In the weeks of Advent, the Church marks a season of the “ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 524).
Through the liturgical readings of this time, all are called to shed the cares, fears and distractions of this world, and instead prepare minds and hearts for the joy of Christmas, and Jesus’ return.
Consistent with the mission of these readings, the varied traditions of faith and culture in the homes and parishes of South Jersey’s faithful, such as the Mantoans of Mater Ecclesiae Mission, Berlin, aim to shine a light of hope.
“We really focus on Advent as a quiet preparation for Christmas, meditating and thinking about this season,” says Kelly Mantoan, who explains how she and husband Tony, as well as their children Addie, Byron, Edith, Fulton and Teddy, mark the days.
“Every night, by candlelight, we sing a verse of ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel,’ and from Dec. 17-23, focus on the ‘O Antiphons.’”
The family also celebrates the feast days of the December saints, two which are the middle names of two of her children.
With these long-standing traditions, “our family is wrapped in the faith,” she continues. “These meaningful traditions are so important; we couldn’t get to Christmas without them.”
Echoing Mantoan, Dr. Lee DelleMonache, director of religious education for the Diocese of Camden, calls Advent the “heightened awareness of the beautiful opportunity that we’re gifted with every day, to grow and deepen our relationship with Christ.”
Fundamental to “preparing hearts for Advent and beyond,” she stresses, are “the basics: the liturgy, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and prayer,” which bring the faithful closer to Jesus.
As well, she says one of the ways families can strengthen bonds this season is the daily reading of Scripture, “a wonderful way to engage and being conversations of the faith.”
Another is a program on the Formed app, “Drawing Closer to God,” which helps children through teaching them how to draw different scenes of Christmas, including the Annunciation, Nativity and the shepherds’ visit to the manger, learn about Catholic Scripture and tradition, and their place in God’s story.
In families learning and connecting with programs such as this, “everyone is getting a wonderful catechesis,” she stresses.
For Andrés Arango, Bishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry, Advent in his household means the Novena de Aguinaldos and a return to his Colombian heritage and traditions.
For nine days, he and family and friends gather for prayers, led by both children and adults; “gozos,” or “the joys,” where everyone grabs an instrument and makes music for the Lord; and “villancicos,” Spanish Christmas carols. Comforting foods such as empanadas and flan can also be present.
Amidst the holiday commercials, oversized lawn ornaments, and ever-present delivery trucks, these evenings “are important to let my daughters know why we celebrate Christmas,” he says, and helping them keep in sight the “Christian dimension” of a time that can be overly secularized.
In this treasured Colombian tradition, and in others such as the Mexican Posada and Puerto Rican Parrandas, which also bring a communal atmosphere of faith and fellowship to Hispanic Catholics, these gatherings “are an opportunity for friends and family to connect, and for the faith to be transmitted across generations,” Arango adds.
Dr. Michael Sims, diocesan director of the Office of Life & Justice Ministries, takes this time to remember the Blessed Mother Mary, a pivotal figure in the preparation for Jesus’ Birth, and one that can help all live out the call to charity and justice, he says.
Most especially now, he meditates on her Magnificat, and “her words declaring that God ‘has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly,’ and ‘He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.’”
This declaration from the virgin, he says, is “a call for transformation and reflection … promoting justice and embodying God’s love in a world that often operates in a spirit of consumption and consumerism.”
A good opportunity for families to emulate the Blessed Mother, he said, is by doing things in charity – such as making a donation for a good cause, or participating in their parish’s Giving Tree – and educating themselves to where there might be a need.
Sims also encourages families to share their gifts this season, as he has personally seen with his 21-year-old-son, Teddy.
“Every year, Teddy makes the art for the Christmas card our family sends out,” he says. “This year, it’s the Madonna and Child.”
These candlelight prayers, gatherings, charitable acts and using God-given talents in service of others are all good ways to spend this Advent, but Dr. DelleMonache knows these things “shouldn’t just be limited to this season.”
“No matter the time of year, the day, or what’s going on in your world, encounters with Christ are always possible,” through a friend, stranger or family member.
Through Advent, everyone can remember the reason for all seasons, she says. “These simple moments … those are the ones that stick in the heart.”
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