November 19, 2010
Advent (which means “coming” in Latin) is coming. It marks the beginning of the Church year for Western Christians (the Eastern Orthodox Churches begin their church year on September 1). Long ago, the season was a time of fasting and penitence, a “winter Lent” kept before the great feast of Christmas, but the fast was dropped centuries ago—the purple vestments and hangings in the church are a remnant of its once-penitential character. From early times, Advent had a two-fold emphasis: coming as it did at the end of the year, it recalled the end of all things—the return of Christ as King and Judge. The medieval church emphasized this by focusing on the “Last Things”: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell (that was the reason for the Advent fasting and penitence). The first part of Advent still carries this emphasis, and the first two Sundays of the season show it in the readings at Mass: the Gospel for the first Sunday is the “not-so-Christmasy” account of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This is the Coming of the King. The Gospel of the second Sunday of Advent is Christ’s foretelling of the End of the World and the Judgment of all things. The famous medieval hymn Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath,” page 468 in the Hymnal 1940), so often associated with funerals and the dead, was originally written as an Advent hymn.
Beginning December 17, however, the focus of the season turns to the coming feast of Christmas. The third Sunday of Advent, called “Gaudete Sunday” (from the Latin word “rejoice”) or “Rose Sunday” (from the rose-colored vestments often worn on that day) marks the change. The final week of the season is characterized by the beautiful pre-dawn Rorate Masses, all anticipating the feast with readings and prayers focusing on the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the long-promised Messiah.
Over the centuries, many wonderful customs have clustered around this season: the lighting of the candles on the Advent Wreath, the children’s Advent calendars revealing the days of the approaching feast, the preparation of the Jesse Tree, the afore-mentioned candlelight Rorate Masses, the Mexican Posadas, the “O” Antiphons, at Evensong the last week before Christmas (the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is based on the Antiphons) and the rich and varied customs of almost every nation have contributed to make Advent one of the most beloved of seasons.
Advent begins next Sunday. Every day through the season we will have a short Advent meditation posted on this site, a sort of Advent Calendar for grown-ups. But I don’t want to leave out children and young people. If you have family or friends whose children might like to receive a daily Advent Calendar as an email, please let me know; we’ll collect their names and send them their own emails beginning next Sunday.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FROM THE SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS
“No one on this earth can avoid affliction; and although the afflictions which the Lord allows are rarely great, men imagine them beyond their strength and are crushed by them. They think this is because they will not humble their souls and commit themselves to the will of God. But the Lord Himself guides with His grace those who give themselves to God's will, and these bear all things with fortitude for the sake of God Whom they have so loved, and Who bears all things for them. It is impossible to escape tribulation in this world but the man who gives himself over to the will of God bears every tribulation steadfastly, knowing, by the trust he is putting in the Lord, these will pass like the winter’s waning moon."—Blessed Sophrony of Athos
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
