Advent Meditations
Advent meditations are typically used by the Christian faithful in preparation for Christmas. Beginning on the Fourth Sunday prior to Christmas, the Advent is the period of waiting before the birth of Christ. The dates may vary, but Advent usually begins between November 27 and December 3.
Advent meditations can occur either daily or weekly, depending on how important the Advent is to you. Most individuals will do the meditations once a week, on a Sunday, and use Bible scripture as the focus of the meditation. Below, you will find an example of common Bible scripture used for Advent meditations.
For the first Sunday of Advent, from Mark. 13:33:
Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!...You do not know when the Master of the house is coming.
For the second Sunday of Advent, from Matthew 3:1:
When John the Baptizer made his appearance as a preacher in the desert of Judea, this was his them: Reform your lives. The reign of God is at hand!
For the third Sunday of Advent, from Luke 3:10:
John's disciples said to Jesus, "Are you 'He who is to come' or do we look for another?" In reply, Jesus said: "Tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, cripples walk, lepers are cured, and the poor have good news preached to them...
For the final Sunday of Advent, from Luke 1:
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Do not fear, Mary, you shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High..."
In addition to scripture being used, it is not uncommon that Christmas Hymns are also used as meditations. Hymns tend to be used as either the full hymn, or select pieces of the hymn being used as a Mantra. In either case, this style of meditation is typically used a celebration of approach of Christmas. Hymns tend to be used as Advent meditations for those who want to form a private meditation that is not shared by many other Christians. When you select your phrase or full hymn for meditation, you should be extremely comfortable with the knowledge of the hymn. You do not want to have to read the hymn while you meditate, as this will take away from your meditations.
As Advent meditations are tied to one of the most critical holidays of the Christian religion, it is not uncommon for churches to participate in a short meditation during sermon or mass. These Advent meditations are typically masked as prayers shared by the entire congregation.