How should this solemn time (Advent) should be spent by Christians?

The first week of Advent is underway.



Our candles in the window have been set on a timer, unbeknownst to me. Our bare tree is up to remind us of the Christ Child. Our family Advent plans have been set and most of our spiritual reading has been gathered.


But we’re not on point. My husband just blessed our Advent wreath this evening and we lit our first candle today. Our Christmas Novena was prayed by all in the home while two others helped their big sis with a new milestone — serving. We will start the Jesse Tree tomorrow and select the family ChristKindls once all of our children are home.



From there, we’ll continue to slowly work into our Advent plans in a manner that best suits our season of life and spiritual needs.


We do not follow a strict Advent schedule each day, perse. We have simply let our Advent devotions take root organically over the years.

My #1 tip is to assign specific devotions or activities to your children. Allow them to be responsible for making sure that your family adheres to your Advent plans.

This will help lighten your load and your children will most likely be one invested in the season.

We do not seek perfection. Our ultimate goal during Advent is to grow closer to Christ and purge sin.

Dom Prosper Guéranger tells us how this solemn time (Advent) should be spent by Christians.


“They should recall, during these four weeks, the four thousand years in which the just under the Old Law expected and desired the promised Redeemer, think of those days of darkness in which nearly all nations were blinded…and drawn into the most horrible crimes,…

Then consider their own sins and evil deeds and purify their souls from them by a worthy reception of the Sacraments, so that our Lord may come with His grace to dwell in their hearts and be merciful to them in life and in death.

…Unjust to themselves, disobedient to the Church and ungrateful, indeed, to God are those Christians who spend this solemn time of grace in sinful amusements without performing any good works, with no longing for Christ’s Advent into their hearts.”