Are you ready for Advent 2024? Fr. Mike has some valuable advice and information as you begin preparing for the season. This "Ultimate Guide to Advent" will address all your questions and help you discover how you can deepen your faith and find joy in Advent 2024. 

What Is the Purpose of Advent?

This Ultimate Guide to Advent begins with an important question: What is the purpose of Advent? Before we begin preparing for the season, it is important to know what the meaning of Advent is. In this thought-provoking video, Fr. Mike Schmitz dives deep into the true purpose of Advent, challenging us to rethink how we prepare for Christmas. Fr. Mike suggests it’s not about following rules but about what truly prepares your heart for the celebration of Christ's birth. 

What Is the Difference Between Advent and Lent?

Continuing our guide to Advent, in this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the difference between Advent and Lent. Did you know that Advent is not a penitential season like Lent? Instead, it's a time for devout and joyful preparation for Jesus' arrival. But how do we make space for him amid all the holiday noise? Watch this video to find out!

Waiting for Christmas Correctly

In this thought-provoking video, Fr. Mike Schmitz challenges the idea that Advent—and waiting in general—is a passive experience. While many of us see Advent as a time of waiting for Christmas or the return of Jesus, Fr. Mike invites us to view this season differently: not as a passive wait, but as an active waiting filled with receptivity to God's presence and action in our lives. Start preparing your heart now through this guide to Advent. It will teach you to be more receptive to God's grace and discover the joy of truly waiting well.

What Is Hope, And Why Do We Need It During Advent?

Did you know hope is one of the 4 main themes of Advent? We can't have a complete guide to Advent without addressing this virtue! Join Fr. Mike Schmitz as he explains the true meaning of hope, a virtue that goes beyond optimism or pessimism. Fr. Mike reflects on how Christians are called to a deeper kind of hope—a trust rooted in a relationship with God. He explains that hope is not about expecting things to always go well, but about knowing God will never fail us, no matter the circumstances.

How to Lose Everything and Still Hope During Advent

Maybe you want to feel and experience the hope of Christ’s coming, but you are struggling. How can you hope during Advent when you have lost everything? Join Fr. Mike Schmitz as he shares a profound lesson about life: it's possible to work hard and still lose, and that’s okay. Fr. Mike explains how to find hope and strength in this Ultimate Guide to Advent. 

Having Joy in Uncertainty 

Another theme of Advent is joy. How can you be joyful, especially when times are tough? Continuing our guide to Advent, Fr. Mike reflects on finding joy amidst life's uncertainties. Recalling memories of his mother's voice singing along to a Barbra Streisand Christmas album, he reminds us that while we long for the comfort of the past, the future often feels uncertain and even daunting. We can find true joy not in certainty or a lack of suffering, but in knowing that Jesus is with us. 

The Difference Between Joy and Happiness

Join Fr. Mike Schmitz as he explores the difference between happiness and joy. Knowing this difference is important in understanding Advent's second theme: joy. Happiness is often fleeting and dependent on external circumstances, but joy is a deeper, abiding sense of well-being rooted in the constant presence of God. In this Ultimate Guide to Advent, discover why joy is the "gigantic secret of the Christian" and how you can choose it even in challenging times! 

The Advent Theme of Love 

Want to know the 3rd theme of Advent? Love! Knowing these themes is an important part in any guide to Advent. Fr. Mike explains in this video why love is more than a feeling. You may be familiar with the 4 types of love: eros (love of desire), storge (love of affection), philia (love of friendship), and agape (self-giving love). While each of these forms of love are good in their own way, they have to be accounted for correctly. Watch this video to learn all about love! 

If You're Not Feeling Loved During Advent

For some, Advent and Christmas can be a very lonely time. A guide to Advent has to include those who struggle during the holiday season. In this heartfelt episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz addresses the pain of feeling unloved by those closest to us. Drawing from personal stories and biblical examples, Fr. Mike explores the reality that sometimes, people—whether family or friends—may not love us in the way we wish or even at all. He encourages us to recognize that this doesn’t make us unlovable. Instead, he guides us to find solace and affirmation in God’s unconditional love.

 

 

The Absolute Necessity of Saying "Thank You" During Advent

To wrap up our Ultimate Guide to Advent, Fr. Mike explains the profound impact of gratitude. One of the most important things to do during Advent is to say “thank you” to God for all he has given to you. While it is a busy time, don’t forget to reflect on the many gifts God gives you. Fr. Mike shares a powerful story of a young man who, despite having everything to be thankful for, felt discontent. Do you feel discontent during this season? Fr. Mike add this simple yet transformative practice of daily gratitude, to his guide to Advent. He walks us through turning our focus from what we lack to what we have.

More Advent Content

• Catholic Prayers for Advent
• What Is a Nativity Scene? 
• Is Advent in the Bible?
• What to Do for Advent