“The Light Shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 For us, Advent begins in darkness — not a complete and utter darkness –but a palpable one. I love the poetry and symbolism that fills our Catholic faith, and Advent is in many ways one of the more poetic times of the liturgical year. During Advent, the themes of light and darkness are front and center, and if you take the time to meditate upon those things, you are meant to find yourself changed at the end of the 4 weeks time. Slowly darkness fades as more candles are lit on the Advent wreath with each passing week. Slowly the darkness in our souls and hearts is also meant to fade and be overcome by the Light. We are in a struggle in this life. A struggle to live in the light and allow the light to fill the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds. St. Paul speaks of how sin darkens the mind and makes it more difficult to choose the good in our lives. Sometimes sin can be so great in our lives that darkness can begin to appear as light and light as darkness. Which is why we have Seasons within our Church like Advent. Advent is meant to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Christ comes to us in countless ways throughout our lives, and Advent is about preparing our hearts for the grace of this Christmas Season and in preparation for His Second Coming. It’s no joke. The Light of the World is coming back to judge the World. Advent is a time to evaluate our lives and our own particular judgment. How would we fare? If the answer to that is “yikes” then this Advent is the perfect time to begin to make changes in your life that will prepare you for your death. Advent is about returning our gaze to the Light of Christ. It’s about allowing that Light to fill us and change us. It’s even about allowing the darkness around us to bring our gaze back to Him — darkness has a way of helping us to focus on the Light. In our house, we try to bring home that symbolism by eating by the light of the Advent candles — and let me tell you, in week 1 it’s really not so easy or pleasant to do. You can barely see the faces around the table or the food on your plate. One candle really isn’t enough light to be considered cozy or romantic. Instead, it’s just sort of dark and clumsy. There are more than a few complaint when I turn the lights off and we all try to fumble about with our meals. Sometimes, if I’m feeling generous, I put a little ambient lighting to light the space — but the very best meals are the ones eaten only by the light of the Advent candle. Those are the meals that drive home the reality of light and darkness and the importance and role of Light in our lives. Every week of Advent, it gets a little brighter at our table, until by week 4, there’s more than enough light to enjoy a meal by. It’s actually incredibly pleasant and charming, but it has a deeper meaning for those who take the time to ponder it. Christ is the Light of the world, and we are meant to reflect that Light in the world. Advent is a time to remember that we have the incredibly nobles task of bringing the Light of Christ to our homes and spheres of influence. The Advent wreath is also a beautiful reminder of the importance of community. One candle on its own barely dispels the darkness, but multiple lights can absolutely fill a space with Light and warmth and Love. It’s a beautiful reminder that we aren’t meant to live this life in isolation. We need our family and friends to keep us going when our lights grow dim or begin to fail us. The light of Christ will once again make its appearance in dramatic ways at the Easter as well. You will see it’s important role at the Easter Vigil as the one Easter candle is lowered to light the candles of those at the ends of the pews — who in turn, begin to light the candles of those next to them — and so on until the entire church is bathed in light. The Light of Christ is the thread that is woven throughout our entire liturgical year — beginning with Advent and ending with the Feast of Christ the King, you will see this them of Light over and over again. This is the first week of Advent, and it is the beginning of our new year. It is a time to make resolutions and to change our lives. Now is the perfect time to begin to change the way you are living your life. Now is the perfect time to stir up the gifts of the Holy Spirit and really get activated in your faith again. The first Sunday of Advent used to be known as “stir up” Sunday. It was the day in which something would be made for the family meal in which each family member took a turn at stirring the dish to prepare it. It was meant to remind the faithful that we need to “stir up the flame of Christ” to stoke the fires of the Holy Spirit within us — to be ablaze with the fire of God’s Love — and to go out and fire to the world. Advent is about clearing out the darkness in our hearts and minds so we can become His Light in the world — especially if that Light has grown dim. Let us clear the darkness away through the Sacrament of Confession and dive deep into these themes of darkness and light, so that we might change. May we reflect His Light more brightly this Advent and may that Light within us continue to grow. A Blessed First Week of Advent to you!