This Advent, prepare for the birth of Jesus as Mary did

I often get to Christmas feeling as though I’ve failed at Advent. I’ve usually done lots of physical preparation — bought gifts, planned meals, cleaned and decorated, you name it. As far as spiritual preparation goes, though, whatever I have attempted feels woefully inadequate. I’ve tried Advent journals, little Advent penances, and adding prayers to my day. Even if I have been moderately successful at keeping whatever practice I intended, I still feel that my physical preparation for the holiday has consumed my life much more than any spiritual preparation has.

Then I started reflecting recently on what Mary’s Advent might have been like. What was her preparation for birthing the savior of the world like? How would she have gotten ready physically and spiritually for the birthday of all birthdays? 

Mary’s preparation would have included getting ready for a big trip and lots of traveling. She most likely spent a good amount of time packing and arranging things for traveling with Joseph for the census. On top of that she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. She didn’t have a nice, restful do-nothing last bit of pregnancy, nesting cozily at home among people she knew and loved.

Plus, if she experienced any third trimester discomfort, it is possible that her preparations were all the more physically challenging and exhausting (not to mention stressful — imagine traveling to a new destination among many strangers for a government-mandated event). With all the outside challenges around her, she somehow managed to keep her focus on the little boy, the Messiah, who kicked and tumbled inside her.

If your Advent is full of hustle and bustle and travel, or if you are struggling physically while trying to somehow prepare your heart and home for Christmas, you're in good company. I’ve always thought that my Advent should look like a scene from a Christmas card, where the shepherds are sitting mesmerized by the angels, or where the Holy Family is gazing intently at their newborn son. In these moments, everyone’s focus is totally on the grandeur of heaven and the glory of God.

In reality, though, those moments are bookended by other moments. Moments when the sheep need to be redirected along the road to Bethlehem or when Mary and Joseph need to stop to eat and sleep so they don’t pass out.

This isn’t to say that there’s no point in trying to do something special spiritually to prepare for Christmas. Rather, the hope is that my expectations of what Advent should look like might become more realistic. I want a way to center each day of Advent on what matters most. I want a way to keep the point of all the preparations in mind, without it becoming overwhelming or unreasonable.

That desire brought me back to Mary. She was very familiar with scripture. She breathed the Psalms day in and day out. So, I’ve been thinking, why can’t I try to be like her in that way?

For this Advent, I want to breathe scripture. I will choose a verse at the beginning of the day (most likely a line that sticks out to me from a Psalm in Morning Prayer), and I will chew on it until evening. It will need to be short, so I can easily memorize it and pray it on repeat throughout the day.

This month, I have a baby kicking me day in and day out, so this little one’s movements can be my reminder to breathe out my verse of the day in prayer. Lots of other moments could be a reminder though: mealtimes, a sticky note on my laptop or phone, a holy card in my car, etc.

Mary, help me live Advent well. Help me prepare my heart while I prepare my home, and the countless other things this season seems to require.