6 Ways to Prepare for a baby Jesus Christmas

With Christmas being right around the corner, it’s crunch time to prepare. While you also might prepare last minute gifts (guilty), toss around some tinsel and hoard eggnog, let's take a moment or two to talk about spiritual preparation, not laying out cookies for a man in red who doesn't exist. Seriously, who needs Santa Claus (with the exception of St. Nicholas, ora pro nobis), when we have the birth of Jesus Christ? Christ, Who is the Son of the almighty and eternal God, humbled Himself to become man, more specifically, a little child, to save us from everlasting death through His infinite love, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Yet instead we tell our children about an imaginary man who delivers toys once a year depending on their behavior... there's no comparison. To elevate Santa higher than Christ is like glorifying a chintzy pebble over all of the treasures in the world, magnified by a million times over, and that still doesn't compare to the greatness of God! If marriage is my vocation, my future spouse better be prepared to not teach our children about Santa, when we have Jesus Christ. Some may not agree with me, but I am staunchly Catholic in an increasingly secular world, after all. For an even more wonderfully controversial view of this topic, check out Matt Walsh's own blog post, click here to have your mind blown.

It's the season of Advent, which in Latin is adventus, which means arrival, so let's get ready for baby Jesus! I say specifically a baby Jesus Christmas, because it's a lost cause to try to turn Christmas into anything else. Take Christ out of Christmas and you have yourself something like a cheap knock-off that just isn't the same. These are only a few suggested ways to prepare, but before we move along, let's take a moment to appreciate just how sweet the child Jesus is portrayed here. Aww. 

1) Go to confession
I mentioned this in the my last post. Cleaning out your heart and soul is the best way to prepare to welcome baby Jesus into the manger of your heart, through Holy Communion on Christmas Day. There's nothing like a good, sacramental confession to open your heart to the graces waiting for you. Also, what's better than being united to Christ on His birthday?

2) Pray the Joyful Mysteries
The Joyful Mysteries of the rosary are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the birth of our Lord, the Presentation, and the finding of the child Jesus in the temple. These mysteries all rotate around joy, hence being the Joyful Mysteries. They are the joys of discovering, knowing, finding, meeting and having Christ near to us. There's no one who knows these joys better than His own Blessed Mother. With her intercession, meditate upon these mysteries to better know the joy Christ brings, especially during the season of Advent.

3) Go to adoration
Spend some quality time with the King Himself, He waits for you.

4) Read Sacred Scripture
Dust off that Bible, turn to Luke 2:1-20, and get that Lectio Divina rolling.

5) Go to mass
Daily, if possible. The more Jesus in our lives, the better. 

6) Be silent
Take some time to distance yourself from the noisiness of the consumerism, stress and even jingle bells. Silence is not only golden, but also simple. God has a way of speaking to us in the silence of our hearts, and remaining silent is our opportunity to listen. In the quiet, time could be taken to deeply examine the conscience for a good confession, to enter into mental prayer while praying the rosary, quiet time with Christ in adoration, stillness in reflecting on the account of Christ's birth, and reverent silence during mass, where He is truly made present. Virtues, beautiful mediations and prayers can be born through silence, just like the great saints before us.

Once more, I pray you all have a blessed remaining season of Advent, until next time, pax.