Before the holiday rush

If it seems like a long lead-up to Thanksgiving this year, that's because it is. The holiday will be celebrated on the latest possible date this month, creating what feels like an unusual mid-November lull. The turkeys might be on order, Black Friday might be looming, but nevertheless we find ourselves with a few days to take a beat before the holiday rush. Three days after Thanksgiving this year, Advent begins, and we will be off to the races. But, for now, we wait for the feasting, and we wait for the waiting.

How might we best make use of this "extra" time? "In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus," St. Paul writes (1 Thes 5:18). As our nation prepares to do just that, perhaps we could use the additional time at hand to ask God to make our hearts more amenable to the task. A Novena of Gratitude, available on praymorenovenas.com, asks for God to "Help us to grow in gratitude each day, in every circumstance." Taking a short amount of time for nine days leading up to Thanksgiving may help us to adopt a grateful posture on that day, and on every day. We could also take this opportunity to go to confession, reconciling our souls with God and allowing us to begin the busy season to come with a clean slate.

A little extra time before Thanksgiving also allows us to take a moment to remember those who are less fortunate. "Let us not forget the poor," Pope Francis pleaded Nov. 17, not for the first time, during his homily for the World Day of the Poor. "We are the ones that must make (God's) grace shine forth through lives steeped in compassion and charity that become signs of the Lord's presence, always close to the suffering of the poor in order to heal their wounds and transform their fortune," he said. "Brothers and sisters, let us not forget that Christian hope, fulfilled in Jesus and realized in his kingdom, needs us and our commitment, it needs our faith expressed in works of charity, and it needs Christians who do not look the other way."

Perhaps in these next days, we could remember the poor more effectively. Could we select two tags for the Advent giving tree instead of one? Could we eat a simpler holiday meal, and give what would have been spent on extravagant feasting to a charity? Could we invite someone we know is alone for the holidays to join us at our table? In all of these ways, we remember those who may have less than we do on this earth, yet are bound for the kingdom of God (Lk 6:20).

Finally, as we get ourselves ready for the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord in a little more than one short month, now is an ideal time to craft a plan for how to do it well. The 2024 "Oriens" journal (OSV, 2024), now in its fifth year, helps Advent pilgrims walk each day of the season with intentionality. For families, "The Jesse Tree for Families" (OSV, 2023) is another excellent resource. The Hallow app is hosting another Advent Pray25 challenge, which creates an opportunity to pray each day of the season via its platform.

As we prepare for the hustle and bustle that is all too often used as a synonym for this time of year, let's take the opportunity offered us by a later than usual Thanksgiving to pause and reflect. Increased gratitude, confession, remembering the poor, and planning an Advent with intentionality can help us approach the holidays with the heart of Christ.