Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers and millions of food babies have all but disappeared, we can finally dive into the Christmas spirit, right? With all the Christmas music, lights, decorations and festivities, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the holiday hype. However, we can’t forget the season that comes before Christmas: Advent.

Most of us have probably gone to a Catholic school for most of our lives, so we are well educated on the fact that Advent is a time of waiting to prepare our hearts for Christ the King. Fasting, prayer, celebrating the Sacraments, adoration, volunteering and simply smiling a little extra are all excellent ways to prepare our hearts and souls for the coming of baby Jesus.

God has given us the time to grow in virtue and patience through the season of Advent. It is so ironic how we tend to do the complete opposite by zooming through Halloween, Thanksgiving and the weeks in between to get to Christmas. The time is a blessing and we should be taking full advantage of it.

Think of it this way—starting a new job can be really challenging. You have new people, new rules, new tasks and new merchandise to learn about. But if you really invest yourself in the training process and go the extra mile, you’ll be fully prepared to do the job entrusted to you.

God has given us more than we will ever know, and He continues to give us even more through these beautiful blessings in disguise. As we finish out the semester, let’s give our hearts back to God and invest ourselves in His coming. It may seem like a long time away, but remember that all good things come to those who wait.