Making the Most of Advent

Advent is here. Are you ready? How can prepare spiritually for Christmas? Dan and Melissa discuss ways we can make the most of Advent, and how we can prepare our hearts for Christmas during Advent with devotional ideas and lots of resources.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

Why is Advent so important in the liturgical calendar?
How does imagery, like icons and manger scenes, help to orient our hearts toward God?
How does the Old Testament help us understand Advent?
How can we stir up the longing for Jesus that we want during Advent?
Why is Advent considered a penitential season?
Daily Mass readings and the Liturgy of the Hours as extra devotionals during Advent.
Preparing your heart before Mass.
Why is confession so important during Advent?
What devotional elements are essential in spiritual preparation for Christmas?

Making the most of Advent — Advent: the Manger on Dan Burke’s home altar, as mentioned in today’s show (click on picture for larger version)

Resources:

Discovering Christ – Spiritual growth program, a seven-week experience that invites guests to hear the Good News and personally encounter Jesus Christ
How do I Set Up a Home Altar? – post on spiritualdirection.com
Divine Intimacy – Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.
The Four Last Things – Catholic Culture link
iBreviary (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, mobile version, widgets): Contains the Liturgy of the Hours and also all the readings from the Mass
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website – subscribe to Daily Readings
Links to Episcopal Conferences – Catholic News Agency links to countries or regions with Bishops’ Conferences around the globe; scroll down for links throughout the world (the USCCB link also has links to Bishops’ Conferences in various states)
The Vatican Website – official website of The Holy See; to view the Vatican Website in a different language, click on the box in the top right-hand corner where it says English, then scroll down to the language that you would like to use
1 Corinthians 11:27 – “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.” – USCCB Bible link
Matthew 7:21-23 – “…I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.” – USCCB Bible link
Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy – NewAdvent.org
Magnificat Advent Companion – softcover book
Magnificat Advent Companion – ebooks
On The Incarnation – Athanasius of Alexandria
EWTN Television Schedule
EWTN Religious Catalogue
Onething 2015 – Dan Burke speaking engagement, Kansas City (Dec. 28-31)
Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – USCCB Bible link
For Call in questions for future shows 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

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Dan Burke

Dan Burke is the past President and C.O.O. of EWTN's worldwide news network. He is presently the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 90 countries and prepares men for seminary in over 40 dioceses. Dan is the author and editor of numerous books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com. In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church. Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.