Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year. In the Western church, it begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. For Orthodox and Celtic Christians, it begins the evening of November 15th – 40 days before Christmas Day. Advent is a season of waiting. Not passive, idle waiting but an active time of preparation and prayer. We prepare to celebrate our remembrance of Christ’s birth, welcome him afresh as savior and anticipate his return when the fullness of God’s redemption will be revealed and all creation will be made new. The enriching daily reflections in the devotional are drawn from 33 authors on Godspace Light, a spiritual formation blog that invites all of us to create a pathway to a more vital whole-life faith.
Christmas is a 12 day celebration of this joyful event. It culminates in the celebration of the Eve of Epiphany January 6th which commemorates the coming of the Magi. This set of 12 cards will help you reflect on the Advent and Christmas story. They begin with Celtic Advent so there are 6 for Advent, 1 for Christmas Eve, 4 for the Christmas season and 1 for the Eve of Epiphany.
Outline:
Celtic Advent: Preparing Our Hearts
Week 1 of Advent: Waiting in Silence
Week 2 of Advent: Waiting for a Vulnerable God
Week 3 of Advent: Living In Hope
Week 4 of Advent: Lean Towards the Light
Christmas Eve and Christmas Through Epiphany
