Staying mindful of the meaning of the season

Advent is a religious holiday that is celebrated annually here at Bishop Maginn High School. It is a beautiful way to be intentional as we walk through this busy, festive season. Celebrating Advent helps us to interrupt our busy schedules and prepare our hearts for the true meaning of Christmas.

The four weeks leading up to Christmas are the four happiest weeks at Maginn. We make Advent posters and we have an Advent wreath. Each week we light a candle to show that the Advent season is in progress. Each candle represents a specific virtue: one week is hope, one week is faith, one week is joy, and the last week is peace. Our school tries to make sure that we do not get caught up in the receiving part of Christmas, but rather to stay mindful of the fact that this holiday marks the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

My school also has an annual Christmas Mass that we celebrate, as well as making murals that are hung throughout the school. It is a very religious four weeks that all the students celebrate and love being a part of. With Christmas right around the corner, Maginn makes sure not to forget to celebrate Christ’s birthday as a family and to know the true meaning of Christmas. The Bishop Maginn community forgets about their busy schedules to make time for Advent and for the birth of Christ.

It is a time for love, peace, joy, and hope, and the Ma­ginn community definitely exhibits this throughout the four weeks of Advent.

Tyler Leitch is a senior at ­Bishop Maginn High School in Albany.