How is Advent a Penitential Season?

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Hello,
I am returned to my Catholic roots this January and really participated deeply in Lent for the first time. I just learned that Advent is also a penitential season? I was wondering what types of activities my family and I could create or participate in to get more out of Advent as we did Lent. I guess, I still think of Advent as like Christmas lots of gifts and candies, etc. Please share how you personally, in your prayer life, etc pariticipate in Advent as penitential. How I can help my family as well? We need to view Advent from a new perspective, I think. Thank you.
 
Both Advent and Lent are penitential seasons, which does seem strange because Lent has a feeling of sorrow whereas Advent does not. Both are penitential in the sense that we are preparing ourselves. Advent is a season of preparation with a feeling of hope, the hope that comes from the birth of the Savior. Lent is a season of preparation with a feeling of sorrow, sorrow for our sins for which our Savior suffered and died.

In our secular world, we think of the coming of Christ in terms of the birth of Jesus, and the giving of gifts to each other to celebrate that. Our focus tends to be on what are we getting.

But let’s really look at that…what are we getting?! Christ was the first gift of Christmas! Our hope for eternal life given to us through God’s love. What is the best way to prepare for receiving such a wonderful gift, God’s gift of Christ to us? By, in turn, giving to others, giving love and hope.

I don’t know where I found this quote, but it sums up Advent nicely:

“During Advent, the faithful are admonished to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into the world as the incarnate God of love, thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.”

What are we preparing for? We are preparing ourselves to be disciples of Christ.
 
leeray said:
Hello,
I am returned to my Catholic roots this January and really participated deeply in Lent for the first time. I just learned that Advent is also a penitential season? I was wondering what types of activities my family and I could create or participate in to get more out of Advent as we did Lent. I guess, I still think of Advent as like Christmas lots of gifts and candies, etc. Please share how you personally, in your prayer life, etc pariticipate in Advent as penitential. How I can help my family as well? We need to view Advent from a new perspective, I think. Should we be doing the Prayer, Penance, Fasting and Almsgiving of Lent? Thank you!
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One small thing I’ve tried to do is avoid getting sucked into the materialistic MUST GO SHOPPING aspect of the pre-Christmas (i.e. Advent) season is to complete as much of the Christmas shopping as possible before the season begins. Ideally all of it, but certainly the bulk of it.

Then, when all the glorious Sunday advertisements arrive with the newspaper, telling me about the biggest bestest sale EVER, instead of wasting thirty minutes flipping through them to see if I can save 10% on Aunt Sally’s Thingamabob Gift, I just pitch all of it straight in recycling.

Plus, we started keeping an Advent wreath on the dining table a few years ago. We add the short, week-appropriate prayer along with grace before meals. It really focuses all the family, even the littlest ones, on getting ready for Christmas in more spiritual terms, and reminds them that it’s not primarily about Santa and all the presents…

Hope this helps? I’m sure a five minute google search for Catholic family Advent resources or something like that would give you a huge help. IIRC, Women for Faith and Family usually has a ton of materials about it…

Best,

Margaret
 
leeray said:
Hello,
I am returned to my Catholic roots this January and really participated deeply in Lent for the first time. I just learned that Advent is also a penitential season? I was wondering what types of activities my family and I could create or participate in to get more out of Advent as we did Lent. I guess, I still think of Advent as like Christmas lots of gifts and candies, etc. Please share how you personally, in your prayer life, etc pariticipate in Advent as penitential. How I can help my family as well? We need to view Advent from a new perspective, I think. Thank you.
Click to expand...
It’s not. It used to be considered one though. It is a time or preparation and hope.
 
leeray said:
Hello,
I am returned to my Catholic roots this January and really participated deeply in Lent for the first time. I just learned that Advent is also a penitential season? I was wondering what types of activities my family and I could create or participate in to get more out of Advent as we did Lent. I guess, I still think of Advent as like Christmas lots of gifts and candies, etc. Please share how you personally, in your prayer life, etc pariticipate in Advent as penitential. How I can help my family as well? We need to view Advent from a new perspective, I think. Thank you.
Click to expand...
In the Byzantine Catholic Church, we take part in a fast called the Pre-Nativity fast or Phillip’s Fast. On Wednesday & Friday, we fast, usually an abstinence from meat. However, your spiritual director may have you do a stricter fast(no dairy, etc). Last year was our first year(as we switched to the Byzantine rite) and it helped to focus us on preparing for the Nativity. Maybe you could choose to abstain from something(meat, etc) on Fridays, just as in Lent to help focus you on the upcoming season.
 
Grace and Peace,

It has been my understanding that we prepare, Fast, in order to experience the Feast more fully. We are so feeble that preparation is so necessary to experience the true dignity within the Feast-Day. We do not Fast to be miserable, we Fast so that our joy will be multiplied at the day of the Feast. In truth, there is an aspect within the Feast of the Nativity that is negative. I speak of the ‘need’ for our Saviour to humble Himself Incarnate as a man. It is the being of His journey to the Cross for our sakes. The Penitential Nature within this reality is one in which we must recognize with sorrow the necessity of our Lord’s sacrifice for us. Although it is a joy for us to remember our Lord’s coming dwell among us in the flesh, it is bitter to recognize ‘why’ He had to come and what He had to ultimately do to free us from captivity.

Peace and God Bless.
 
Service and kindness to others are fine ways to prepare. Does your parish have a giving tree or an adopt-a-family program for Christmas?

One thing we did when our daughter was young was to have an empty manger with a container of straw next to it. Whenever any of us did something good, either a kindness for someone else or doing something necessary but difficult - anything we could offer as a gift to the Baby Jesus - we put a straw in the manger. Of course, the object was to fill it with straws and make it very soft when we finally put the Baby Jesus in on Christmas Eve. It was even better if you did your good deed in secret.

Happy Advent!

Betsy
 
I want to thank everyone who took the time and offered such helpful suggestions and information. I think my family and I will enjoy Advent in a new and deeper way thanks to your help (name removed by moderator)ut.:blessyou
May each of you enjoy a beautiful, blessed Advent,
Leeray
 
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