Heads Up: Remote Prepping for Advent

It's coming faster than you think!

 First thing to do:

Order your Advent candles if you don't already have them --  right now. I mean, stop what you're doing and get right on it. Due to postal delays associated, I guess, with covid and riot concerns, many companies are warning about delays. And you may find that Hobby Lobby's stock will deplete very quickly! Here are a few places to look online:

Honeycomb Beeswax candles for about $20

Traditional, tall, columnar, beeswax Advent candles under $25

TONS of Advent candles at prices starting at about $6 on Amazon

Second thing to do:

Go down to the basement or out in the barn or wherever you keep your holiday storage, find your wreath, shake it out, fluff up the evergreen boughs, and put it where you can find it in a jiffy. Maybe in your bedroom or hall closet.  If necessary, buy new ribbon decor now and keep it with your wreath. If you're like me, the first Sunday of Advent is going to sneak up on you right when you are busiest. Seriously. It always works that way! Impress your family with how organized you are and have everything you need right at your fingertips! Also, find your copy of the Advent prayers or print them out again and tuck them right in there with your wreath and ribbon. I posted one version here, but there are several acceptable versions.

Third thing to maybe do: 

A white candle is often used for the center of the wreath, waiting to be lit on Christmas day, but it's not a hard and fast rule to do it that way. Many families (including us) place a small statue in the center. If you like the idea and don't already have one you like for the center of your wreath, now is the time to go hunting and order. 

Find here

Find here

Thanks to the amazing shopping opportunities of the internet (my husband cringes. lol!), we have a world of beautiful images and statuary to inspire devotion for all the seasons of the Liturgical Year. A few years ago, we were gifted a beautiful Advent statue, St. Joseph leading a donkey carrying the Expectant Mother of God, and we just love it. It has a special place in the middle of our Advent wreath until right before Midnight Mass, when I sneak in a statue of the Holy Family, complete with Baby Jesus -- and change all the candles to white. There are a bazillion Holy Family Statues for this purpose available just for the searching. Hobby Lobby has quite a few lovely ones, as well. It's a little harder to find statues of the Expectant Mother, but more now than there used to be. Here are a few links (by the images) to get started if you like the idea.

Find here

Some countries, I understand, do not necessarily use the purple and pink candles, but the meaning behind them is perfect for the season: purple for penitence and waiting, pink for expectation and joy. Penitence Purple is appropriate; we don't party in real life until the baby is actually born, right? And I've always loved the very human "perk" of Laudate and Gaudete Sundays' pink vestments' message to us. The next to last week before Christmas and Easter, the joyous pink is like a little pat on the shoulder, saying: Hang in there! You can do it. We've almost made it; one more week! As for the candles, themselves, they don't have to be anything special, but it's an extra special bonus if' they're beeswax and you have your parish priest  bless them -- and even your Advent wreath. It's a great opportunity to have him over for dinner! (Make sure to mention your desire for the blessing ahead of time so he knows to be prepared to do that for you.)

It's traditional to use an evergreen wreath with the candles. The symbolism is beautiful: the evergreen represents God's providence, the cause for our hope, and the circular shape of the wreath symbolizes eternity, but that said, it's not a hard and fast requirement to use evergreens. Some might have need of a smaller display, and these can be beautifully done. I've seen several examples of candle holders, like the one shown here, that are meaningful all by themselves. The point of all sacramentals is to increase devotion, so whatever produces for your family a holy expectation for the birth of Christ -- that's the way to go.

I expect there are a lot of people who are already ready to lay hands on their Advent things and have already prepared ahead. God bless you! But for those of us who are blind-sided almost every year... Well, I hope this helps a little. You know, I mainly type this up for my own ditzy self! Just good to be reminded if you're me: as of today, there are only thirty days until the First Sunday in Advent! And it's going to go fast!