I recently read in a copy of Our Sunday Visitor a description of Advent: “Advent is the season in which we prepare for the great celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas.  During these four weeks we are invited to contemplate the richness of God’s gift to us in Christ…”

I don’t know about you, but when I experience the season of Advent, it’s often hard for me to find the time to contemplate anything except my seemingly endless shopping lists, cooking and cleaning in preparation of guests, decorating my home and Christmas tree, sending out cards, and doing the hundreds of other chores that seem to come along with the Christmas season.

Many of us feel burned out by the hustle and bustle of Christmas, especially when merchants start the season in October.  With all the consumerism that surrounds the holiday, it’s sometimes hard to find Jesus in it at all. 

Because of this, some people try to take a different path, to simplify their lives just a little bit, and to recall the real meaning of Christmas. Over the next few weeks, we will be promoting different ways to think about Christmas; different ways of seeking peace during this season of peace.