Advent thoughts

My parish priest, well, I love him to death. Really, I do. But he began, once again, the first Sunday of Advent with a rather penitential and perhaps (just a smidge) depressing outlook on Advent. I do understand his point. Advent is indeed meant to be a time of penance, similar to Lent. But I decided to do something different this year. Rather than ignore the idea of Advent as a time for spiritual renewal, which is my usual response to this homily (he gives a very similar one every year during Advent) I decided this year that I would prepare for the coming of the Child Jesus joyfully, lovingly, and with purpose (purpose other than trying to buy gifts, decide on my wishlist, and clean and decorate my house before Christmas Eve.). Therefore, this Advent, I am simply going to try to scoop up as many opportunities for grace as possible. I will fail. I realize and accept this fact. But I want to increase my Eucharistic adoration to hopefully twice per week, but no less than once. Also, I want to aim for daily Mass twice, but no less than one, per week (Other than Sunday.) And, I want to be much more aware of being charitable to people, especially when it is difficult. I really want to focuz on my family in the realm for this Advent. I can and have been quite awful to them all, and I love them all so dearly. I want to make it more of a priorit to show them this, and to be patient with them.

Also, I'm missing my grandmother right now excruciatingly. I wish she was here. I want to be sitting on her couch in her home right now. We would be watching NCIS and White Collar together, as it is Tuesday night. (And she would be going on and on about "Marie, JUST look at Neil's blue EYES!") She would be baking cookies, and we would be knitting together, and some soup would be smelling heavenly on the stove, and a card table would be set up, taking up way too much space, with a puzzle on it, sitting in the puzzle boxes that Beeba handcrafted. Right now, all our favorite shows would be over, and we would have snuggled into bed. She had the warmest, coziest bed. I miss her so dearly. Both of them, Beeba too.

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual Light shine upon them. May their souls, and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

I love you both.