What Do You Expect?

Today is the first day of Advent, a four-week season of preparation less well known secularly than Lent, but my favorite nonetheless. For Catholics, it is the new years day of the liturgical calendar. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we also remind ourselves that there is preparation to be done for His return. Preparation, in this sense, refers to personal reassessment and change, an uncomfortable notion that usually makes me wrinkle my nose and groan. However, just as Christmas preparations can be drudgery, sending out cards, putting up lights, spending hard-earned money, and baking, baking, baking, it can also be inspiring. We hear from people who live far away, neighbors bring scrumptious goodies to share, carolers sing at our door, family makes time to spend together, people vocalize appreciation of one another,and even strangers wish each other peace. Whatever we believe Christmas is becomes the foundation for what we expect from it, and I believe our expectations spur us on to doing our part to make it happen.

Since "expectation" is the theme of this first week of Advent, I leave you with a little motivation and, hopefully, a smile.