out your shoes; St. Nicholas might come and bring oranges and chocolate coins! St. Nicholas day wouldn’t be complete without St. Nicholas waffles. Use whipped cream to make his beard, strawberries for his hat, and chocolate chips for his face. 

This is often the day we get our Christmas tree and set up some additional decorations. Reading the legends of St. Nicholas around a roaring fire and enjoying chocolate coins is a cozy way to celebrate. 

Our Lady of Loreto, Dec. 10 – Build gingerbread houses and recount the story of this little house where the Blessed Mother was raised and the miracles that enfolded in its history. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12 – Have a Mexican feast for dinner. This is also a wonderful day to bring some diapers and wipes to a local pregnancy center, as she is patroness of the unborn. 

St. Lucy, Dec. 13 – Cinnamon rolls in the morning? Yes, please! This feast day is especially exciting for little girls to wear their St. Lucy wreath and dress and wake up siblings with a sweet treat. 

As Lucy means “light,” this is also the first day our family turns on our outdoor Christmas lights. 

Go forth and live liturgically

Take some time to ask God how He is calling you to embrace the season of preparation. But remember, it’s not about whether you get your Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving or wait until Christmas Eve. What truly matters is taking the season of Advent to prepare your heart for the coming of the King.