Some upcoming events (for the full schedule, please see the bulletin or the parish website):

Catholic Charities thing from Joanne.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the new liturgical year (Year A for the Sunday readings). It is a time of preparation and anticipation. We may be surprised each year to see just how little of the season is devoted to the time between the incarnation of Jesus at the Annunciation and the birth of our Lord in Bethlehem on Christmas day. Until that time, we hear of the second of coming Christ at the end of time. We hear of John the Baptist commanding us to prepare the way. We hear of Jesus telling us the same - He is coming and we better be ready when he does!

Then, three weeks from today on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we hear the Gospel that tells us the Blessed Virgin is with child.

So for three weeks, our focus is on preparation and anticipation. We are awaiting Christmas, certainly, but we are also preparing our lives. There is great joy in Christ's coming, but there is also a solemnity and gravity that accompanies his arrival. Advent is that time to prepare to receive Him, the time to add or subtract from our lives in order to give more of ourselves to Jesus.

This is one of the busiest times of the year, with cards to send, gifts to buy, decorations to hang, and so on. Yet we must always have our eyes on what is most important: our salvation through Jesus Christ. So we plan and prepare to hand our lives over to Christ in the midst of all that this vying for our time. Unlike Lent, which is penitential in nature, there is the presence of joy within the Advent season. It is still a time of preparation, and if fasting and almsgiving help us to prepare, then more power to us. These two staples of Lent, along with prayer, are not meant to be limited to Lent alone. They are means to grow in holiness. Concerning prayer, Advent would be a perfect time to begin a daily Rosary if that is not yet part of our spiritual routine, or to spend an hour a week (or a day if you can manage it) before the Lord in the Eucharist. This is how we prepare for Christ's coming. This is what turns our anticipation into joy.

There is so much going on in the world of sports. The Ravens are in first place in the AFC North. The World Cup, which only occurs every four years, is taking place in Qatar. College basketball has started as College football reaches its most exciting part of the year. If you like hockey and professional basketball, there's something for you as well.

However, this is not always for the better. On Thanksgiving, when I was with my family, I found myself watching the television showing the NFL football game instead of talking to the people closest to me whom I don't see very often. Now there is certainly some bonding that can come from watching a game together, but it's not as much as occurs when actually talking to my family.

Advent is a time to reevaluate how we spend our time, as I mentioned above. This relates to how we engage in sports, but also any hobby or activity that in the end, is not going to be the source of our salvation. We can develop virtues from these activities that can help us grow in holiness, like fortitude, charity, patience, etc., but only when they are directed toward serving God and our neighbor.

Ours is a busy world. There are many things that would like to occupy our time. Yet our eyes must always be looking towards heaven, for this is where our salvation lies.