By Jaqueline Kelly –
The first and most important day of the week is Sunday. The Church’s year has two great feasts with other lesser feasts depending on them; these are called “festal cycles” [because they come round again every year]. The two festal cycles of the Church’s year are the Christmas Cycle and the Easter Cycle. Between these festal cycles there occur the ordinary Sundays of the year.
Before Christmas Day comes we prepare ourselves for the season called “Advent”.
Advent comes from the Latin “adventus” which means arrival or coming. During Advent the Church reminds us of the second coming of Christ at the Last Day, and also of His first coming on Christmas Day. During Advent there are four Sundays. It is the four Sundays before Christmas beginning on November 30 or the Sunday nearest to it and ends at the Christmas Vigil Mass. This is the Church’s New Year’s Day. This time for Christians is a season of expectation and the period of preparation for celebration of the birth of Jesus. We remember the long years of waiting by the people of Israel for the Messiah, the messages of hope in the prophets, and how Mary and Joseph were faithful to God’s plan.
Liturgy of Advent
Advent marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical year. The word “Liturgy” itself comes from the combination of two Greek words “litos ergos” meaning “Work of the People”. In celebrating the mystery of the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Liturgy does all these things. The liturgy makes present the mystery, our catechesis helps us to understand and open our lives to this mystery. Jesus is the way to God the Father. He is the bridge that enables us to cross the great divide between God and Man. Even from the earliest moments of His earthly existence, He becomes food for His sheep. Placed in the ciborium , He becomes Our Bread of Life.
From the beginning of Advent until December 16 [first three weeks] the focus is on preparation for the coming of God’s Kingdom. From December 17 to December 24 [last week] the theme shifts to the anticipation of the birth of Jesus and His ministry.
The Gospel reading during each Sunday of Advent reflects these themes. The Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent concerns Christ’s coming at the end of time. John the Baptist is the subject of the Gospel for the Second and Third Sundays. The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday addresses the events that happened right before the birth of Jesus.
The readings from the Old Testament, especially from the Book of Isaiah, speak about the Messiah and the Messianic age. The New Testament readings reflect the themes of Advent.
The Gloria is omitted on Sundays in Advent not as a sign of repentance, but to create a longing that will inspire people to sing it more joyfully at Christmas.
Liturgical Colour
Since Advent is a time of expectation and preparation, the colours violet or purple are used in the vestments and decorations. Purple is a colour that was reserved for use by royalty, and so it is used in Advent to symbolize the coming of Christ our King, as celebrated at Christmas and as we prepare for the coming of God’s kingdom.
The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice. The vestments worn on this day may be the colour rose to symbolize the hope for the coming of Jesus.
In the Christmas cycle there are two chief feasts. On Christmas Day [December 25] we celebrate the birth of our Divine Saviour. On the feast of the Epiphany of our Lord [January 6] we rejoice that Christ, the King of the world, has made Himself known to all peoples. Forty days after Christmas [February 2] we have the feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, which is also called the Purification, or Candlemas Day. On these days the liturgical colour is white.
From the Sunday after the Epiphany until Septuagesima there may be as many as six Sundays, all called “Sundays after the Epiphany”. On these Sundays the colour is green.
Advent Symbols
The Advent Wreath – During Advent there are no flowers decorating the Church, but it is customary to have an Advent Crown also known as an Advent Wreath. The Advent Wreath which has German origin, is probably the most popular Advent custom. It is a wreath made of evergreen plants such as holly and ivy bound to a circle of wire. This symbolizes God with no beginning or end. This evergreen is a reminder that God does not change. The holly is also a symbol of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when He was crucified. The wreath represents the many years from Adam to Christ during which the world awaited the coming of a Redeemer. It also represents the years that we have awaited His second and final coming in glory.
The Advent Candles – Candles maybe placed inside or outside the wreath. Four candles are fixed round the circle and another is placed in the middle. Various colours of candles have been used such as three purple and a pink with a white in the middle. The unlit candles represent darkness. One purple candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. On the second Sunday it is lit again together with another purple one, the third purple one is lit on the third Sunday and on the fourth Sunday the pink candle is included. On Christmas Day the white candle is also lit representing Jesus Christ as the light of the world. A recent idea is to use four red candles and one white, red being a colour associated with Christmas.
The candles act as reminders to Christians:
The first candle is the candle of “Hope”, so prayers on this day focus on hope. This candle represents the “Patriarchs” such as Abraham and David.
The second candle is a symbol of God’s “Peace”. This candle reminds Christians of the Prophets who foretold that the Messiah would be born.
The third candle represents “Love” and stands for John the Baptist who baptised Jesus.
The fourth candle symbolizes “Joy” and when this candle is lit Christians remember Mary the Mother of Jesus who was joyful when the angel Gabriel told her that she was to have a special baby.
The fifth candle reminds Christians of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.
The three purple candles are lit on “Penitential” Sundays and a rose or pink one for Gaudete, the joyful third Sunday in Advent.
The candles remind us that we are preparing for Jesus, the Light of the World.
Shelter-seeking[An African custom]
This old custom probably originated in Austria and was brought to South-Africa by the Schoenstatt Family Movement. Shelter-seeking is a novena in preparation for Christ’s coming. For nine days, the statue of the Blessed Mother is brought to different homes, where it is welcomed by the family with scripture reading, story, song and prayer.
On the final night of shelter-seeking , families are invited to come together at a Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt or other suitable place.
Shelter-seeking reminds us of Mary and Joseph looking for a shelter when Jesus was about to be born. At Bethlehem, “there was no room for them in the inn”. It also reminds us of Christ’s coming into our world today. In Biblical times, a jubilee year was celebrated every fifty years as an opportunity for the people to begin anew. Debts were cancelled, slaves set free and land restored.
Christmas Novena [Saint Andrew Novena]
Say 15 times a day from Saint Andrew’s Day [November 30], ending on Christmas Eve.
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His most blessed Mother. AMEN.
May the liturgical season of Advent enable us to cleanse our hearts and enrich our lives to prepare for the Birthday of Jesus.