"Lo, I am
with you, even unto the end of the age", says Jesus.
Advent is the season of preparation that begins the liturgical year. Advent
is the first part of a larger liturgical season that includes Christmas and
Epiphany and continues until the beginning of Lent. This time celebrates God
the Father's wonderful gift to the world of His only-begotten Son, sent to
save us from sin and death.
The word "advent" is derived from the Latin adventus, which means "coming"
or "arrival." Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends
on the day before Christmas. Thus it begins on 27 November 2005 and ends on
24 December at sundown.
The focus of the church during the Advent season is Christ's threefold
coming – past, present, and future. First, we remember the Lord's humble
first coming in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. This is what we celebrate
on Christmas. Second, we give thanks for His present and continual coming to
us through the Word and Sacraments. Finally, we look forward with hope and
patience to His victorious second coming as Judge and King at the end of
time.
The idea behind Advent is that God came to earthly life and lived among us,
something to celebrate, rejoice, because just by being in it, God was giving
the supreme blessing to the created world. But this birth led to an
execution of this same God on behalf of us.
Purple is the traditional color for the season of Advent. It signifies the
repentance and patience of God's people as they await the arrival of their
Lord. In more recent times, many churches (including Saint Paul's) use royal
blue, the color not only of royalty, but of hope, expectation, and heaven.
The use of blue helps distinguish Advent from the other special penitential
season of preparation, Lent.
For centuries, Advent has been a time of spiritual reflection as well as
cheer and anticipation. The beginning of Advent is a time for the hanging of
the green, decoration of the church with evergreen wreaths, boughs, or trees
that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus
the Christ. A common Advent tradition is that of the Advent wreath. The
wreath is made of evergreen branches with four candleholders and candles,
often hung from the ceiling. Lighting a candle reminds us of Christ as light
of the world. As the candle is lit, it's customary to sing two verses of "O
Come O Come Emmanuel". One candle is lit for each Sunday in Advent : one on
the first Sunday, two on the second, and so on.
Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. While Lent is
characterized by fasting and a spirit of penitence, Advent’s prayers are
prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers
for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and
anticipating a great light. Many churches have Wednesday night services and
those who come are often invited to confess their sins before a priest or
minister, or to join in group prayers afterward. An Advent Calendar, usually
simple card or poster with windows that can be opened, one each day of
Advent, to reveal some symbol or picture associated with the Old Testament
story leading up to the birth of Jesus, is a way to keep children involved
in the entire season.
Some families decorate the house for the beginning of Advent, or bake
special cookies or treats, or simply begin to use table coverings for meals.
Good bread puddings are made in advance and left chilled to age so that the
figs, raisins, and brandy flavors meld. A Gaelic custom is to bake cakes
during the last week of Advent, store them, then take them out just before
Christmas to spread on almond paste and/or a sweet goo such as frosting or
honey. On the days before Christmas, Europeans bake plaited breads in a long
oval shape, to look like a well-wrapped Christ child.
It's a time to rejoice; that our God is not far away and unfamiliar with the
struggles of human life, that Christ is here right now among His followers,
that God has already begun to bring in the Kingdom, and that Christ will
come again to make it clear who really runs the place.
