Christmas Joy

My sister and I were in Target the other day, and there was an adorable toddler in the self check-out. We were near the back and were quite the sight since we had a full cart, Diana in the stroller, and were doing three separate check-outs. She, her mother, and her grandmother were in front of us as we scanned our various items. She turned and saw us, and started shouting. "Baby!" "Baby!" Over and over with an increasing sense of urgency. Diana was completely covered in her car seat, but this little girl knew that where there is a car seat, there is a baby, and she had to see this baby. NOW. This little girl's reaction reminded me of how we should feel during the Christmas Season.


I've never fully understood Advent. Lent makes more sense to me. Everyone needs some time to repent and work on being a better person. I often feel just a little bit different when Easter comes around: stronger in my spirituality, more disciplined, healthier, just slightly better. Lent is productive and reformative. In contrast, Advent was always explained as a more hopeful, joyful, reflective time. It just seemed very vague to me, and so I never really used Advent to prepare for Christmas as much as I could. After all what's concrete about fostering hope and joy? How exactly does that look? How should that feel when the season's over?

Standing there in Target with a toddler pointing and shouting desperately to see my baby, I was fascinated. She couldn't see Diana, but she knew that she was there. In that moment, all she wanted was to see that baby. It was so innocent, so hopeful, so urgent. I couldn't help but smile, and it took me a moment to respond.

So I took a few steps forward, and I asked her if she wanted to see her. "Baby!" she shouted, pulling on her grandmother's hand to get closer to Diana's still covered car seat. I watched the little girl's face as I lifted the cover (obviously I couldn't help myself, and I did it with all the drama of an unveiling).  Her shouting stopped, and she stood on her little toes to peek into the stroller. Gazing at my little girl's face, she went still. "Baby!" She said just a little softer. It actually reminded me a lot of when a father lifts his daughter's veil to present her to her soon-to-be-husband. The look on his face and the look on this girl's face was nearly the same.

We should be like that little girl. Urgently searching for Christ and hopefully awaiting His arrival. Longing to simply get a glimpse. Gazing in reverent awe at the infant Jesus before us in Mass. Advent is about feverishly becoming attune to the beauty and love of our God. It is about fostering an awareness of just how precious Christ is. So that when Christmas is finally here, and the mystery of the Incarnation is present, we too may fall still in awe of He whom we love. So that when the Christmas season is over, we enter the new year filled with peace - not necessarily as a better version of ourselves, but a vessel overflowing with the joy of the Almighty. Better spreading His love through the world.

Merry Christmas!