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RECTOR'S NOTES
(previous Notes are archived under related links) |
October to December, 2011
GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS: THE ADVENT WREATH |
As the days shorten and the the light fades, the very hours themselves seem to vanish. It seems like once again
an entire year has passed us by and we have been thrown into the hustle and bustle of holiday season. School has
barely started and already you can find stores stocking their shelves with holidya fare. But notice I did not say
Christmas season. As you can imagine this was quite purposeful. Very little of what we do this time of year is
actually concerned with Christmas (by the way, have you bought all your presents yet? My point exactly!). In fact,
even in our own Anglican tradition, we pay very little attention to the Advent season, which starts on
November 27th this year, a time meant to shift our attention away from the temporal world and redirect it to the
eternal reality of the Kingdom of God. The season of Advent is meant to be a time of penitential preparation and
watchfulness. Simply put, if we are serious about getting ready for Christmas (and not just the holidays) we should
pay more attention to Advent, not just on Sundays, but on the other six days of the week as well.
To do this, a little background might be helpful. The word "advent" itself means "coming" or "arrival" (from the
Latin adventus). For us, this means Jusus is coming. Of course, as a baby at Christmas, but also as our victorious
Saviour at His second coming. The season of Advent reminds us that Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, came to
us one Christmas (although not the way we imagine it today) and has promised He will come again. The first time
was to save and seek the lost (that is to tell people the good news about the Kingdom of God) and the second time
will be to bring into fullness His kingdom and to judge all who have stood in opposition to it. So, if Jesus is coming,
how do we get ready?
Well, we follow lthrough on what Sunday has set us up for. During Advent, we use the colour purple (the same
colour used during Lent, helping us prepare for Easter) to remind us not only of the royalty of Jesus Christ, but also
of the penitential nature of the season leading up to Christmas. In some cases, the modern innovation has been to
change the colour purple to blue, to help us differentiate between the two liturgical seasons. In any case, it basically
means that we are to take a serious and honest look at our lives and ask ourselves: Are we loving God with all our
heart, mind, soul and strength (praying and talking to God regularly, reading His word in the Bible, asking His
forgiveness and living our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him), and are we loving others as we love ourselves
(treating others the way that we want to be treated, offering forgiveness, helping those in need, living a life pleasing
to ourselves and others). The watchfulness part is a little harder.
Being watchful means looking for signs of Jesus and His Kingdom already apparent and at work in the world all
around us. Now, that may seem to be easier said than done, but fear not, your Church and its traditions have a
built-in, fool proof way to help us keep watchful throughout Advent.
Sometime during the Middle Ages, an inspired anonymous Christian (some say it was a monk) adopted an ancient
European custom and a new Advent tradition was born: the Advent wreath. The wreath itself is a very meaningful
and yet simple way to remember what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to bring hope, peace, joy and love (signs
of Jesus and the Kingdom of God!). On each of the four Sundays in Advent, we light a candle on the Advent
wreath that represents one of these signs. The first purple candle is the candle of Hope. The second purple candle
is the candle of Peace. The third pink (or rose) candle is the candle of Joy. And the fourth candle is the candle of
Love. In some places and at our church, a fifth and final white candle is placed at the centre of the wreath to
represent Christ (the Light of the world - John 3:19-21), and is lit on Christmas Eve and throughout the twelve days
of Christmas until Epiphany (Oh, and by the way, the pink candle is there to add a bit of colour in a rather dreary
time of year, and to mark the halfway point on the journey through Advent). But this tradition need not stay in or at
the church. In fact, the original tradition was for Christians to light the wreaths at home after the blessing of the
evening meal. Every night the family wourld gather, give thanks for their food and then say an Advent prayer while
the youngest child would light the appropriate candle(s).
As we all get caught up in the business of the holidays, let's make a conscious effort to remember why we
celebrate this time of year and why Christmas is so special. As we wait for the days to lengthen and the craziness
to subside, just take a moment each night and light a candle and relax. But don't just light any candle, light your
Advent candle. Your wreath doesn't have to be fancy (we use a log with holes drilled into it at our house. It's our
Advent Log!), but take a moment to remember that God loves you and that He has sent His son to you, to bring you
hope, peace, joy and love. And even if you can't remember the right candles for the day (I even have trouble
keeping them straight from year to year), just remember that Jesus came to bring warmth and light into an otherwise
dark and cold world. God bless you and your family now and in the coming Advent season!
If you would like more information about the Advent wreath or prayers you and your family could use this
Advent season, please contact your friendly neighbourhood parish priest.
To the Glory of God
The Rev. Alan Getty |
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