By Sister Catherine Gugerty, SSND
When I think of Advent, I have two childhood memories forever etched in my mind: Advent calendars and the countdown to Santa’s arrival.
Of course they were really the same, but somehow - despite my Catholic education - they seemed like two very different things back then. (And to be honest, the anticipation of Santa’s arrival was really my prime concern!)
It was not just the gifts Santa would bring me, though.
It was also hearing the electric trains suddenly running in the middle of the night. It was seeing the beautiful, now-decorated tree on Christmas morning!
We began assembling our Christmas Train Garden the weekend of the first Sunday of Advent. The incentive to make it just right was that Santa would check it out when he came to drop off the gifts!
He also would decorate our tree, which my parents put in the stand on Christmas Eve just after dinner.
Another Christmas Eve tradition was that, just before bedtime, my mom would read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to my siblings and me as we sat on the sofa by that bare tree.
So much of the magic of Christmas morning was walking down the steps to see the perfectly decorated and lighted tree. My older brother and I compared notes: “Did you hear him? Did you hear Santa checking out the trains this morning?”
Honestly, the gifts under the tree were almost secondary.
How Advent has Changed over Time
Throughout high school and college, Advent became the countdown to the end of the semester with the completion of papers, projects, and final exams.
Then, Advent changed again.
My first full-time job after college was working with people experiencing hunger, poverty and homelessness. That’s when Advent took on a slightly different meaning for me.
Advent became less about things relating to me, and and more about what the guests who came into the meal program or shelter would receive, thanks to church, community, and workplace giving programs.
It became the hope that we would receive enough gifts to distribute to every guest who walked through our door on Christmas Day.
Advent has become something different again today.
It has become entirely about intangibles!
As I listened to the news the other night, it suddenly dawned on me that Advent today is about waiting to hear:
Peace reigns across the entire world! War no more! World resources evenly distributed throughout the world! Everyone has enough! Racial divides vanish! Equal opportunities for all! Equality reigns between the sexes! Women and men declared equals! All are free to love the one s/he is with! Love wins!
Actually … maybe Advent today holds the same hope as Advent of yesterday.
Waiting for the experience of utter joy on Christmas morning when all seems perfectly right in the world!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
