Advent Season is here again. On Sunday Nov. 27, the Church begins a new liturgical year — Year A, with the celebration of the First Sunday of the new liturgical Season of Advent. 

For the first holiday outing in our new city, we headed out for the tree lighting in the town square. (It felt very Stars Hallow, for the Gilmore Girls fans, with lots of twinkly lights and a mayor’s words and Santa arriving by fire truck with all the usual characters.) After a line for sleigh rides, a queue for hot chocolate and another turn to take to see Santa, my little girl exclaimed loudly that “Mostly tonight, we were waiting in line!”

Are we ready for Christ? After almost two years of living through this pandemic, we might feel like we are ready for anything and everything or maybe you are feeling like Charlie Brown just before Lucy pulls the football away.

With the second wave of COVID-19 dismantling the equilibrium between joy and gloominess, a night of music, prayer and testimony was organized to help Calgary youth take part in the Advent experience.

A great story will certainly emerge from this Advent; a year like no other. An Advent to remember for sure and the stories we tell about this time will be noteworthy.

How are you preparing for Christmas?

VATICAN – Advent is a time to be watchful and alert to the ways one strays from God's path, but also to signs of his presence in other people and in the beauty of the world, Pope Francis said.

In his very moving homily for the Inauguration of his Petrine Ministry as Bishop of Rome on April 24, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI spoke these words:

The Advent season in its liturgical observance is devoted to the coming of God at the end of history when Jesus shall reign as king.