1. Isaiah 7:14
2. Dear Lord, prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Christ Child.
3. He will come; you know not when. And provided he finds you prepared, your ignorance of the time of his coming will not be held against you. Augustine
4. Camp out beneath Christmas tree.
5. Every year we celebrate the holy season of Advent, O God. Every year we pray those beautiful prayers of longing and waiting, and sing those lovely songs of hope and promise. Karl Rahner
6. Romans 15:12-13
7. Prepare and send Christmas cards.
8. Running out with the angels to meet the master, we shall cry out in adoration, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Cyril of Jerusalem
9. Select Adopt-A-Family items to donate and shop for them.
10. Make a Heifer International donation.
11. It is now, at Advent, that I am given the chance to suspend all the expectation and instead to revel in the mystery. Jerusalem Jackson Greer
12. The glory of the Lord will appear, and the salvation of God will be made known to all flesh. Eusebius of Caesarea
13. Do a random, anonymous act of kindness.
14. Psalm 25:1-10
15. Are we hesitating to respond to Christ this Advent because we are waiting for just the right moment? Priscilla Marck
16. The liturgy of Advent helps us understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event. Instead, it is necessary to understand the whole of life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. Pope John Paul II
17. Advent is a time of quiet anticipation. John R. Brokhoff
18. As those who see light are in the light sharing its brilliance, so those who see God are in God sharing his glory, and that glory gives them life. To see God is to share in life. Irenaeus
19. Plan and shop for Christmas dinner as a family.
20. John 3:16-17
21. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies.
22. Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work. You don’t give up. Anne Lamott
23. Read “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
24. Attend Christmas Eve candlelight service.
25. Prepare and eat traditional Christmas breakfast as a family.