As we enter the holy season of Advent that seeks to prepare us for Christmas, we may wish to consider adopting a particular spiritual practice that can prepare our minds and hearts for the coming holy days of the Lord’s Birth. My experience has been that these days become ever more hectic as we approach Christmas. There are many competing obligations that demand our time and attention. As a result, if we are not intentional in making time to prepare, we will find ourselves, before we know it, on the threshold of Christmas, having lost a great opportunity to prepare ourselves to receive the only gift of Christmas that matters- the Lord Himself.
For my part, I have decided to pray over the Book of the Prophet Micah during my daily time in Eucharistic adoration. In addition to its prophecy of the coming of the Messiah (Micah 5: 1-14), it provides a powerful indictment of the sins of God’s people against the covenant, which can serve as a beautiful examination of conscience for any believer. It also short in length, allowing for meditation on short passages of the sacred text, given the brief period of time we have during Advent.
There are many other spiritual exercises that you may wish to consider for your own reflection and growth. Whatever it may be, if you have not already done so, today is the day to make the choice. It is a choice that will transform these days of busy work into a time of silence and peace for which our hearts so desperately desire.
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos!
