9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

“Advent is synonymous with hope: not the vain waiting for a faceless god, but
concrete and certain trust in the return of Him who has already visited us…”
~ Pope St. John Paul II

Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Our Lord at Christmas. Even though
we might get caught in the busyness of the pre-Christmas rush, we need to slow
down in order to fully appreciate this holy season and to grow closer to Jesus and
Mary in the days leading to the celebration of the Nativity.
At EWTN, we want to encourage you to participate in each liturgical season. Just as
Lent prepares us for the wonder of Easter, Advent makes us realize the significance
of Christmas: God Himself became Man out of love for us.
This booklet gives several ways to deepen our faith this season as we approach the
miracle of the Incarnation. May God bless you, and may you have a holy Advent.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Pray the Christmas Anticipation Prayer

“Prayer prepares you to get rid of all those things inside yourself that are not like
Jesus.” ~ Mother Angelica

The Christmas Anticipation Prayer invites us to meditate on Jesus’ Birth.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing
cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer
and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of
Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Display an Advent Wreath and Advent Calendar

“This time of Advent is a time for hope. These great horizons of our Christian
vocation, this unity of life built on the presence of God our Father, can and ought
to be a daily reality.” ~ St. Josemaría Escrivá

Both the Advent wreath and the Advent calendar move us slowly through this holy
season.
The candles on the Advent wreath symbolize the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.
The colors of the candles correspond to the liturgical colors of Advent – purple for
three of the weeks and rose for Gaudete Sunday.
The Advent calendar also gives a visual aid as we journey through Advent. Especially
important for children, the Advent calendar helps us to joyfully anticipate the
season of Christmas.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Decorate a Jesse Tree

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow
out of his roots.” ~ Isaiah 11:1

This tradition helps us to understand salvation history, particularly the lineage of

Our Lord.
Each day of Advent, you place an ornament on the Jesse tree and read a
corresponding Scripture verse. The ornaments symbolize different parts of the
Bible, beginning with Creation and going through the Incarnation, featuring
pictures such as the Holy Spirit Dove, the Burning Bush, and the Key of David. By
the time that you reach Christmas, your family has had a miniature journey through
salvation history.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Prepare the Creche

“Advent is a season of rejoicing because it revives the expectation of the most joyful
event in history: the birth of the Son of God by the Virgin Mary.”
~ Pope St. John Paul II

When we are surrounded by reminders of our faith, it helps us to live our lives for
the Lord. That’s why it is important to decorate our homes in preparation for
Christmas.
Often, the faithful like to display a Nativity scene in a prominent area of their home.
Many Catholics assemble their Nativities in stages. Most of the figures – the Blessed
Virgin, St. Joseph, the animals, shepherds, and angels – are displayed in the Nativity
during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The Baby Jesus is then placed in the
manger on Christmas Eve. Finally, the Wise Men are displayed on the feast of the
Epiphany.
One custom is to ask children to make a soft bed for the Lord with straw. When the
child says a prayer or does something kind, he or she can lay a piece of straw in the
Baby Jesus’ manger, making it softer for Him on Christmas Day.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Celebrate the feast days

“Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Through the season of Advent, there are many important feast days to celebrate.
As we remember the saints, we know that their holy examples lead us to the Lord.
So as we honor them, we are actually honoring Jesus.

Here are a few of the feast days that fall during Advent:
St. Nicholas – December 6
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – December 8
St. Juan Diego – December 9
Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12
St. Lucy – December 13

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Participate in the Sacraments

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.” ~ 1 John 1:9

If we want to give Jesus a present for His Birthday, what better gift could we offer
than participating in the Sacraments?
We should consider going to Mass more frequently during Advent, maybe one or
two extra times each week. Angela of Foligno said, "If we but paused for a moment
to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the
thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire
of love and gratitude."
Also, when we go to the sacrament of Confession, we become closer to the Lord –
and are better equipped to resist temptation in the future. At some point during
Advent, we should try to go to Confession at least once.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Give of Yourself
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
~ John 15:12

As we are preparing our own hearts for the joy of Christ’s Birth at Christmas, we
should reach out to others in love and kindness. You could bake cookies for the
local nursing home or maybe volunteer at a soup kitchen.
But there are other very simple ways to share God’s love with others during Advent.
By sending Christmas cards, you are reminding people of the glory of Jesus’ Birth.
And by giving presents, you are imitating the Wise Men.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Read Sacred Scripture

“I pose a question to you: do you read a passage of the Gospel every day? … Jesus
is there and he speaks to us in the Gospel!” ~ Pope Francis

The Bible is truly the Word of God, and we should read it daily, if possible.
Particularly during Advent, we should study the events that led up to the
Incarnation, both in the Old and New Testaments.
Whether or not we are able to attend daily Mass, it is beneficial to read, watch, or
listen to the daily Mass readings. When we see how the Psalms and the prophets
foretold the Birth of Jesus many centuries beforehand, it gives us a deeper
appreciation of Christmas.

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Recite the "O Antiphons"

“O come, O come, Emmanuel!”

Starting on December 17, the Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours includes
the “O” antiphons. Each of these verses proclaims a facet of messianic hope from
the Old Testament. When we meditate on these verses, it reminds us of the longing
that the Jews had for the Messiah.

December 17: O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with
power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!
December 18: O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses
on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!
December 19: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
December 20: O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal
Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
December 21: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of
death.
December 22: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and
save man, whom you formed from the dust!
December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us,
Lord our God!

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 9 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas

Advent Activities 2020

November 23 Following the Sunday before Advent – Many people begin setting
up the Nativity or Crèche.
November 29 First Sunday of Advent* – One candle is lit on Advent Wreaths (1st
candle symbolizes hope); decorating the Jesse Tree begins, with
ornaments added each day through Advent or on the four Sundays.
November 30 The Christmas Anticipation Novena begins and may be recited
through Christmas Eve.
November 30 Start sending Christmas cards this week.
December 1 Advent Calendars begin, traditionally marking a 24- or 25-day
season, Dec. 1 through Christmas Eve or, sometimes, Christmas Day.
December 6 Second Sunday of Advent – Two candles are lit on Advent Wreaths
(2nd candle symbolizes peace); Feast Day of St. Nicholas
December 8 The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 9 The Feast Day of St. Juan Diego
December 12 The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13 Third Sunday of Advent – Three candles are lit on Advent Wreaths
(3rd candle, rose, symbolizes joy); the Feast Day of St. Lucy
Dec. 17-23 Recite the “O” Antiphons included in the Evening Prayer in the
Liturgy of the Hours.
December 20 Fourth Sunday of Advent – All four candles are lit on Advent
Wreaths (4th candle symbolizes love).
December 24 Final Day of Advent – When Advent Wreaths have a fifth candle,
known as the Christ Candle, it is lit during the Christmas Eve service.

*The First Sunday of Advent is always on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day
and can fall as early as November 27 and as late as December 3.
Advent items, including Advent wreaths, including the Jesse Tree, and Advent
calendars can all be found at ewtnrc.com.

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