Before that, however, is the Feast of Christ the King, this Sunday--the Culmination of Ordinary Time and the last big feast of the Church year. As Ordinary Time has come to an end, the readings have focused us on Jesus' life and teachings and they will end with a flourish reminding us that He is our King, the ruler of our our hearts, to whom we owe quite simply ...everything.
Advent, the season which begins the new Church year, prepares us for the birth of Christ. Take time to meditate on what the Incarnation really means--God taking humanity to Himself, to live as one of us, among us, and to redeem us and reconcile us to Himself. The Advent readings will take us through the expectation of the Jewish people for the Messiah, which we see fully realized in Christ. But it is important to remember that we have experienced His first Advent, and now wait as expectantly as the ancient Jews ever did, not for His first coming, but for His Second Advent.
You will see the color of vestments change from green to purple and the decorations in the church become more subdued. Advent is a time of prayer and preparation, the lesser of the two penitential seasons, both in length and severity. I would encourage you to set aside time for prayer and meditation, take on a new devotional practice (maybe the Advent wreath, killing two birds with one stone...) and to find a way to add both penance and almsgiving to your routine. Purple is the color of royalty, and we use it to mark the preparation for the coming of the Infant King. But it is also the color of suffering and penance, and it reminds us that Jesus' birth cannot be separated from His death--that the Incarnation is intimately tied to the Crucifixion. Advent is rich in reflections.
Unlike the rest of the world, we will not be singing Christmas carols during Advent and you won't see decorations in the church until late in Advent. Traditionally, Christmas decorations don't go up until Christmas Eve--though that's usually not the case these days, even in my house. But do try to avoid the ever present Christmas carols until Christmas actually arrives on the evening of the 24th. You'll be surprised how much more they will mean if you do. (I refuse to go to the mall and limit my time in stores because I really do want to avoid Christmas carols....I've been known to walk through Bi-Lo with earphones in listening to my tunes rather than hear one more pa-rum-pa-pa-pum....it's turned out to be one way to limit the economic excesses of the season as well.)
Christmas carols commence in Catholic worship on the vigil of Christmas (Dec 24, evening) and we sing them for twelve days (just like in the song...) ...until Epiphany. So when everyone else is sick and tired of carols, we will just be starting on them. When everyone else is done with Christmas, we'll just be getting geared up....being Catholic is definitely counter-cultural in December! I have found great joy over the years in keeping to the traditional calendar, and would encourage you to give it a try. After all, the Incarnation is such an important Event, it needs more than a single day to honor it.
Try getting a selection of Advent music to listen to. Here's what's on my Advent playlist"
The O Antiphones
O Come Emmanuel
On Jordan's Banks
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Creator of the Stars of Night (Latin and English...)
Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
The King Shall Come
People Look East
Magnificat
O Magnum Mysterium
Wake, O Wake
Patience People
Come Thou Almighty King
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Comfort, Comfort O My People
Saviour of the Nations Come
O Come Divine Messiah
There are several Advent collections on iTunes, and another great tradition is the service of Lessons and Carols, also available on CD from several sources--Check out Wyoming Catholic College for their version--magnificent, and buying from them helps keep a light of Catholic education burning....
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