Weekly Thoughts

On recent visits to London I have been surprised by the number of Christmas Trees in shops, hotels and homes. It seems as though Christmas is already here and its not even December yet! When we anticipate it so far in advance will there be anything left to celebrate when we actually get there? I know that schools seem to feel the need to put on Christmas events in December rather than January and we all need to get ready for the celebrations, but do we really need six weeks to do that. There was a time remembered by John Betjeman when people did their Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve!

As far as the Church is concerned, Advent is a definite time of preparation, both for the coming festival and also for Christ’s second coming at the end of time. Perhaps better organized than Lent, it takes us through a definite historical progression: patriarchs, prophet, John the Baptist and Mary leading up to the birth of Christ. Like many other things the origins of Advent are shrouded in mystery. It seems to have begun towards the end of the fifth century and has since been marked in various different ways. The ones we are most familiar with are the Advent Carol service, in imitation of the service of Lessons and Carols held at Christmas, and the Advent Wreath, a recently imported Lutheran tradition. Less familiar are the Advent antiphons used in the week before Christmas before and after the Magnificat at Evening Prayer, these used a concatenation of Biblical images to call upon Christ to come and save us. Obsolete now is the tradition of preaching on the Four Last Things (Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell) on each the four Sundays which has been overtaken by the definite themes in the lectionary. Picturesque, although I’ve never tried it, is the Rorate Mass, a votive of the BVM, which takes its name from another Advent antiphon: Rorate coeli de super (Drop down ye heavens from above). This is celebrated by candlelight on one of the shortest days of the year and starts early in the morning before sunrise so that the sun comes up as the service proceeds. 

All these observations mark out Advent as a distinctive time of the year and a season in its own right. It’s special features and character mark it out as a special time of preparation and anticipation. It would be highly regrettable and a great loss if it fell victim to the anticipation of Christmas.

READINGS AND PRAYERS

30 NOVEMBER – FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT – Matthew 24.36 – 44 – the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour – that we may be prepared for Christ to come into our lives

1 DECEMBER – ANDREW THE APOSTLE – Romans10.12-18 – Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved – the evangelistic work of the Church

2 DECEMBER – Tuesday – Isaiah 11.1-10 – the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal – for Sarah, Archbishop designate of Canterbury

3 DECEMBER – Francis Xavier, Missionary, Apostle to the Indies, 1552 – 1 Corinthians 9.16-19, 20-23 – my reward is to offer the Good News for free – the churches of India

4 DECEMBER – Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, Founder of the Little Gidding Community, 1637 – Isaiah 61.10 – 62.5 – your God will rejoice over you – religious communities today

5 DECEMBER – Friday – Matthew 9.27-31 – Jesus heals two blind men – the healing ministry of the Church

6 DECEMBER – Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c.326 – Luke 22.24-30 – who is greater? – the Church’s ministry to children