Dec

2

Season of Waiting

December 2, 2007 |

“Daddy, I wish today was Christmas . . . when is it going to be here?” 

I got this question from my little boy this morning while getting ready for Mass - and I have a feeling I’m going to get this question a lot during the next 24 days.

Last night, we put up our tree - after much insistence from the kids.  The ornaments are on and the rest of the decorations will go up today.

But, how are we going to ensure that our kids know the real reason for this Advent season - that it’s more than just decorations, lights, shopping, and waiting for presents?  It’s a question that all devout Catholic parents have when it comes to Advent.  How do we bring our children closer to Christ in this special time of year - without taking away all of the fun of watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Charlie Brown’s Christmas, signing Christmas caroles, baking and eating cookies, driving around seeing the lights of our neighborhoods, and buying presents?

It’s this delimma that makes good Catholic traditions so important.  We should have an Advent wreath and light it every night as the anticipation grows the closer we get to Christmas.  We should have a nativity scene and make it the focal point of our family room - along with the tree.  We should bless our Christmas tree and make it a religious symbol of life.  We should celebrate St. Nick’s Day and explain why Santa Claus is a Christian role model.  We should involve our children in whatever charitable deeds we do this season - maybe have them pick out a toy and give it to a toy drive.  We should pray with them - there are a lot of great Advent prayers.

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve come across - you probably have some of your own.  In any case, we just need to make sure we are doing everything we can to teach our children that they are waiting for something much more important than presents on Christmas morning - they are waiting for Christ.

And let’s not forget to enjoy them, ourselves and each other during this blessed season.  Let us not be afraid to live this season through our children’s eyes - full of wonder, amazement, excitement, and anticipation.  Despite all of the self-imposed pressure we may put on ourselves during this season (and it is self-imposed)- it still is the funnest time of the year. 

Let’s take it one day at a time and have some fun!


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