See what I mean? But maybe, just maybe, that's what makes Christmas music so beautiful. If we listen to "traditional carols that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas" as Lorene Hanley Duquin suggests, we can surround ourselves with excitement for the coming of Christ. "What Child Is This?", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are just a few of my favorites. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. What about Advent?
The right music for the season
I realized this year that if I want to really celebrate Advent before Christmas that I should probably adjust my music listening practices accordingly. Thus, the Advent music list. It was difficult for sure. Christmas music is everywhere. But I searched high and low, and these are some of the songs and albums that I came up with:- Advent at Ephesus by the Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles
- "Mother of God," "Show us the King" and We Will Find Our Hope" by The Brilliance
- "I Believe" and "The Lord's Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli
- "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
- "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" by Kevin Max
- "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Michael Bublé
- "My Soul in Stillness Waits" by Marty Haugen
- "People Look East" by Al Petteway/Amy White
- "Promised Messiah" by Gretchen Harris
- "Holy Is His Name" by John Michael Talbot
- "Lord Prepare Me (Sanctuary)" by Bernard Harris
- "Panis Angelicus" and "Ave Maria" by Josh Groban
- "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como
- "Journey of the Angels" by Enya
- "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Dean Martin
- "Gabriel's Message" by Charlotte Church
I've enjoyed listening to these songs throughout Advent. Some are more "churchy," while others are festive songs, but they all focus on the coming of Christmas. It has helped me to avoid getting swept up in the holiday scene and to instead remember to prepare my soul for the coming of Christ.
For more ideas on how to celebrate a stress-free Advent, download this PDF.
