Tuesday, November 27, 2007

ADVENT - WHAT'S THAT?

Last Sunday the Church Year ended and the Christian season of Advent began. Advent is a time of preparation for Christ's coming. We live between two advents: Advent I was Christ's first coming to the world through human birth as Mary's Son at Bethlehem, and Advent II is Christ's second coming in judgment, on the last day. 80% of the world's 1.5 billion Christians observe the liturgical season of Advent in some way.

Advent has been around since 490 AD when Perpetuus, bishop of Tours, advocated fasting from St. Martin's day, November 11, to Christmas Eve. Sometime later Advent began the Sunday closest to St. Andrew's Day, November 30, The season can last anywhere from 22 to 28 days and is usually observed with some solemnity, its color being purple for penitence, or more recently, blue. Advent is always the time to prepare for Christ's coming.

Among many middle eastern Christians, St. Barbara's Day, December 4, signals the beginning of the Christmas season. In Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and parts of Germany, St. Nicholas' Day, December 6, begins Christmas festivities when shoes or stockings are set out to be filled with gifts for good children. Some Dutch people still gather to watch St. Nick's ship land in Amsterdam, then watch him ride off on his white horse. Obviously, a lot of this pageantry crossed over to America, except that our St. Nicholas arrives via the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade but doesn't deliver his gifts until December 24.

Swedes wait until St. Lucy's Day, December 13, to commence their Christmas observances. Lucy, who died in Italy in 304 AD, became a favorite among Scandinavian Christians in the eleventh century. Lucy's name comes from the Latin word lux (light). Scandinavians were pretty desperate for light around that time of year, so they latched onto St. Lucy. Her annual remembrance involves a girl from each household wearing a wreath of lingonberry leaves and lighted candles on her head while coming down the stairway, and then serves the family breakfast.

Advent II is a time of waiting, not just for Christmas, but especially for Christ's Second Coming. Our Lord Jesus came to be our Savior, and He will come again on Judgment Day at a time no one knows. Christians should be prepared by worshipping the Lord regularly, reading His Word often, and daily trusting Him for all things. Like Jesus' parable of the Wise Young Maidens tells us, only those who are ready for the Lord will be invited into the Wedding Feast. Being ready means trusting God for all things at all times.

Happy Advent!

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