I consider our Seattle Archbishop, J. Peter Sartain, to be a very holy man, who treasures the Eucharist and knows the importance of prayer in our daily lives. He has written a small book entitled An Advent Pilgrimage: Preparing Our Hearts for Jesus (available at Amazon on Kindle or paperback), which I look forward to each Advent.
"Advent is a time for encounter between the old and the new, between promise and fulfillment, between our insufficiency and God's fullness. It's the season for recalling the perfect fit made possible as God poured forth His love in Jesus Christ. It's the opportunity for joyfully rediscovering our need for salvation."
Only in silence, and I don’t mean just the absence of noise, can our hearts be open to the Word. The Lord makes it very clear to us, in the Gospels, through many messages to the saints throughout history, that He is with us and will always be with us, if we are open to Him.