Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger tells us that hymns help her appreciate Advent more. Here she shares her thoughts on “What Advent is All About.”

“Since I’ve been involved in music ministry of some sort my entire religious life, thoughts of Advent and Christmas usually come in the words of hymns used in liturgy.

“Some favorites or common ones are: ‘O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.’  With school kids, I used the repetitive ‘Come Lord Jesus … come and be born in our hearts.’ Another favorite is the peppy ‘People, look east, the time is near of the crowning of the year.’  I also like the slower, more meditative one, ‘Patience, people, till the Lord is come.’

“It seems that over time I’ve come to appreciate Advent more through its hymns that lead to a more meaningful Christmas.”