If we count the days from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, we know that there are actually more than 40 days on the calendar, even though in song we reference “these 40 days of Lent.” (Of course, not counting Sundays we can identify 40 weekdays in the season of Lent!)

Similarly, each year, we look at the Advent wreath and see four candles, which we identify as symbolic of four “weeks” of this first season of the liturgical year, knowing full well that it is the rare occasion when Advent is a season of 28 full days.

Unlike Lent, which is rarely recognized in any sustained way in our secular culture after its beginning on Ash Wednesday, Advent, on the other hand, coincides with what our society identifies as the “holiday season,” beginning on Thanksgiving Day (if not before!) and continuing through Christmas (and even through New Year’s Day).

I note these differences between Advent and Lent to recall how important it is for us to be conscious of entering as fully as possible into this beloved season when its relative brevity and the distractions in the world around us may cause us to miss the opportunity to draw as deeply as possible from this abundant spring of God’s saving love.

As we prepare to enter into the season of Advent again this year, I call to mind an important element of the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who encouraged retreatants in his Spiritual Exercises to prepare for each time of prayer, among other ways, by considering the question, “What is the grace I seek?”

This question is one that we might ponder as we consider the entirety of the Advent season. It is also a question that we might invite those who will hear our preaching to consider as we prepare our homilies for the Sundays that begin each of the four weeks of Advent. This question is also one we might consider at the beginning of each day of Advent, as the spiritual richness of this holy season holds the capacity for us to grow, especially in the experience of joy, hope, peace and love.

From the highest level or point of view, we might begin by asking what we hope this sacred time will be for us as we begin a season so dear to us and our parishioners. Attuned to the seasonal rhythm of the Church’s worship, our anticipation of another Advent means the beginning of a new liturgical year. As a Church so deeply rooted in a sacramental life, can we find grace even in such mundane tasks as pulling out, once again, Volume I of the Liturgy of the Hours and resetting ribbons in our breviaries, missals and other liturgical books?

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An Advent Rosary in the Spirit of Pope Francis

In the Advent season, the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary play a very important part in our devotional life. While always a prayer in which we seek to come ever closer to Jesus through Mary, perhaps this year we might also allow the Rosary to be a prayer that fosters a deeper communion with Pope Francis.

In the First Joyful Mystery, we hear the angel say to Mary, “Rejoice … the Lord is with you!” May our meditation on this mystery inspire us to fulfill the hope of the pope, that we might bring the joy of the Gospel to all whom we meet each day.

Traditionally, we see Mary’s Visitation as a beautiful act of generous charity, assisting her cousin in her time of need. Is this not a form of accompaniment, which Pope Francis speaks of so frequently in his teaching?

At the Nativity of Our Lord, he was placed in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn. With Pope Francis, in this mystery, may we renew our commitment to find the Lord in those who are poor, homeless, on the margins and away from their homes, especially as refugees.

Pope Francis encourages us to honor our grandparents and the elderly. May the image of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple inspire us to follow the example of Mary and Joseph who honored the aged prophets Simeon and Anna.

And let us be grateful to Pope Francis, who has given us for our veneration a young saint, Carlo Acutis, to remind us that youths have a great capacity to reflect to us the wisdom and grace of the 12-year-old Jesus, who was found in the Temple among those whom the world considered wise.

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As we begin planning with our coworkers in the vineyard, are we making a conscious effort to decorate our church and encourage among those whom we serve an appreciation of the rich meaning of the Advent wreath, the Jesse Tree and Advent calendars in a way that helps one and all get past the idea that “we always do it this way”?

Preaching the Word

Again from the 20,000-foot level, we know that this Advent begins Year C in our cycle of Sunday readings from the Gospel According to Luke. Knowing this fact, are we resolved as the new liturgical year begins to renew our familiarity with this Gospel that includes among its well-known themes the mercy of Our Lord, his love for the poor and his desire for reconciliation?

Perhaps a grace we might seek as we look out onto a horizon of four Sunday homilies is the wisdom to be able to know how to imitate that great Advent figure John the Baptist in our efforts to guide those who hear our words, to prepare a way for the Lord to speak to our hearts in his holy word in our Advent celebrations of the Lord’s Day. Specifically, we might seek the grace to preach a word that fosters an appreciation of how apocalyptic writing is not meant to be a cause for fear, but an invitation and a call to continuing conversion (first Sunday).

We might seek the grace to help lead others to see how, just as John the Baptist appeared in a specific moment in history, in our own present time we, too, are called like John to help others “see the salvation of God” (second Sunday).

By the Third Sunday of Advent, our consumer society reminds us daily how many shopping days remain until Christmas. Let us pray for the grace as preachers to echo for those who hear our word a reminder of our need always to be mindful of those who are poor.

And amid our proximate preparation for Christmas, this year the Gospel, on the final Sunday of Advent, encourages us to foster in ourselves and others an openness to the grace to pray that we might be aware of and attentive to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of others, in imitation of the generous service of Our Lady.

Mary and the Saints

We are truly blessed in the Catholic tradition to have a devotion to Our Lady as a hallmark of our spiritual life. The season of Advent offers us a unique occasion to renew our love and affection for the mother of Jesus, who is our mother, too.

Each year during the Advent season, we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because of the coincidence of Dec. 8 with the Second Sunday of Advent this year, we will defer our celebration of the Immaculate Conception to the following day, Dec. 9.

As we recall and honor the singular gift given to Our Lady — freedom from sin from the moment of her conception in her mother’s womb — we might pray for the grace to be grateful ourselves and to preach to others on gratitude for the gifts we have received at the time of our baptism: freedom from original sin and the fullness of grace that comes from the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. We might, as well, recall and promote the beautiful sacramental, the Miraculous Medal, whose inscription reflects the mystery we celebrate on this day: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

In the very same week we celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception, we also rejoice in what is truly una gran fiesta in our country, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While in a very particular way the patroness of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe is also the patroness of all of the Americas. May we experience the grace of this day in both the joy and excitement of music, food and dancing, and also in the sacred silence when thousands will gather in (often cold) predawn hours to renew their love for “La Guadalupana.”

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is also an occasion in the Advent season to pray for the grace of a renewed commitment to the pro-life movement on our part and on the part of all people of goodwill. With our parish giving trees, as well as food and clothing collections, we express our care and concern for those who are poor. During this season, our collections of formula and baby food, diapers and car seats, clothes for toddlers and financial gifts to support pre- and postnatal medical care for moms in need can be a sign of our love for the gift of life — the lives of unborn children, mothers and other family members who are in need.

In addition to Our Lady, our daily celebration of the liturgy in the Advent season draws our attention to other saints whose example and intercession also provide a source of grace for us:

• St. Francis Xavier (Dec. 3): We pray for the grace to embrace our call, each according to our own state in life, to participate in the Church’s work of evangelization.

• St. Ambrose (Dec. 7): May this saint who baptized St. Augustine inspire us to pray for and foster the spiritual growth of our catechumens and candidates for full communion in our Catholic Church.

• St. Lucy (Dec. 13): We pray for greater gratitude for the light of our eyes which enables us to see God’s glory in our lives, and for the spiritual light which enables us to grow daily in awareness of Our Lord’s presence in Word and sacrament.

• St. John of the Cross (Dec. 14): May the saint who persevered through a dark night of the soul sustain all who may be struggling to find peace or hope in this season in which so many around them may be rejoicing.

Personal Spiritual Growth

In the season of Advent, it may also be helpful to recall that we cannot give to others what we do not possess ourselves. Specifically, Advent is a time when so many seek the gifts of forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy and peace from Our Lord in the Sacrament of Penance. By the grace of God, we priests have received the great blessing of being allowed to be ministers of God’s mercy. To give more fruitfully that which we have received, let us seek the grace to make Advent a time when we may fruitfully experience the Sacrament of Penance as penitents, so that when we are called to share the mercy of God with others in what at times may seem like countless hours of confession, our ministry as confessors may convey to others the gift for which we ourselves are so grateful.

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Juan Diego

Our celebration of the Second Sunday of Advent on Dec. 8 this year moves the celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Dec. 9. This transfer of the solemnity in honor of Our Lady bumps the celebration of the memorial of St. Juan Diego entirely off the calendar this year … and, probably, he would not mind at all!

Juan Diego identified himself to Our Lady as “an insignificant man.” Eminently practical, he even attempted to avoid an encounter with her in his efforts to care for the spiritual needs of his dying uncle.

Our Lady spoke to him in the most affectionate terms, calling him “Juanito, Juan Dieguito.” His charity is evident in his welcoming others into his home to venerate the precious gift Mary gave him of her image on his tilma. After the apparitions of Our Lady, he lived the remainder of his life as a hermit.

Although far removed from St. Juan Diego in terms of place, time and vocation, may we honor this not so “insignificant” man by praying for the grace to lead a recollected and contemplative life with profound gratitude for the love of God and his Blessed Mother.

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Similarly, Advent, for us and for those whom we serve, is a journey to Bethlehem, the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord. Bethlehem is a name that means “house of bread,” and what better way for us to prepare ourselves to share with others the joy of Bethlehem on Christmas Day than for us to spend time with Our Lord, present in our churches in the tabernacles that, in this present moment, are the house of the Bread of Life. In the spirit of our present moment of Eucharistic revival in our country, a grace we seek in the Advent season may be the renewal of our gratitude for his presence in our Holy Hours, visits to the Blessed Sacrament and in those moments of exposition, adoration and Benediction when we are leading our people to recognize that yesterday, today and forever, in the Eucharist, he is Emmanuel — that is, God with us!

Finding God in All Things

In addition to encouraging us to consider the grace we seek in specific times of prayer, St. Ignatius of Loyola encourages us to find God in all things. In two ways in particular, we can ask for a specific grace and, therefore, find God in all things amid what might not necessarily be considered the “religious” dimensions of the Advent season.

The beginning of the Advent season coincides with the ever-diminishing amount of daylight in our Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice near the end of the Advent season marks the beginning of when we experience the light increasing daily. An intention we might bring into this holy season could be that we experience God more and more in the world of nature around us, and that we might encourage a greater awareness of our calling to care for creation and be prudent stewards of the world God has entrusted to us.

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The Gospel of Luke

In the Introduction to the Gospel of Luke on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, the bishops write: “Luke’s story of Jesus and the Church is dominated by a historical perspective. This history is first of all salvation history. God’s divine plan for human salvation was accomplished during the period of Jesus, who through the events of his life (Lk 22:22) fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies (Lk 4:21; 18:31; 22:37; 24:26–27, 44), and this salvation is now extended to all humanity in the period of the Church (Acts 4:12). This salvation history, moreover, is a part of human history. Luke relates the story of Jesus and the Church to events in contemporary Palestinian (Lk 1:5; 3:1–2; Acts 4:6) and Roman (Lk 2:1–2; 3:1; Acts 11:28; 18:2, 12) history for, as Paul says in Acts 26:26, “this was not done in a corner.” Finally, Luke relates the story of Jesus and the Church to contemporaneous church history. Luke is concerned with presenting Christianity as a legitimate form of worship in the Roman world, a religion that is capable of meeting the spiritual needs of a world empire like that of Rome. To this end, Luke depicts the Roman governor Pilate declaring Jesus innocent of any wrongdoing three times (Lk 23:4, 14, 22). At the same time Luke argues in Acts that Christianity is the logical development and proper fulfillment of Judaism and is therefore deserving of the same toleration and freedom traditionally accorded Judaism by Rome (Acts 13:16–41; 23:6–9; 24:10–21; 26:2–23).”

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Another “happening” in the world around us during the Advent season is the pressure, real or perceived, to participate in what has become constituent elements of the holiday season. Decorations, cards, gifts and parties are all elements of the holiday season that can be either a source of grace or a temptation to worry, fear, be impatient or feel frustrated!

While none of us will be likely perfect in fulfilling our resolutions regarding some of these customs and expectations, beginning Advent to consciously identify a grace we seek can turn what can at times be a burden into an occasion of great blessing:

• Decorations can be a conscious choice to say to those who enter our churches, offices or homes, “There is room for you here in our inn, and you are welcome!”

• Cards, whenever written, before Advent (by the truly organized!), during Advent, or even (yes, it is permissible!) in the Christmas season, can be our proclamation to those who receive them that “a child is born for us, and he is the Prince of Peace!”

• Gifts: Whatever the length of our list (or the size of our budget), may each gift given reflect the notion that it is the thought that counts, and may all gifts be tangible signs of the love, affection and gratitude the giver and receiver have for one another.

• Parties: Although more obvious at some than at others, may every gathering we attend be an occasion for us to pray for the grace to recognize how it is true that wherever two or three are present in his name, he is there among us!

Proximate Preparation

The O Antiphons, sung between Dec. 17-23, can be a cause of rejoicing when we pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to delight our minds and hearts in seeing the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the person of the infant Jesus.

At the risk of being too practical, I suggest we might also ask for the grace of even just 30 minutes on Dec. 24 to close our bedroom door and be alone with him (or maybe take a nap!), so that we might be both physically and spiritually prepared to be our best among our people for whom this night is so special. For many of us, a specific grace we might seek is that we might be able to come to the end of our Christmas Eve Masses and, despite the crowds and hectic activity, look back and say, “O Holy Night.”

A familiar image of Christmas is the picture of a wide-eyed, open-mouthed child amazed and speechless at the sight of an abundance of gifts beneath a brightly lit and decorated tree. In whatever moment of time we may have to be alone and recollected after the fast-paced preparation and celebration of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, may we look back at the Advent season as a season in which we often paused, and consider how our conscious decision to focus on the grace we seek in every prayer and activity has led us to reap an abundance of blessings that renders us speechless before the extraordinarily bountiful love of our God!

FATHER TOM FERGUSON, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, is the pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia.