Be Calm!

1st Sunday of Advent

Be Calm!
Be calm in your waiting; Let your hearts be strong: Because the coming of the Lord is near. – James 5:8

I can just see your faces now as you read this… Calm? How can we be calm? There is too much to do to prepare for the holidays… cooking, cleaning, shopping, cards to write, people to visit, to-do lists galore. How can we remain calm? And even when we try to be calm all around us chaos abounds!

How do you prepare for Christmas? Do you use the season of Advent to prepare spiritually for our Lord’s second coming? It is difficult to remain calm with the over commercialization of Christmas. A frenzy comes over us as we get caught up in the storm of to-do lists and expectations of others. Don’t you wish you could just find a place to get away and hide out for a bit?

Today is a perfect day to begin a new attitude towards holiday preparations. Today we light a candle to commemorate the First Sunday of Advent. As we light the candle today and gaze into its flame let us be reminded that the burning light of Jesus will pierce the darkness we find ourselves in. Gaze into the fire and pray for all those who are in darkness. Take the time to reflect upon your own spiritual darkness and try to think of ways to spiritually prepare for our Lord’s coming. Let us try to remain calm and find times and places where we can just simply be with our Lord. Remember in prayer all those who remain in darkness and pray that we will all be ready to receive Jesus when he comes.

Have a Blessed Advent, Holly Clark