Originally published at National Catholic Register
Father Mike Schmitz doesn’t really have any go-to books or devotionals for the Advent season. As a kid, the popular Catholic priest known for The Bible in a Year and The Catechism in a Year podcasts remembers the song The King of Glory Comes, the Nation Rejoices — sometimes they remembered to light the Advent wreath, and although he sees the good in all the family traditions that Catholics have in bringing Advent alive, he calls us to contemplate our death.
“When it comes to celebrating Christmas, when it comes to recognizing God coming into our daily lives, when it comes to preparing to see the Lord’s face at our moment of death, or when he comes again, the phrase that comes back to me is: We cannot be ready unless we get ready,” Father Schmitz told the Register, adding, “The same thing is true when it comes to Christmas itself. I won’t be ready to celebrate Christmas unless I get ready — meaning it’s not simply a matter of passive waiting, it’s a matter of actively waiting. It’s a matter of preparing.”
As families look to bring the true reason of the season into the foreground amid the tinsel
