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Full Description
The lament swells every December, as perennial as the jingle of Salvation Army bells: the season of Advent is lost in the secular trappings of Christmas preparation. For those aspiring to a reverent Advent but caught up in twenty-first-century to-do lists, A Season of Little Sacraments offers a fresh perspective on the secular-sacred December divide.
Susan Swetnam invites readers along on an ordinary woman's day-by-day walk through Advent, demonstrating that the very "distractions" accused of taking Christ out of Christmas can become "little sacraments"—occasions for grace to break through and faith to deepen—if approached with mindful reflection. For readers who want to experience a truly sacred Advent without fleeing completely from contemporary society, A Season of Little Sacraments will be a welcome source of nourishment and delight.
Contents
Contents
Introduction 9
Inviting the Sacramental into an Ordinary, Jam-Packed, Over-Committed Twenty-First Century Advent
Week 1
Opening to a Season of Longing and Hope
1 Committing to Attention 19
Making an Advent Playlist
2 Choosing to Slow Down 28
Hosting a Wreath-Making Party
3 Proclaiming Faith 35
Putting Up Christmas Lights
4 Cultivating Hospitality 41
Planning a Big Party
Week 2
Taking Stock Before God
5 Practicing Patience 51
Managing Seasonal Stress
6 Examining Conscience 59
Writing a Christmas Letter
7 Reconsidering What's Important 66
De-Cluttering the Pantry
8 Honoring Holy Silence 73
Spending an Afternoon Alone Outdoors
Week 3
Leaning into Community
9 Participating in Works of Mercy 83
Delivering Angel Tree Gifts
10 Loving One Another 91
Choosing Presents for Friends and Family
11 Facing Mutability 98
Trimming the Tree
12 Acknowledging Generosity 105
Cooking with Children
Week 4
Celebrating on the Doorstep
13 Honoring God's Creation 115
Feeding Birds in the National Forest
14 Enjoying Fruition 122
Filling Gift Baskets with Summer Preserves
15 Resisting Temptation 128
Shopping at the Last Minute
16 Standing on the Threshold 136
Singing at Christmas Eve Mass
Acknowledgments 143
