I like Advent very much. Not growing up a Catholic, my childhood Protestant Church at the time had no Advent to precede Christmas. So, among the many spiritual riches of our Catholic Tradition, I was given Advent when I started attending the Catholic Church.
Even still, our society doesn’t celebrate Advent at all. There is a diminished sense that the time before Christmas is still a time of preparation. But business has high-jacked this time as a time to buy gifts, to spend lavishly, even if you have to go into debt. (See this sad article: HERE).
And I suppose in order to get people in the "Christmas mood" to buy gifts, business has promoted decorating ever earlier for Christmas (I think the TV shopping channels have had Christmas trees and decorations in October!) and the shops play Christmas carols earlier and we have Christmas parties and Live Nativity scenes in the Protestant churches and TV Christmas specials —all before Christmas Day, which is still, by the way, December 25th.
I am no Grinch when it comes to Christmas. I love Christmas. But it makes little sense to me to over-celebrate the things of Christmas before the actual day of Christmas. Some will decorate now and enjoy the parties and listen to carols and that is ok---I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty for whatever celebration we chose to enjoy!
But for the Church, we are not right now in the Christmas Season. You are going to notice that the Church (at least the Catholic Church) does not sing Christmas carols or decorate or celebrate Christmas before Christmas Day. Yes, there will be a Children’s Christmas Play on Dec. 8 and other parish Christmas parties, some of which I will gladly attend. I’m not rigid in my Advent Observance. But I do wish Advent was not so drowned out in our lives as it tends to be. At least when we enter the Church during this time, we can fnd some alternative space to reflect upon the message of Advent.
The Church does have a Christmas Season–it’s for about 3 weeks after Decemeber 25 (more today than the 12 Days of Christmas of yore which ended on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany). Then the Church celebrates by singing Christmas carols and decorating and the Priests put on their finest vestments. But because society has been pushing everything Christmas (except the religious stuff), (more today than the 12 Days of Christmas of yore which ended on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany). Then the Church celebrates by singing Christmas carols and decorating and the Priests put on their finest vestments. But because society has been pushing everything Christmas (except the religious stuff), I fear our Catholic people will be exhausted by actual Christmas Day ands want it to all be over. For many Protestants it is over after December 25.
There are two remedies for this, short of a Vatican takeover of the United States and a subsequent prohibition of Christmas celebration before December 25.
First, I am very blessed as a Priest that every day of Advent (over its almost 4 weeks) I will celebrate Advent Masses. The Scripture Readings and prayers and songs in these Masses are all about Advent and the various comings of the Lord (Second Coming at the end of time, First coming at Christmas, and how he comes to us in between these two events).
Every day I will pray the Liturgy of the Hours (the Church’s Official Morning and Evening Prayer and other spiritual readings), where everything is again geared for Advent. I will be reading some book specifically about Advent as daily spiritual meditation. And I have to preach Advent for 4 weeks. This means I get to live in "the world of Advent" while still stepping in and out of our consumer society’s "holiday season."
I suggest to anyone reading this that you can experience some of this yourself without having to enter a monastery! The U.S. Bishops website has the daily Scripture Readings for Mass (HERE). You could read these Scripture passages daily for a "taste of Advent." You could, if so blessed, actually attend some daily Masses in Advent. You might also read a Catholic daily devotional booklet (like Living Faith) which gives meditations on Advent. The U. S. Bishops website also has a very brief daily video reflection which will be on Advent until December 25. (Found on the same page as the daily Mass Readings)
Second, when Christmas does come, then we can celebrate what I call "the Spiritual Christmas Season." But I shall have more to say on that later.
Till then, "Merry Advent!"
View and Listen to a Beautiful Advent Hymn HERE
