Our Lady of Grace Church issued the following announcement on Nov. 29

Gospel of Saint Matthew 3:3 “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

”With these words of St. John the Baptist, we begin in earnest the holy season of Advent, usually the nearest Sunday to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.  For Catholic Christians in our culture and society today, I believe it is one of the more difficult seasons to observe because of the competition we face with secular culture.  So I wish to encourage all of us together to make a great Advent this year!

Though our society observes Christmas from Thanksgiving (or beforehand) until roughly the day of December 25, with feasting and celebration that go with it, we Catholic Christians will not observe Christmas until the first Christmas Eve liturgy and continue our celebration until at least January 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

Advent is a time of serious spiritual preparation, and is observed as a Penitential Season in our Latin Church.  Notice in the Liturgy the use of penitential purple in our sacred vestments, and the omission of the Gloria at Sunday Mass.  The period of Advent in our Church was originally observed for 40 days, just as in Lent.  The season was eventually shortened to a period of roughly four weeks.

The penitential character is a bit different than that of Lent.  The Advent season is marked by the longing and anticipation of Christ.  In a certain sense, such an anticipation is joyful yet most difficult, because the “moment” of the coming of the Lord is not yet here, but is eagerly anticipated.  During the first period of Advent, we remember the Second Coming of the Lord at the end of time.  During the second period of Advent, beginning December 17, we begin to observe an anticipation of prayerfully remembering the First Coming of the Lord, two thousand years ago at His Nativity in Bethlehem. 

Though the penitential character of fasting during Advent is now limited by law to the normative day of penance that we should observe every Friday of the year, we can voluntarily choose to embrace this time of anticipation and preparation for Christmas by extra prayer and penance/fasting, and assistance to the needy.  Perhaps we can set aside Wednesdays and Fridays, or a portion of the season to fast and abstain for the celebration of Christmas.  That may be observed with mitigation of food, entertainment, and the use of media.  Attendance at daily Mass (or on-line viewing due to COVID difficulties), Eucharistic Adoration, study of the daily scriptural Mass readings, or reading/contemplating portions of the Bible daily, or a spiritual book, are all means of possible preparation.  We may choose to attend our Bible study, or assist the poor financially or prepare and distribute food for them in our parish outreach.  

Each of us may determine, in our heart-felt conversation that we have with Jesus each day, to prepare for His coming in a loving way.  How we will do so?  Don’t put off the question until tomorrow.  Make a determina-tion today.  Write it down, and each night review its observance.  Parents, teach your children to embrace Advent together with you so that they know how to be prepared as observant Catholic Christians who yearn to love, know and welcome Jesus Christ our Savior!  Blessed Advent everyone

Original source can be found here.