Advent begins today – a time of waiting and preparation. We think of Mary waiting for Jesus. We also wait for many things in life: positive waiting like mothers waiting for their children to be born, and anxious waiting like waiting for medical results for ourselves or loved ones. Our times of waiting change us.

The Gospel reminds us to change as God comes into our world. When my girls were young, we had a special children’s Advent prayer book. Every evening we would read the reading of the day, reflect on it, add to our Nativity Scene and a family activity. During prayer time the only light we would have would be the light of the candle or candles of the Advent Wreath. We experienced the ever increasing light to our darkness as the Christmas and Christ’s light approached. One activities included writing our sins on a folded piece of paper and placing it near the manger. Christmas Eve when the baby Jesus was placed in the manger the papers were thrown away to develop the understanding, Jesus came to take away our sins. When the girls grew older this action became the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Advent season. My daughters called this prayer time “Doing Advent.” For them the the Season of Advent should not just to be experienced, but something that should be “done.” It is a time for us to actively participate in making a place for Jesus. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are servants who need to be doing God’s work. So it is time once again to “Do Advent.”