Preparing for Christmas: Daily Reflections for Advent

by Richard Rohr

“Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus,” Richard Rohr asserts. Advent is a time to focus our expectations and anticipation on “the adult Christ, the Cosmic Christ,” who challenges us to empty ourselves, to lose ourselves, to surrender.

Drawing on selections from his best-selling inspirational lecture on CD, Preparing for Christmas With Richard Rohr , this booklet provides daily reflections and prayers for the Advent season, along with each day's Scripture readings and questions for reflection. A wonderful resource for personal prayer, this attractive, 80-page, pocket-sized booklet is a perfect companion for your Advent preparation.

Genres: Christmas, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Devotional, Christian

73 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard's teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized.

Fr. Richard is author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Adam’s Return, The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, Eager to Love, and The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (with Mike Morrell).

Fr. Richard is academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. Drawing upon Christianity's place within the Perennial Tradition, the mission of the Living School is to produce compassionate and powerfully learned individuals who will work for positive change in the world based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings. Visit cac.org for more information.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Rohr is pithy, he’s non pareil! And this book is pithiness itself, being a digest of the Best of his book on preparing for Christmas.

Advent is the Waiting for Christmas, the rebirth of Christ in our hearts.

The fact that our Christmas is summed up in our kids’ wondering eyes, however, should not divert us into recollective sentimentality, he says.

For though our kids aren’t grown up - we ARE. Let’s not shirk our responsibilities for media-driven family Binge Buying!

I too am guilty of that sentimentality, alas.

The Media Corporations THRIVE on our soupiness- which is their HOOK.

Don’t Deck the Boughs of Holly with Jolly Sappiness this year, friends and doting grandparents!

Just keep that soberly Christian fear in your mind of those dreaded January VISA Bills.

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the similar book of meditations for Lent, this focuses on Jesus, but instead of the child, it focuses more on what he does as an adult - not so out of place as one might think. The grouping here is for the four weeks of advent, right until Christmas Day, with daily mediations and reflections.

The reflections part especially challenges us to think about our current personal religious state, and what we could do to improve it. It certainly did inspire me, though some of his points were familiar to me already. If you want a 'meditations and reflections' book for Advent season, this is a pretty good book (that doesn't just focus on babyhood and what was happening before Jesus' birth, though not completely ignoring them).

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I found from personal experience this year, adopting an Advent practice as a way to mark the season is decidedly more difficult than adopting a Lenten one. There's something about the season of winter leading into spring that allows, even encourages, taking stock of your emotional, physical and spiritual life. That's why so many people are fond of New Year's resolutions. Yet a deliberate slowing down to really notice the season of Advent is actively discouraged in our culture. We are bombarded with images vying for our attention - from the latest sale to Christmas light displays to party invitations. Advent in the United States has become a season to go, go, go. And while I would like to approach this season differently for myself, my attempts this year were only partly successful.

Something that helped me try to see and experience Advent differently was Richard Rohr's Preparing for Christmas. This small and inexpensive book was a way to daily read a small chunk of scripture and think about the bigger picture and purpose of Advent. Each day offers two or three scripture readings (two on weekdays, three on Sundays), followed by a short reflection and a question to ponder. These are not trite nor easy reflection questions about how you've observed Christmas traditions in the past or your fondest Christmas memories. These are questions that make you look for Jesus - in the world, in the church, in your life. They are things like, "What attachments in your life can you let go of to make more room for God?" or "What perceptions of Jesus Christ do you have that need to be changed?" or "What actions can you take to more fully realize the power of the Spirit?"

If you want to do Advent differently, this book is a way to start. It didn't lead to the complete turnaround I desired. Instead, it showed me that the journey to an Advent of watching and waiting may take years to achieve. I have much unlearning to do about what Christmas is and what it means for my everyday life. And I am thankful for the guidance this book provides. If nothing else, it helped me more easily spot the markers along the road less traveled.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book which from now on I will read every Advent!

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic meditations that focus less on a sentimental view of the Christmas season. A perfect companion to Rohr's book on Lent.

[Phil VanOsdol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love you Richard

[Melisa Buie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to consider in this lecture / sermon. Some
Key ideas:

- what’s meant by ‘they kingdom come’
- dis-identify with the self, embrace community
- we are addicted to our own identities as Americans, as right, as good, etc.

There’s so much more ...

[John Pannell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advent

I have thoroughly enjoyed going through this advent with Richard Rohr, I am a fairly recent convert to his writings. Highly recommended.

[J.L. Neyhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023: This was helpful for me again this year.

2018: I listened to the audiobook and I definitely think I will revisit this one in the future.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to do a devotional reading for Advent and Lent. I came to this one for Advent a bit late and so had to do some catching up. I don't think I devoted as much time to the meditations as I should have, but it still gave me something to think about. I will probably try it again next year. 3.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in conjunction with my first attempt to practicing Advent. I found it to hold many great moments and insights. My rating reflects my own inability to maintain my Advent readings for the full 4 weeks. I will look forward to visiting this book again next year

[Josiah Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Rohr always gets me out of my head and all the vein abstractions of faith and religion I always find myself stumbling over. Yet he does so by appealing to all of those abstractions and not making me feel stupid about them. Merry Christmas:)

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet Christmas devotional. The entries sometimes were almost too short, since this was a transcription of an oral delivery, but some of the entries were really good and ones I have already gone back to. I appreciated this focused reflection over Christmastime.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent daily reflection that helped me slow down during Advent, take stock of the season for what it truly is, and prepare my heart and soul for Christmas.

[Ray Timmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for Advent readings!

[Laura Zane]

I love his writing!

Quote from Preparing for Christmas

When we demand satisfaction of one another, when we demand any
completion to history on our terms, when we demand that our anxiety or
any dissatisfaction be taken away, saying, as it were, “Why weren’t
you this for me? Why didn’t life do that for me?”, we are refusing
to say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” We are refusing to hold out for the full
picture that is always given in time by God.

When we set out to seek our private happiness, we often create an idol
that is sure to topple. Any attempts to protect any full and private
happiness in the midst of so much public suffering have to be based on
illusion about the nature of the world in which we live. We can only do
that if we block ourselves from a certain degree of reality and refuse
solidarity with “the other side” of everything, even the other side
of ourselves.

p 5,7

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% the best advent devotional I’ve ever used. No light feel good platitudes, but challenges one to really dig deep and understand what Christ can change in them. Beautiful and honest and gentle and frank and really helped me get through a spiritually tough season this year.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WONDERFUL book! Read my review here:
http://lovinggodwithallyourmind.com/2...

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Advent devo out there, in my humble opinion. Deep and contemplative.

[Roman Zadorozhnii · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Що нам потрібно зробити, так це розпізнати те, що є темрявою, а потім навчитися жити у творчому і сміливому ставленні до неї. Іншими словами, не називайте темряву світлом. Не називайте темряву добром, упавши в ту ж спокусу, яка спіткала багатьох наших людей — як лівих, так і правих. Їх здебільшого не навчали мудрости та розважливости. Найпоширеніший спосіб звільнитися від внутрішньої напруги — перестати називати темряву темрявою, удаючи, що це цілком стерпне світло. Ще один спосіб звільнитися від своєї внутрішньої напруги — це сердито, одержимо протистояти темряві, однак у цьому разі ви самі стаєте її дзеркальним відображенням. І зазвичай це бачать усі, крім вас! Наша християнська мудрість полягає в тому, щоб називати темряву темрявою, а Світло — світлом, а також вчитися, як жити і працювати у Світлі, щоб темрява не могла здолати нас

Дехто дотепно зауважив, що его — це абревіатура від «Edging God Out» (відсунути Бога набік).

[Jennifer Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book on this Christmas morning. My advent readings this year have been the defining part of my Christmas season. It’s sometimes hard to get into Christmas as an adult, and I still feel like this Christmas season was a little meek compared to some of the robust days of the past. However, there little readings made this Christmas season a spiritual one, made Christmas way more accessible to me as a time of reflection. As an Episcopalian, I really liked that the readings matched what I was reading in church because then I was getting multiple interpretations about the same passages in scripture. As always, Rohr really focuses on the revolutionary message of Christ which is that we are only meant to connect with God and with each other. And that systems of power are what corrupt us. Really thought provoking, but in easy to chew chunks.

[Sanjuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided some decent reflections each day as I moved through the holiday season. I enjoyed Christmas this year immensely, and I'm sure in some ways this book contributed to an all around good mood. Much of it was so simple as to be unmoving; I found quite a few of the readings to lack any insight. But the few that were good really hit home, and led to solid reflection, so I'm sure that, in God's providence, those were the meditations I needed most in the moment. I'd rather move to a different set of meditations in the future, but I'm sure many will benefit from this book.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband's small group was reading this book over Advent, so he and I read it together. We finished it a couple of days early so that it was finished before our family arrive. Rohr's thoughts were deep and not the average Advent devotional. Some readings lent themselves more to discussion than other. We found a couple of Biblical references to be wrong, which was odd. I like Rohr and have read another of his works. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to pause during this season to consider Biblical references that support Advent and Jesus' birth.

[Craig Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most helpful book

If you, like me, have been looking for some mature, non-sentimental, and encouraging guidance in your ongoing quest for a vibrant relationship with Jesus, you will probably find much inspiration in this little book. Written by a Franciscan brother, this collection of daily meditations for the Advent season has much to contribute to Catholics and Protestants alike.

[Ptaylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make it a point to read Advent meditations every year, and this year I chose this one by Richard Rohr. I'm a Protestant and use a Protestant Bible (as opposed to a Catholic Bible which includes the Apocryha) so I didn't have quick access to one or two of the scripture references which begin each section, but it wasn't a problem. Each one was short enough to use in my quiet time and ended with a question/suggestion that I could focus on in my journal and then, usually, throughout the day.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best advent devotionals I've read!

Rohr challenges some of our typical understandings, and makes the Advent season wonderfully complex. I can see myself coming to this book year after year and always finding deeper contemplation and meanings. I feel challenged and inspired by his approach and teachings.

[Landon Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s like spending advent with Richard Rohr!

I love Rohr and this Advent devotional was solid Rohr work. There were a few homilies that were downright game changers. There were quite a few thought that either I didn’t fully comprehend or that seemed to be overly simplified. But overall, well worth spending an Advent seasons with Rohr

[Nancy L. Gast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Beginning For Each Day


Start each day by reading the message presented and be fueled to perform those tasks asked of you!. Very helpful to keep focused on the true meaning of Advent. Our daily lives become true acts of compassion and love. A good read for those looking for more to life than the usual earthly "rewards".

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve not spent a great deal of time with Richard Rohr, but what I do know of his spirituality and his writing I already appreciate. This book of reflections for Advent, that accompany scripture, provided a thoughtful framework to engage this holy season. I will look forward to re-visiting in future years.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a beautiful advent book. The daily passages spoke to me. Each morning, I would take out my advent tea surprise from the tea calendar, light my candles, read this book, say the Rosary and listen for God and Mary to speak to me. I would finish my tea while just meditating on the words in silence. This was one of my favorite advent books ever.