For Christians, the season of Advent should be a time of reflection, of waiting and watching for Jesus's miraculous birth. But the secular world likes to elbow in, with Christmas displays appearing in late summer. The secular celebrations of the weeks before Christmas often whips us into a frenzy of shopping, decorating, baking, and scheduling encounters with Santa (and the elves!). But our faith beckons us to a gentler way, one focused on the divine.

These daily meditations invite you into a more faith-filled observation of Advent and Christmas. Some devotions explore traditional Christian ways to make the seasons, from the Advent wreath to Christmas pageants, from favorite hymns to setting up the creche. But on other days, the reflections offer ideas about how to infuse a sense of the holy into popular traditions such as decorating the tree, sending Christmas cards, and exchanging gifts. In these remarkable seasons of Advent and Christmas, the preparations we make to welcome Jesus should not only be in our homes but also our hearts.