ADVENT
A Season of Preparation
By ANNA JONES
Catholic News Service
Picture an image of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Now picture her pregnant. Imagine coming across that image on your Face- book or Instagram feed. You see a young woman bathed in the warm glow of a photo filter, eyes downcast, cra- dling her round baby belly. Underneath the image are the words, "Coming this De- cember ... a baby boy named Emmanuel! He will come to rule the nations! #blessed #miracle #SonofGod." Maybe that daydream gave you pause. Maybe it horrified you slightly to think about Mary on your news- feed. Maybe it made you roll your eyes. Maybe you laughed a little. Perhaps these reactions are born out of the reality that we know this would nev- er happen, even if the angel Gabriel had just appeared to Mary only nine months ago. Yet on March 25, 2019, the feast of the Annunciation, we heard how the angel Gabriel visited Mary to share the good news of the miraculous conception of her son. We heard Mary listen patiently and unselfishly agree to do the Lord's will. If you're anything like me, you reflected on Mary's willingness to do what God asked of her, even though it was slightly insane. Per- haps you spent time think- ing about whether, in her shoes, you would have been so brave. It not only took great cour- age but also incalculable pa- tience to accept what the angel Gabriel had told her. Mary was being asked to do an incredible service for God-for us all-with little explanation. We continue to contem- plate the great mystery of Christ's conception and birth today. Imagine how Mary felt in the moment! And, if you're anything like me, after thinking about all of that on the Annun- ciation, you promptly forgot about the fact that Mary was agreeing to be pregnant. And not just pregnant, pregnant out of wedlock with no ordinary explanation for others of how she came to be so. For months, Mary has been silent. Patient. All this time carrying the Son of God without the fanfare of Face- book announcements, gender reveals and baby showers we've come to expect in our society today. On the feast of the Immac- ulate Conception, we hear the story of the angel Ga- briel's visit again. Although it is a feast to celebrate the mystery of Mary's birth with- out original sin, the Gospel instead serves as a reminder that while we are anxiously awaiting the anniversary of the birth of Christ, Mary had to be pregnant for that to happen. As a relatively new mom myself, I'm not very far re- moved from the intense an- ticipation that comes from expecting your first child. There's excitement around setting up a nursery and ex- periencing the generosity of friends and family who want to contribute to your little one. The excitement level turned up tenfold for our family because our son was the first grandchild on my husband's side. It's hard to remain patient amid the chaos and hubbub. While I never really minded being pregnant and secretly enjoyed the extra attention and love I received, I could not wait to hold my baby. From the moment I found out I was expecting, I couldn't wait to feel my baby's first movements. Every kick, roll over or hiccup brought me such joy. That anticipation only grew more intense as my due date came and went, and I struggled through a 28-hour labor, 10 days late. I was proud of myself for waiting to find out the gen- der of my baby. My husband and I kept our name choic- es a secret. I thought that those things were somehow great acts of patience, in ad- dition to "patiently" waiting 10 days past due. In some small ways, they were. But it was nothing compared to what Mary did. There's an easy scientific explanation for how my son came to be. I was married when I got pregnant. My fam- ily was overjoyed at our news. I could see pictures of my son every few weeks, catch- ing glimpses of his features to help my daydreams about what my baby might look like. I can't imagine how much lon- ger those nine months would have felt without that. Aside from Elizabeth's joy and Joseph's decision to re- main betrothed, we know nothing else of how Mary was received during her pregnan- cy. We know nothing of how she felt. What was it like for Mary to feel the baby Jesus kick for the first time in her womb? Did she have doubts that what the angel told her was true? In our truncated version of events in the Advent season, we hear of Mary becoming pregnant, traveling to see her kinswoman Elizabeth and finally journeying to Beth- lehem with Joseph to give birth in a barn. While as a church commu- nity we grapple with the mys- tery of Christ's conception a couple of times a year, Mary had to think about it every day for nine months as she awaited the birth of a baby an angel told her would come. Aside from her courage, Mary's patience is what I will be reflecting on this Advent season.
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By SHEILA RICKETTS Thanksgiving - the fourth Thursday of November by federal decree - fell on Nov. 28 this year, meaning that it was about as late as it can be. That fact, in turn, meant that Christmas is just around the corner, with Advent be- ginning on December 1 along with the countdown to Christ- mas. Of course, since decora- tions have been in stores since before Halloween, it is not as though seeing twinkling lights or jolly Santas will be surprising. The season grows ever-longer. Tucked in the frenzy of gift-buying and over-eating is the tradition of giving - not to each other but to those who are less fortunate. Tradition- ally, the Christmas season is one of the most important for charities and nonprofits, and we have seen the uptick in emails or letters asking for donations in recent weeks. Though possible tax benefits give year-end giving addition- al urgency for some, our faith in Jesus Christ and the call to serve others provides a more compelling motivation to turn our attention to our neighbors in need. There are numerous ways that we can help - and one is to give to the annual Catholic Services Appeal. The appeal helps to support more than 100 ministries and services in the Archdiocese of Louisville. One is the Office of Youth and Young Adults, which empowers those who form the young Church to be strong in their faith and to share the joy of Christ with others. Another ministry sup- ported by the Catholic Servic- es Appeal is the Sister Visitor Center, which provides food, rental and utility services, case management services, and other emergency items to residents in need. At Christmas, we remem- ber God's unconditional love manifest in the gift of Je- sus Christ. A donation to the Catholic Services Appeal this holiday season is a wonderful way to show our gratitude for this gift and be good to those who cannot repay us. Sheila Ricketts is the donor support coordinator for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Christmas - the Giving Season
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