Waiting Gracefully in Advent
“We desire to be able to welcome Jesus at Christmas-time, not in a cold manger of our heart, but in a heart full of love and humility, a heart so pure, so immaculate, so warm with love for one another” (St. Teresa of Calcutta).
Advent 2021: Responding to God’s Call and Growing in Community
This Advent, our leadership and writing teams are reflecting on the Visitation—Mary’s visit to St. Elizabeth while they were pregnant with Jesus and St. John the Baptist. Click here to read more.
The season of Advent is a time of great anticipation and preparation as we prepare our hearts to receive the greatest gift of all: a little child born in Bethlehem.
What comes to mind when you think of waiting? I think of standing in line at a coffee shop, waiting to order. I’m anxious to receive my coffee (iced latte, please) and move on to the next part of the day. My mind is already filled with a never-ending to-do list. Waiting is an inconvenience, an obstacle between me and what I want.
This is the wrong way to think about waiting, but it’s become very common in our modern life, where waiting is a lost art. We buy things online and have them shipped on the same day to our house. We’re given instant gratification so often that waiting has become nothing more than an inconvenience.
Yet, we appreciate something so much more when we take the time to wait and anticipate it. The careful preparation of our hearts to meet the Lord leads us to an even greater joy on Christmas day.
So, how can we wait gracefully and carefully prepare our hearts during the season of Advent? As busy women, with our minds going a million miles a minute, especially during this time of year, it can be a challenge. Slowing down and taking the time to wait gracefully is countercultural. Consider the following suggestions this Advent, and take advantage of the opportunity to prepare your heart for Christmas.
1. Pray for a Spirit of Surrender
To learn how to wait gracefully, we must learn how to surrender our days, our plans, and our lives to our Lord. During the frantic speed of the holiday season, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with tasks. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to accomplish things during this season. If your to-do list remains unfinished, surrender it to Christ, and ask for peace.
2. Attend Additional Masses, and/or Go to Confession
If your schedule allows, it would be beneficial to attend additional daily Masses during Advent. Take the time to encounter our Lord.
Also, what better way to prepare yourself for Jesus at Christmas then to cleanse your soul through the sacrament of reconciliation?
3. Meditate on What Scripture Says About Waiting
The Bible is full of verses about waiting. Consider Psalm 62: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” This verse embodies what each of us should strive for during the Advent season as we hopefully wait for our Lord at Christmas.
Mary Grace Dostalik, born and raised a Texas girl, recently graduated from Benedictine College with a major in evangelization and catechesis. She is a dancer, a writer, and a wanna-be explorer. Mary Grace loves to spend her spare time choreographing dances, going on runs, practicing calligraphy, and searching for the best chai tea latte. She is doing her best to go wherever God calls her, whether it be Oklahoma, Kansas, Ireland, or back to Texas. Mary Grace is currently living her dream of serving the Church by working as the marketing and communications manager at a parish in Frisco, Texas.