“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken”

-Isaiah 40: 5

Happy Advent!

As the first week of Advent comes to a close, now is a good time to reflect on how our Advent season is going so far. What’s the true meaning of this season? How are we preparing for the coming of our Lord?

At my Bible study on Wednesday nights, we always begin by sharing about the best moment we had in our week, the worst moment in our week, and where we saw God working in that week. As my friends and I discussed, it seemed that all of us had a really crazy and busy week! We’re all juggling so much. With school activities, work, Christmas shopping, spending time with friends and family, and trying to get a healthy 8 hours of sleep at night, this is a very hectic time of year!

The external environment around us is so noisy, especially as we prepare for all of the holiday festivities at Christmas. Yet, the season of Advent means so much more than the hustle and bustle of daily life. Advent is a time to quiet our hearts and prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in Christmas. Advent is a time to reflect on the true joy and peace that the Lord has to offer!

How do we prepare and make room for Christ?

• Making time for quiet prayer with the Lord is one of my favorite ways to make room for Him in Advent. It’s a great way to quiet our interior lives, even if our exterior environment is noisy and busy!
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation is another important way for us to prepare for the coming of Christ! - You can celebrate the Sacrament of Penance at Queen of All Saints scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Advent from 6:45 am - 7:15 am and Saturdays in Advent from 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm in the church. If you haven’t been to confession in a while, this is the perfect time to receive His grace in the sacrament!
• Reading the Word of God is also a great way to hear His voice this Advent. If you’re not sure where to begin, you can join us for the Advent Prayer Challenge by spending 15 minutes, or 1%, of each day reading a chapter of the Gospel of Luke from December 1st - 24th.
• Looking for other ways to prepare your heart for the Lord in Advent? View our full Advent schedule for more prayerful opportunities: https://www.qas.org/advent-schedule

As a parish family, we prepare together and patiently wait for the glory of the Lord to be revealed to us.

I pray that you have a peaceful, joyful, prayerful, and warm Advent season.

In Christ,

Tabitha Jones

tabithaj@qas.org

P.S. Check out some of my very favorite videos about Advent and the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Confession is a Place of Victory

Advent: More Than a Chocolate Calendar

The True Meaning of Advent