Advent is Here!

Wow, I sure had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you all did as well! Today I decorated our apartment with our Advent wreath and Christmas tree. I can't believe tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent- this year has gone by so incredibly fast! (I guess getting married and graduating college in the same year will do that to a person!)

Below is a poem that is a good read as we prepare our hearts and minds for this Advent and Christmas season. My priest read it in one of his homilies and it really struck a cord with me. Something our culture really needs to hear:

Mary's Dream
I had a dream, Joseph.
I don't understand it, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our son.
The people in my dream had been preparing for about six weeks.
They had decorated the house and bought new clothes.
They'd gone shopping many times and bought many elaborate gifts.
It was peculiar, though, because the presents weren't for our son.
They wrapped them in beautiful paper and stacked them under a tree.
Yes, a tree, Joseph, right inside their homes! They'd decorated the tree with sparkling ornaments.
There was a figure like an angel on the top of the tree.
Everyone was laughing and happy.
They gave their gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our son.

I don't think they even knew him.
They never mentioned his name.
I had the strangest feeling that, if our Jesus had gone to this celebration he would have been intruding.
How sad for someone not to be wanted at his own birthday party!
I'm glad it was only a dream. How terrible Joseph, if it had been real!
-Author Unknown