Though Christmas is an undeniably fantastic part of the year, an equally important time for Catholics is the season of Advent. Beginning on the Sunday closest to Nov. 30 and ending Dec. 24, Advent is the period of time leading up to Christmas in which Christians are invited to reflect on and strengthen their faith through prayer and introspection. During Advent, each Sunday is assigned different readings and prayers to focus on the four central virtues of Christianity: love, joy, hope, and peace.

This year, Advent began this past Sunday, Nov. 27. With such a significant period in our Catholic faith at Rosary beginning so recently, I was curious to hear what our Rosary Royals enjoy most about this introspective, prayer-focused season.

To start off, senior Sydney Rosario shared how much her bonds with family are strengthened during the Advent season: “During this time of year, a lot of my relatives that I don’t get to see as much visit, which is so much fun. I really enjoy when we all attend Mass as a family, it reminds me of the strength and love we share whether we see each other often or not.”

Next, senior Emma Oskorus described the unique comfort that Advent season provides her, explaining, “Even though school is getting more stressful with finals coming up, I really enjoy the prayers and Mass sermons around this time of year because focusing on the four virtues reminds me of what is really important in life. This season resets my perspective and reorients my priorities in a really positive way!”

Lastly, freshman Christina Vaughan gave insight on Advent’s unique environment:

“Aside from the fun of the lead-up to Christmas, with all the great songs and decorations, I really like the environment of excitement and joy this period of time always seems to have. Advent is all about love and peace, and with everyone looking forward to Christmas and focusing on the hope and tranquility the Birth of Jesus encourages, Advent always feels like such a happy and exciting time!”

Though less popular than the day it leads up to, the Advent season has so much to offer, and I encourage my fellow Royals to seek out Advent’s benefits and reflect on what this season means to them!