A Concord Pastor Comments: The Word FOR Advent is the Word ON Advent!

Can't tell you how many times I heard on the radio today that "the Christmas season has officially begun." One would be hard pressed to find a clearer indication that in American culture, Christmas is intimately linked, even identified, with shopping for gifts and decorating homes, inside and out. The Thanksgiving turkey isn't even fully digested before folks have hit the stores and plugged in the lights on the tree.

For those of us who haven't ho-ho-ho'ed even once yet, here's a refresher on a whole season that comes between Thanksgiving and Christmas: Advent!

Here's a thumbnail sketch of how the season of Advent developed in the life and history of the Church.

In 490, Bishop Perpetuus of Tours officially declared Advent a penitential season in the Frankish Church of Western Europe, ordering a fast on three days of every week from November 11 (the feast of St. Martin of Tours) till Christmas. This forty days' fast, similar to Lent, was originally called Quadragesima Sancti Martini (Forty Days' Fast of Saint Martin's) - or - St. Martin's Lent. The readings for the Masses in this season were taken from the liturgies of Lent.

By contrast, the Advent season of the Roman liturgy, developing a century after that of the Frankish Church, was a non-penitential, festive and joyful time of preparation for Christmas. When the Church unified the liturgical season, the non-penitential nature of the Roman Advent conflicted with the longer and penitential Gallic Advent. By the thirteenth century a compromise was reached, which combined the fasting and penitential character of the Gallic observance with the Mass texts and shorter four-week cycle of the Roman Advent liturgy. The liturgy of Advent remained substantially unaltered until Vatican II mandated a few minor changes to more clearly delineate the spirit of the Lenten and Advent seasons.

- Jennifer Miller

One of the best ways to understand Advent is to survey the scripture readings for the season: not a hint of holly, not a mention of mistletoe!

At the US Bishops site you'll find the scriptures for the Sundays of Advent (First, Second, Third, and Fourth). Take a look and ask yourself, "Where is the Word taking us in Advent? For what, for whom are we preparing? What's Christmas all about?"

I've already posted a link to this Sunday's scriptures and commentary on them, all found on the St. Louis University Sunday Liturgy page. Spend a few extra minutes looking at this coming Sunday's readings.

Happy Advent!