3rd Sunday

After a long morning of baking–that went on so long due to the un-stiffening of the eggs that I forgot about Mass & missed my favorite week–I have some time to settle down & think about Advent.

This third Sunday is the most exciting & the most reassuring. The Shepherds' Candle, often rose-colored, is the candle of hope & rejoicing, of God shedding his light on the world.

As I've learned along the way, the point of Advent & lighting the candles is to bring our focus onto God's light coming into the world on Christmas. With this candle, we think of the light reaching the shepherds in Bethlehem.

That's all I have for this third candle: the thought that, of all those he could choose, God went to the Shepherds first–to the humblest, the simplest–to announce His entry into the world.

Our challenge to each other this Christmas was to be simpler & start nixing things from our lives that aren't as essential. We're recycling our decorations & gift wrapping, looking for ways to reduce shipping needs, spending less, finding gifts that give back & making sure we've got the reason for Christmas in each part of it.

What are you doing for yourself this Christmas to make the holiday simpler? To make yourself more humble & in the spirit of the holiday?