Denver Catholic

B2 NOVEMBER 14-27, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Christmas Gift Guide Merry Christmas! Need some extra cash? Personal Loans Available! Starting at 6.49% APR* *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. With approved credit; certain restrictions may apply. Membership required. See website for more details. Call: 303.424.5037 Click: www.nufcu.com or Come by one of our convenient locations. Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency NCUA Bringing Catholic Values to Financial Services M y husband and I recently cele- brated our fourth anniversary of being received into the Catholic Church. Our conversion is still somewhat of a beautiful mystery to me—how did we, of all people, manage to stumble upon the fullness of the faith?—and the more time that passes, the more I realize that our Catholic faith is far deeper and richer than I ever could have imagined. Relatively new to us as converts has been the rhythm and beauty of the litur- gical seasons. Advent in particular has been an incredible thing to enter into, I suspect because the season holds so much for those of us who feel as if we're deep in the trenches of life. As a mother to eight children, I know what it is to worry over a little one's future, to suž er through a mis- carriage, or to sit in a hospital waiting room while a child undergoes open heart sur- gery. As a mother with adopted children, I know what it is to answer hard questions, to continually point broken hearts towards God, and to long for the day when Jesus will set everything right once again. In the meantime we wait, and we hope. And Advent, to me, is precisely that: hope. Mysterious and profound hope, found in the waiting and quiet of a world anticipat- ing the birth of a desperately needed Savior. So while we admittedly haven't been at this whole Catholic thing very long, I wanted to share some of the ways we observe Advent in our home. Clumsy and humble as our ež orts may be, I want to encourage you in your own journey towards Jesus this upcoming season. If we can do it, you can, too! PLANNING AHEAD Maybe this is kind of obvious, but I think it's a good idea to plan out what you hope to do well ahead of time. It makes a huge diž erence, for example, when you actually purchase your Advent wreath for the dining room table prior to the start of Advent! And don't forget the candles, either--I am fairly certain we've failed at both in the past. Have your Advent items stored for the year in labelled bins, and make a list of things you'll need to pur- chase. Once the season gets underway, you'll want to be able to focus on your tra- ditions (along with all of your other daily tasks). And make sure you set aside at least one time to get to Confession! KEEPING THINGS SMALL When we fi rst became Catholic, I felt like we had to know and do All of the Catholic Things. If I accidentally missed a feast day or an opportunity to celebrate in some par- ticular way, I beat myself up because I felt like my kids were missing out. Nowadays though I'm much more realistic about how we observe the liturgical seasons in our home. Each year, our goal is simply to set up our Advent wreath, set out our assorted Nativity sets that we've collected on our travels around the world, and use some sort of book of daily readings to be done as a family during or after dinner. Simple things, but things my kids really love. Even my oldest children are still thrilled over the shepherd and Holy Family fi gurines arranged around the manger, and even the littlest appreciate the Advent hymns. MAINTAINING PERSPECTIVE Sometimes we see so many possibili- ties, so many good things to potentially incorporate into our family celebrations, that Advent ceases to be a time to be still before the Lord, and becomes yet another box to check or obligation to fulfi ll. But the truth is, of course, that what we really need to be doing during this season is looking inward, preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Keep the basics the basics, and remember that God has you in your particular life phase for a reason. HONORING YOUR OWN UNIQUE FAMILY CULTURE Every family is diž erent. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but sometimes we forget, and then we have a harder time maintaining the aforementioned perspec- tive. Some families wait until Christmas Eve to decorate their Christmas trees, which is very much in keeping with the heart of Advent, a season of penance and waiting. We however, for as long as I can remember, have always jumped the pro- verbial gun and gotten our tree up by the end of Thanksgiving weekend. There is also always extended family, and the con- tinuing or incorporating of their traditions. So in planning for your Advent, make sure you're choosing activities that will work for you and your particular family. It may look diž erent from the family down the street, and that's okay. The ultimate goal is to ready our hearts for the coming of Jesus, and that is something we can all do, no matter who we are. BY BRIANNA HELDT www.briannaheldt.com twitter.com/brianna_heldt Christmas Craft & Bake Sale The Gardens at St. Elizabeth Senior Living Community Friday, November 20, 1:30pm – 3:30pm Saturday, November 21, 10:00am – 1:30pm 2835 W. 32nd Ave., Denver, CO 80211 (call Joy for more details: 303-964-2015) Selling Handmade Crafts, Books, Jewelry, Baked Goods, New & Used Gift Items! 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