THE SEASON OF ADVENT
Advent is a ‘Liturgical Season’ that began in the ninth century. The word advent is derived from the Latin root: adventus which simply means ‘coming’. In the context of our religion it means the coming of Jesus as a saving event. Obviously, this is good news as it gives new hope. People naturally prepare themselves and joyfully wait for this event. So, summarily, advent is a time of Hope, Joy and preparation.
The early Christian communities celebrated the incarnation of Jesus differently with different names such as: Advent, Epiphany and Nativity. All these three names denote the same reality: the redemptive revelation of God.
The incarnation of Jesus was celebrated at different dates. In some places it was celebrated on January 6. Christmas was also celebrated in the months March or May in certain other places. The celebration of Christmas on the 25 of December started in the fourth century. There were two prominent reasons for this change.
1. The ‘Solar Festival of the Romans’ was celebrated on December 25th. In order to counter the Roman Pagan religion, the church decided to celebrate the Birth Day of Jesus, the real Sun that enlightens the world, on December 25th.
2. December 25th is the longest night of the year. The longest night symbolically indicates the dominance of darkness over the world. Evidently, the world is in need of a sun that can overthrow the rule of darkness. Jesus is the light (sun).The celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25th is right, fitting and proper.
The Historical development of Advent
A. In the eastern Churches and in France, in lieu of the Nativity of Jesus, people celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. According to their theology, it was at the time of His baptism that the Divinity of Jesus was fully revealed. The Baptism of Jesus was the only recorded incident where the entire Trinity was present. On the other hand, in the Western Churches, the visit of the three Wise Men was celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany. Again in the Eastern Churches, the epiphany was a Baptismal Feast. It was the time for the renewal of Baptismal vows. Hence they observed this period of preparation as if it were Lent. Modeled after the 40-day lent, they observed 40 Lenten Type days before the Baptismal Feast. They started this on November 11, on the feast day of St. Martin. This was known as St. Martin Lent. Actually this practice started in the diocese of Tours (380) and then in 581 the Council of Macon reduced these days into four weeks and introduced in France. In short, Advent was an ascetic period in the East.
B. The Epiphany was not a baptismal feast in the Western Churches. It was the visitation of the three Wise Men. The focus was on the Birth of Jesus. Naturally advent was not a Lenten period but a period of Liturgical Celebration.
C. The Roman Liturgy was introduced in the Gallican Church in the 9th Century. Because of this new Liturgy, their understanding of Advent went through a Change. Advent became a mixture of Lenten and Liturgical celebrations. In the Gallican Church, Advent was also a period of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus. This Gallican understanding of Advent influenced the Roman view of Advent. Hence from the 10 the century onwards, Advent added a new nuance, the expectation of the second coming of Jesus.
D. There was a second reason for this new development in the understanding of Advent. The redemptive work that Jesus inaugurated would complete only with the final judgment and with the inauguration of the eschatological era. Thus Advent acquired a wider meaning: the expectation of the Final Judgment, his coming in Majesty.
E. In the 20th century with the advancement of theology, Advent acquired a third dimension: the coming of Jesus in Mystery. Jesus has come in history. He w9ill come in Majesty. But he has never left the church. He is present in the church through the sacraments and many other ways.
The Spirit of Advent
The Spirit of advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom. There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. Advent is therefore not simply a time of celebrating a historical event, it is not a just period of hope but a time for deepening our awareness of the presence of Christ in us and in his Church. Between His first and second coming, Jesus is still coming in grace. It is ca time of awareness and awakening. The prayer of Advent is:
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
And ransom captive Israel!
==================+++++++=========================
Christmas Trees
Use of Christmas tree came from a Germanic Tribe. They were tree worshipers. The main reason for worshiping All Green Tree was their growth was upwards. When they accepted Christianity, they retained their reverence for the trees but with a new meaning. As per their thinking the incarnation of Jesus gave human being a God orientation and thus an upward movement. The Christmas Trees symbolizes this new movement in Jesus.
The Advent Wreath
The advent wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, his eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.
Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others( Is 42:6) The progression in the lightning of the candles symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. Finally the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas.
The first candle is traditionally the candle of Hope or expectation. The remaining three candles are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. The sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angel. Or peace, joy and love. Or John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. The third Candle for the third Sunday is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the advent of the Christ. The Center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
The colors of Advent
Historically, the primary color of advent is purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple is also the color used during lent and holy week. It points out an important connection between His birth and death. However, many churches use blue to distinguish between the seasons of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use bright blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation.
The Christmas Crib
The Christmas Crib dates back to St. Francis of Assisi. It was in 1293 that the fist Crèche was celebrated in the woods of Greccio near Assisi, on Christmas Eve. Francis called upon John (Messier Giovanni Velitta), a holy man of that city, about two weeks before Christmas and said to him, I want to enact the memory of the Infant who was born at Bethlehem and how he was bedded in the manger on hay between a donkey and an ox. I want to see all of this with my own eyes.” The man prepared everything that Francis had told him. Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The crowds gathered and rejoiced in the celebration. Solemn Mass was sung. After the Mass, Francis went to the crib and stretched out his arms as though the holy Child was there. The Babe appeared and empty manger was filled with the radiance of the new born King.
St. Francis’ idea of bringing Bethlehem into one’s own town spread quickly all over the Christian world, and soon there were Christmas cribs in churches and homes. The Moravian Germans brought this custom to the United States.
========================+++++++++++==========================
Advent is a ‘Liturgical Season’ that began in the ninth century. The word advent is derived from the Latin root: adventus which simply means ‘coming’. In the context of our religion it means the coming of Jesus as a saving event. Obviously, this is good news as it gives new hope. People naturally prepare themselves and joyfully wait for this event. So, summarily, advent is a time of Hope, Joy and preparation.
The early Christian communities celebrated the incarnation of Jesus differently with different names such as: Advent, Epiphany and Nativity. All these three names denote the same reality: the redemptive revelation of God.
The incarnation of Jesus was celebrated at different dates. In some places it was celebrated on January 6. Christmas was also celebrated in the months March or May in certain other places. The celebration of Christmas on the 25 of December started in the fourth century. There were two prominent reasons for this change.
1. The ‘Solar Festival of the Romans’ was celebrated on December 25th. In order to counter the Roman Pagan religion, the church decided to celebrate the Birth Day of Jesus, the real Sun that enlightens the world, on December 25th.
2. December 25th is the longest night of the year. The longest night symbolically indicates the dominance of darkness over the world. Evidently, the world is in need of a sun that can overthrow the rule of darkness. Jesus is the light (sun).The celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25th is right, fitting and proper.
The Historical development of Advent
A. In the eastern Churches and in France, in lieu of the Nativity of Jesus, people celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. According to their theology, it was at the time of His baptism that the Divinity of Jesus was fully revealed. The Baptism of Jesus was the only recorded incident where the entire Trinity was present. On the other hand, in the Western Churches, the visit of the three Wise Men was celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany. Again in the Eastern Churches, the epiphany was a Baptismal Feast. It was the time for the renewal of Baptismal vows. Hence they observed this period of preparation as if it were Lent. Modeled after the 40-day lent, they observed 40 Lenten Type days before the Baptismal Feast. They started this on November 11, on the feast day of St. Martin. This was known as St. Martin Lent. Actually this practice started in the diocese of Tours (380) and then in 581 the Council of Macon reduced these days into four weeks and introduced in France. In short, Advent was an ascetic period in the East.
B. The Epiphany was not a baptismal feast in the Western Churches. It was the visitation of the three Wise Men. The focus was on the Birth of Jesus. Naturally advent was not a Lenten period but a period of Liturgical Celebration.
C. The Roman Liturgy was introduced in the Gallican Church in the 9th Century. Because of this new Liturgy, their understanding of Advent went through a Change. Advent became a mixture of Lenten and Liturgical celebrations. In the Gallican Church, Advent was also a period of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus. This Gallican understanding of Advent influenced the Roman view of Advent. Hence from the 10 the century onwards, Advent added a new nuance, the expectation of the second coming of Jesus.
D. There was a second reason for this new development in the understanding of Advent. The redemptive work that Jesus inaugurated would complete only with the final judgment and with the inauguration of the eschatological era. Thus Advent acquired a wider meaning: the expectation of the Final Judgment, his coming in Majesty.
E. In the 20th century with the advancement of theology, Advent acquired a third dimension: the coming of Jesus in Mystery. Jesus has come in history. He w9ill come in Majesty. But he has never left the church. He is present in the church through the sacraments and many other ways.
The Spirit of Advent
The Spirit of advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom. There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. Advent is therefore not simply a time of celebrating a historical event, it is not a just period of hope but a time for deepening our awareness of the presence of Christ in us and in his Church. Between His first and second coming, Jesus is still coming in grace. It is ca time of awareness and awakening. The prayer of Advent is:
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
And ransom captive Israel!
==================+++++++=========================
Christmas Trees
Use of Christmas tree came from a Germanic Tribe. They were tree worshipers. The main reason for worshiping All Green Tree was their growth was upwards. When they accepted Christianity, they retained their reverence for the trees but with a new meaning. As per their thinking the incarnation of Jesus gave human being a God orientation and thus an upward movement. The Christmas Trees symbolizes this new movement in Jesus.
The Advent Wreath
The advent wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, his eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.
Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others( Is 42:6) The progression in the lightning of the candles symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. Finally the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas.
The first candle is traditionally the candle of Hope or expectation. The remaining three candles are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. The sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angel. Or peace, joy and love. Or John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. The third Candle for the third Sunday is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the advent of the Christ. The Center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
The colors of Advent
Historically, the primary color of advent is purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple is also the color used during lent and holy week. It points out an important connection between His birth and death. However, many churches use blue to distinguish between the seasons of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use bright blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation.
The Christmas Crib
The Christmas Crib dates back to St. Francis of Assisi. It was in 1293 that the fist Crèche was celebrated in the woods of Greccio near Assisi, on Christmas Eve. Francis called upon John (Messier Giovanni Velitta), a holy man of that city, about two weeks before Christmas and said to him, I want to enact the memory of the Infant who was born at Bethlehem and how he was bedded in the manger on hay between a donkey and an ox. I want to see all of this with my own eyes.” The man prepared everything that Francis had told him. Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The crowds gathered and rejoiced in the celebration. Solemn Mass was sung. After the Mass, Francis went to the crib and stretched out his arms as though the holy Child was there. The Babe appeared and empty manger was filled with the radiance of the new born King.
St. Francis’ idea of bringing Bethlehem into one’s own town spread quickly all over the Christian world, and soon there were Christmas cribs in churches and homes. The Moravian Germans brought this custom to the United States.
========================+++++++++++==========================
No comments:
Post a Comment