Share time, talent and treasure this Advent

Published: November 21, 2024

"May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.  Amen." (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)

Advent begins Sunday, Dec. 1. The word "advent" originated from the Latin "adventus," which means coming. The season of Advent, therefore, is the preparation for the coming of Jesus, first through his birth and ultimately, his coming again in glory at the end of time. This year it runs from Dec. 1-24.

Pope Francis encouraged people to carefully prepare their hearts for the coming of the Lord with prayer and charity in a 2023 reflection on the season's purpose. "A good program for Advent," he suggested, would be "to encounter Jesus coming in every brother and sister who needs us and to share with them what we can: listening, time, concrete assistance."

To help us give "concrete assistance" to our brothers and sisters, we have put together 24 suggestions, one for every day of Advent, in our 2024 Share Your Light Advent Calendar. 

Each day offers a suggestion with clickable text that links to more details or contact information. Options vary to include giving our time, talent or treasure to help make someone's day brighter this season. We can also learn about the traditions and saints of Advent by clicking on the photo that appears behind the date.

Advent is an ideal time to start anew spiritually because it marks the beginning of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. Unlike the secular year, which marks the passage of time, the liturgical year celebrates the sacred mysteries of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The liturgical color of Advent is violet or purple, except on the Third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete Sunday, when rose vestments may be worn. "Gaudete" is Latin for "rejoice," which is the first word of the entrance antiphon. The color rose signifies anticipatory joy that the waiting is half over and Christmas is near.