Let us Begin Advent and Prepare for Christmas
Can you believe it is time for another NEW Year? How do you plan to receive Christ this year?
Myself, I plan to focus on my own health. I have struggled with diabetes for over 25 years and I plan on working on my body more perfectly to make room for Christ. One of my favorite spiritual authors for this time period is the late Carol Houselander. I believe her canonization is in process. She is known by some as the divine psychologist. You can look her up here: http://www.catholicauthors.com/houselander.html
One striking quote from one of her many writings is:
"Christ asks for a home in your soul, where he can be at rest with you, where he can talk easily to you, where you and he, alone together, can laugh and be silent and be delighted with one another." (Caryll Houselander, Thomas Hoffman (2000). “A Child in Winter: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with Caryll Houselander”, p.80, Rowman & Littlefield)
For more information on Carol Houselander: Click Here
Advent is a time for renewal and preparation. Traditionally it has always been about three comings:
1. The coming of Jesus in your heart at Christmas.
2. The coming of Jesus when you meet him face to face at the hour of your personal death.
3. The third coming is about the Parousia, when at the end of the world Christ will come to judge the world. For more information: (click here)
Let us all turn to Mary and her Spouse St Joseph for models of how we should prepare for this Advent.
The Season of Advent in the Catholic Church
by Scott P. Richert
In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ. This refers, first of all, to our celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas; but second, to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and finally, to His second coming at the end of time.
Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.
First We Fast, Then We Feast
That's why Advent has traditionally been known as a "little Lent." As in Lent, Advent should be marked by increased prayer, fasting, and good works. While the Western Church no longer has a set requirement for fasting during Advent, the Eastern Church (both Catholic and Orthodox) continues to observe what is known as Philip's Fast, from November 15 until Christmas.
Traditionally, all great feasts have been preceded by a time of fasting, which makes the feast itself more joyful. Sadly, Advent today has supplanted by "the Christmas shopping season," so that by Christmas Day, many people no longer enjoy the feast.
The Symbols of Advent
In its symbolism, the Church continues to stress the penitential and preparatory nature of Advent. As during Lent, priests wear purple vestments, and the Gloria ("Glory to God") is omitted during Mass. The only exception is on the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday when priests can wear rose-colored vestments. As on Laetare Sunday during Lent, this exception is designed to encourage us to continue our prayer and fasting, because we can see that Advent is more than halfway over.
The Advent Wreath
Perhaps the best-known of all Advent symbols is the Advent wreath, a custom which originated among German Lutherans but was soon adopted by Catholics. Consisting of four candles(three purple and one pink) arranged in a circle with evergreen boughs (and often a fifth, white candle in the center), the Advent wreath corresponds to the four Sundays of Advent. The purple candles represent the penitential nature of the season, while the pink candle calls to mind the respite of Gaudete Sunday. (The white candle, when used, represents Christmas.)
Celebrating Advent
We can better enjoy Christmas—all 12 days of it, from Christmas Day to Epiphany—if we revive Advent as a period of preparation. Abstaining from meat on Fridays, or not eating at all between meals, is a good way to revive the Advent fast. (Not eating Christmas cookies or listening to Christmas music before Christmas is another.) We can incorporate such customs as the Advent wreath, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, and the Jesse Tree into our daily ritual, and we can set some time aside for special scripture readings for Advent, which remind us of the threefold coming of Christ.
Holding off on putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations is another way to remind ourselves that the feast is not here yet. Traditionally, such decorations were put up on Christmas Eve, but they would not be taken down until after Epiphany, in order to celebrate the Christmas season to its fullest.
Source:
Scott P. Richert has a master's in political theory from Catholic University. Author of two books, he has written and edited Catholic publications for over two decades. See: Thoughtco- The Seaon of Advent in the Catholic Church