Anyone else not having the Advent they hoped for?

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This is my second year back to work full time and I think I am mourning the loss of the way Advent used to be!

I used to get shopping done early and really celebrate Advent w/ my kids. The kids are older, I’m teaching f/t and just don’t have time to do what I used to. Gift shopping is not done and I won’t buy Christmas food until Weds when I am out of school.

I was sick the 3rd Sunday of Advent and missed Mass. We were snowed in the 4th Sunday. Advent is almost over and I just haven’t lived it that way I had hoped.

Anyone else??
 
*Oh, I’m sorry you were sick…hope you are feeling better now.

Uh, yes. I’d say it wasn’t quite as reflective…I had plans to read the mass readings daily as a family, and we have an advent wreath. My husband works nights, and misses some days with us. One night early on, two of the purple candles burnt down to almost the bottom…I was like what is going on? We just bought these? So, every night, we were rushing through, with the candles at practically nubs. It was very odd. The pink candle did the same thing. Strange. Then, between my daughter’s music lesson schedule and Christmas shopping, I don’t know, there were a few nights we didn’t pray together as a family. 😦 Tonight, we did, so that was good. I remember a year when it was seemed more reflective or something. For some reason, it felt disjointed this year…I’m sorry that yours didn’t go as you had hoped. Plus, I wanted to give something up similiar to Lent, and didn’t. :(🤷

The one bright spot of this advent season was the recent confession I went to on Sat. It was face to face, and it was quite moving. That was a beautiful high spot of this season!*
 
Count me in the disappointed group. It’s usually only Lent that goes this badly! :o

DH lost his job in the summer and is now working odd hours in a restaurant, making much less than he was before. We have only one car, so I drive him back and forth at his odd hours, often having to miss daily Mass to do it. When I don’t get to Mass, I don’t get my prayer time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, either, and everything goes in a downward spiral from there.

I went to confession the first week of Advent, intending to go at least one more time before Christmas. My confessor was not in town when he was expected to be, so I thought I’d go to a parish penance service, but the one I wanted to attend didn’t announce it in the bulletin at all. I found out about it a couple of days after it happened.

We don’t have enough money for gifts or charity, heck, we don’t have enough money for utilities! And I can’t get myself moving to do anything else I ought to be doing, like baking or cooking or cleaning…

Hey, can I get some cheese with this whine??? 😛

Betsy
 
With travelling back and forth between Oregon and Washington, I haven’t had time to go to mass (I think I made it on the first Sunday of Advent) or be a good Catholic. I would be travelling on Saturdays and Sundays for interviews that next week (some weeks I would get maybe 5 hours of sleep a week). Coupled with moving and starting a new job, it’s been insane.
 
I think my Advent has been more penitential than it usually is. Usually I’m putting out my Nativity scene on the First or Second Sunday (not putting in the Christ child of course) but I just put it up yesterday. My Advent wreath I got rid of on Sunday (I only lit the candles on Sundays, not every night). The Third Sunday kind of got crimped because we had an ice storm and I couldn’t make it to the regular early morning Mass. We had to go to the late morning Mass that day. The Fourth Sunday we had a snow storm, but managed to make it to the early morning Mass. Now, Christmas I’m going to try to make it to Midnight Mass and then go Friday morning at 8:30.

Other than the above mentioned, my Advent was a little crimped at times, but all in all it wasn’t bad. Maybe a little better than last year.

Making it to Mass at a different time than I usually do is better than not making it there at all I guess. I’m sure Jesus respects the efforts. 🤷
 
dh has been working out of town alot since Advent started…good, since he was laid off in June. It’s always good to have an income.

But, I don’t cope well when he’s out of town. So…I’ve just been treading water.

It’s sad to me because I always look forward to Advent and Lent as a time of spiritual renewal.

I’m so tired lately and discouraged.

But, that’s just life, right? After all, we are just exiles, journeying to our true home.
 
I really thought my advent would go far better than this. I wasn’t counting on my 3 yr old needing surgery or the many dr appts we’d have to make. I missed Mass the third Sunday of Advent too, it was too cold for my babies:( (only minus 27) The kids have been more noisy than ever in Mass, so DH and me can barely get anything out of Mass. I just hope next Advent is better!
Last year though I had to miss 3 Sundays due to either extreme cold or health.
Hope yours gets better!
 
In a way yes. I had a standing resolution to try and push myself into a normal sleeping schedule (a “unique” personal difficulty) but because of lots of work and my inability to shut down the PC and hit the pillow without unloading a bit, stuff didn’t work out, plus, I wasn’t that great in the morning, meaning 8 hours of sleep wasn’t quite enough after, say, working from 8 a.m. to midnight. Same way, resolutions to spend some time reflecting on things didn’t come true. Got little time to prepare myself even psychologically for Christmas. Just offering up the work and hoping God won’t mind hard work and won’t be stern about lazing about a bit to destress.
 
Yes, mine was a flop too. Last year I was really looking forward to it, had everything prepared, Christmas cards written by mid-November and waiting to be mailed the 1st week of Advent, lots of ideas of things to do as a family to make the most of this season of preparation, etc. Then, praise God, I got pregnant and was out of action during Advent due to fatigue and morning sickness (but hey, I’m not complaining! :p). So this year, I was really, really looking forward to it. You might say I’ve been looking forward to this Advent for over a year! But nope. We’re still adjusting to life with three beautiful children, and our routine seems to be changing on an almost daily basis.

BUT! Don’t despair! Advent isn’t over yet! There is still time to prepare your hearts for Baby Jesus’ coming! 🙂 Don’t give up because Christmas is 3 days away. Instead, make the most of these three days. You could make a different sacrifice for each of the remaining days, offering it up for the unborn, the homeless, and the atheists, or some other intention. It’s not too late to go Christmas shopping for our loved ones here on earth, and it’s not too late to go “Spiritual Christmas shopping” for Jesus’ birthday gift either! 👍
 
I really didn’t have any high expectations for Advent this year, and I didn’t do anything particularly Adventian (like fast, or light candles, or do special readings other than my daily LoTH)…but I can’t say it’s been unfruitful spiritually. There have been moments when I’ve felt incredibly close to the Lord just by going about my normal affairs, as it were.

I, for one, though am trying to re-balance my life after a particular unhealthy time of religious obsession.
 
I haven’t had the Advent I’d hope for either.
Kinda depressing actually.
Hoping that when we celebrate the birth of our Lord that everything works out for the better
 
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