Advent 2015

Advent began on Sunday. It is a bit early this year. Christmas falls on a Friday, so we were still in November as Advent began. But still, not a moment too soon. That green season after Pentecost stretches on for a terribly long time, and a long one it was this year. We arrived in Hemet on 6 May, the day after Cinco de Mayo, when the movers arrived at our old house. Pentecost was 24 May, and Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, was 31 May. It is now Advent. Much has happened in these many months. If you have been reading this blog you know. If not, you can click “SoCal Life” in the category map to the right to find out.

Certainly when Advent began last year, I never would have expected that we would be where we are today. But life takes unexpected turns and we adapt.

There was a time when I was big on enforcing Advent, meaning that one is not supposed to listen to Christmas music until Christmas Eve. My spiritual director, in one of her last sermons at her old parish before moving on to a very active retirement said, in essence, if you want to listen to Christmas carols during Advent, go ahead.

That’s good advice. I need to be gentle on myself this year, so I think that I’ll take it.