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Advent
cometh once more
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Sunday, Nov. 27, marks the beginning of Advent and a new liturgical
year. In the course of each year, through its worship, the Church
unfolds the mystery of Christ. As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
of the Second Vatican Council (102) proclaims, the Church opens up to
the faithful “the riches of her Lord’s powers and merits, so that these
in some way are made present for all time; the faithful lay hold of them
and are filled with saving grace.”
The liturgical year as we know it is divided into five seasons: Advent,
the Christmas Season, Lent, the Easter Season and Ordinary Time.
However, this did not happen overnight. From the beginning the focus was
on Sunday, the day the Lord rose from the dead, the “Day of the Lord”
which replaced the Old Testament Sabbath. The Acts of the Apostles tells
us the first Christians celebrated the “breaking of the bread” (Mass) on
the “first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). Easter naturally was the
original great feast celebrated by the Church.
Lent, with its reconciliation of penitents and the preparation of
catechumens for baptism, became a period of spiritual preparation for
the great feast of Easter. It dates to the fourth century.
Christmas dates to the fourth century, too. The actual date of Christ’s
birth is not known, but Dec. 25 was chosen to celebrate his Nativity in
order to offset the imperial feast of the Unconquered Sun. Epiphany
developed in Egypt and eventually was added to the Christmas cycle of
the Western Church.
Advent dates to the second half of the fifth century.
Over time, other feasts were introduced, such as Pentecost and the
Ascension.
Memorials of the Blessed Mother, the martyrs, and saints were eventual
weekday additions to the annual cycle known as the liturgical year.
For most people, Lent is unequivocal. Except for Ordinary Time, the
Easter Season is the longest in the liturgical year: 50 days from the
feast of the Resurrection through Pentecost. The Christmas Season
extends from Dec. 25 through the Baptism of the Lord, which in 2006 will
fall on Jan. 9. Then, there is Advent.
Since Christmas this year falls on a Sunday, the season of Advent will
extend over a full four weeks. It can be as short as 22 days. Whatever
its length, it has gradually been overwhelmed by the commercialism of
the “holidays.” Until the intensified commercialization of Christmas (a
relatively recent development), the feast of the Nativity, although
solemn, was simple. It was not observed until Christmas. Not observing
the Nativity until Dec. 25 (there were no Vigil Masses) provided a
friendly climate for the observance of Advent. Prior to the 1917 Code of
Canon Law, there was even mandatory fasting during Advent. Over the
years, however, Advent has had to struggle to maintain its identity, at
least for many people whose only contact with it is Sunday Mass.
The purpose of Advent is to set a tone for the celebration of the
mysteries of salvation which are part of the coming liturgical year. It
is a time of preparation.
During the first part of the Advent Season, the days prior to Dec. 17,
the focus is on the coming of Christ yet to be experienced. It urges
awareness of the purpose of life and the call to holiness. The language
is somber. Stay awake! Watch! “The night is far spent. The day draws
near.” “Let us cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light.” “The Son of Man is coming at a time you least expect.” Bethlehem
is not the focus.
The opening prayer for the first Sunday of Advent reads: “All-powerful
God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find
an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the Kingdom of
Heaven.” The invitation is fundamental; why I am and what has God called
me to become.
Proximate preparation for the Christmas Season enters the picture on
Dec. 17. It is then that the Church begins its “novena” of preparation
for a season that does not begin until after the conclusion of Advent.
Parishes take the lead in witnessing to the beauty of our liturgical
year. This is done in a variety of ways. One of them is environment.
Just as churches are not decorated for Lent until the Lenten Season or
for Easter until the Easter Season, they are not decorated for the
Christmas Season until immediately prior to the feast of the Nativity.
There is a reason for this. The Christmas Season, in the eyes of the
Church, does not begin until the feast of the Nativity (excuse the
repetition). Moreover, it does not end the night of Dec. 25, but extends
beyond the Nativity and includes significant events experienced by the
Holy Family during the childhood of Jesus.
But the season loses much of its impact if it is not carried beyond the
walls of our churches. For that reason during the years of my episcopate
I have urged the Catholics of Northcentral Indiana to delay the
celebration of the Christmas Season as much as they can until that
season actually begins. I have urged that we walk with the Church and
its liturgy, that we observe both the Advent and Christmas seasons.
So, here we go again. Those who wish to take Advent seriously need to
step out of the cultural stream with its ever-increasing secularization
of “the holidays.” That is not easy. Yet, it is possible to schedule
Christmas parties during the Christmas Season rather than during Advent.
It is possible to delay decorating your home for the Christmas Season
until after the fourth Sunday of Advent or at least until after Dec. 17.
You can resolve to celebrate the Christmas Season and not just Christmas
Day. Step back and watch your neighbors toss their Christmas decorations
or pack them away until next November on Dec. 27 or 28 because they have
tired of all that holiday stuff. Make a reception of the sacrament of
penance a highlight of your Advent observance. You might even consider
abstinence from meat and fasting on the Fridays of Advent (see my column
of Nov. 13). Try to identify with the longing of our spiritual ancestors
who looked forward to the coming of an adult Messiah. Turn what has
become a civil holiday, sanitized of its roots, into a statement of
faith in our baptismal call to holiness (Advent) and our profound
gratitude for the unspeakable gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ
(Christmas).
Here’s the strange part about all this. The observance of Advent
enriches the Christmas Season. It transforms the end of the year from an
exhausting hassle into a celebration of faith. |
