Happy First Week of Advent!

Advent has arrived.... along with the long awaited and often dreaded changes to the Roman Missal! I wondered to myself if Advent would get lost in the midst of big change. Our parish prepared us, and my impression, happily, was that the arrival was not lost. We had cards in our pews to help us along with the changes to the Mass. The Advent wreath was set up, and beautifully so on the altar. There was another beautiful outdoor Advent wreath, in front of the church, its first candle lighted! We had set up the giving tree in the front vestibule of the lobby early Saturday morning. So yes, Advent is here. And with it comes the question, what are we to do next?

We are to watch and wait, and prepare for the coming of the Christ Child! I love Advent. Until my faith journey began 5 years or so ago, I never understood the significance of Advent. After learning about Advent, and taking time each day for prayer, and reading of the Scriptures, and for reflection, I have been spiritually ready for Christmas. I have been able to embrace the true spirit of Christmas! Of course, the secular hoopla still exists, and still demands my time. And while I used to embrace that side of Christmas, it pales in comparison to the true reason of the season... the coming of the Christ Child... the coming of our Salvation!

Below are excerpts from an article entitled "History of the Advent Wreath by Fr. William Sanders." (Click here to read the entire article)

"The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. However, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. In Scandinavia during Winter, lighted candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.

By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. After all, Christ is “the Light that came into the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God (cf. John 3:19-21). By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.

The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life. Even these evergreens have a traditional meaning which can be adapted to our faith: The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of holly. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead."

In closing, I'd like to share with you this prayer I found:

"Advent Wreath Prayer for the First Week of Advent”

Bestir, O Lord, Thy might, we pray thee and come; that, defended by Thee, we may deserve rescue from approaching dangers brought on by our sins, and being set free by Thee, obtain our salvation. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Amen.

Have a glorious Advent!

Welcome 2011 - Thoughts of New Years Resolutions, Epiphany

First and Foremost, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Some may say I'm a bit late with this, but technically I am not. The Christmas season ends with "The Epiphany of the Lord", which falls on January 6th! So again, I offer you glad tidings during this joyous Christmas season! And of course I hope that 2011 is filled with joyous blessings for each and every one of you, and for all of your friends and loved onces as well!

As a child, I always dreaded the New Year. To me, it seemed more of an end rather than a beginning. As an adult I realize that the New Year is like sitting at the top of a roller coaster, ready for a big ride; perhaps one that we will ride in the dark, not knowing what we're going to encounter. It could be a good ride, or a bad one. Or it could be a combination of both good and bad... and really, that's what life is all about, isn't it? Old habits die hard, and I find myself still thinking about New Year's in this manner. However, looking at this picture, of "The Star".. so bright, so filled with hope and promise, that I remember... that even if we experience difficulties and sorrows, that we're not in the dark, we're not alone. The Birth of the Christ Child, and His subsequent death and resurrection are the greatest gift of all... they give us hope, light and the promise of our own salvation.

With Epiphany, I think of the three wisemen, traveling from the east to see the Christ Child. The brought with them gifts- Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. It's obvious that Gold is precious and valuable, but what are Frankincense and Myrrh? I found this great explanation from this website:

GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It's precious and worthy across all cultures and times. It's a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King

FRANKINCENSE: The name for this resin likely comes from incense of Franks since it was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders. Although it is better known as frankincense" to westerners the resin is also known as olibanum, which is derived from the Arabic al-lub ("the milk") a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswellia tree. Frankincense has been touted for its medicinal and soothing properties. Herbalists say it is calming, restorative, gently clarifying, and meditative. Frankincense oil is thought to have stimulating, toning, and warming properties. The ancient world used it for treating depression. We recognize the word incense in its name. Ancient people burned frankincense, believing it to carry their prayers to heaven. Its use as incense illustrates His role as our Priest.

MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the Gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Calling it mo yao, the Chinese used it for centuries to treat wounds, bruises and bleeding and to relieve painful swelling. The Egyptians made it famous in Biblical times, having acquired myrrh about the fifteenth century B.C. from Africa where cammiphora trees were abundant. It was used in incense, perfumes and holy ointments and also medicinally as recorded in the Ebers Papyrus. But its most notable use to them was that of an embalming material, used in Egyptian mummies. As an embalming ointment it signified that He was born to Die for the world. In fact, Myrrh was one of the burial spices of Jesus (John 19:39).

During Advent, I was at a gathering where someone proposed the question, "what gifts do you bring to the Baby Jesus"? I've been pondering this question for weeks now. What gifts could I bring to the Christ child? I could bring my love, my desire to be a good and obedient child of God. I could be more prayerful... I've been wanting to pray the rosary everyday. I could do this for Jesus, and in doing so, for myself and my loved ones. I could be a better steward, a better wife, a better daughter, a better sister and a better person... I could try harder in things that where I usually am slacking!

This is quite a list! And this list seems to resemble a list of New Year's resolutions as well! Maybe that was the intent of New Year's resolotions! So I am resolving to offer these gifts to the Christ Child and to be a better Child of God! Will I succeed? Who knows? I do know that I am resolved to try my best, and that's all any of us can do. And I am reminded of the words of my father so many years ago "All I as is that you try your best"!

Waiting... Waiting... Waiting...

It's Advent. This is not new, and if you're reading this blog at all, you most likely know that. Advent is a time of waiting in joyful hope for the coming of Christ. It is a time to wait and reflect. And although I am still learning about Advent, I do love it. I love that it helps to focus me on the reason for the season. The Churches are not decorated for Christmas... instead, there are advent wreaths. Priests wear purple colored vestments. It's a time and a space to get away from the hub-bub of shopping and the secular side of celebrations.

And in my reflections, it's once again very apparent to me that I don't wait well. To sit, and "just be" to be quiet and not immersed in busy work, is something that is practically impossible. I struggle with slowing my mind down, and just thinking. I told someone earlier this week that for me, waiting was like slugging my way through a bad book. I just want impatiently to get to the end of the book and know how things turned out. Everyone laughed at that, but I realized that in "skipping" to the end may give me an answer.. yet I would end up missing so much along the way. And in missing out, the answer I had gotten prematurely, would most likely not have as much meaning.

Awareness of this, however, has it's benefits. Last night, for instance, we were stuck in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. I was running late and more than a little stressed. It suddenly occurred to me that I could use this time, to just stop, and reflect on Advent and the coming of Christ.

Being more aware, and paying attention allows for good lessons to be learned. I just have to find the time to slow down... and of course, there's no time like the present!