As the calendar year ends, family schedules and personal agendas fill with meetings, programs, parties, and annual obligations. The carol "Silent Night" could not have been written at the end of the twentieth century, when its title evokes the peace and stillness modern women and men can only imagine.
Yet this busiest time of year calls us to draw close to others, above all to God, who became flesh and lived with us. Contemplation and carpooling? Meditation and manic shopping? How do we carve out moments of quiet when we open ourselves to God's presence?
Perhaps we have to lower our sights from hours spent around hearths and lengthy readings or litanies. Between traffic jams and parking lot crushes, scribbling holiday notes and decking our halls, there may still be ten minutes - or even five - when the family (which may mean something as informal as those who share meals and lodging) can sit quietly around the lighted Advent wreath. Once a day, once a week, or perhaps only once during the Season of Preparation.
Pamper yourself and the family by baking a simple recipe for GINGERBREAD. As the spicy smell fills the kitchen, the household comes together to light the Advent candles, to pray and meditate briefly, and to enjoy a homely feast. It brings them closer together and closer to the mysteries we contemplate and celebrate in Advent.