Posted on 11/29/2003 8:34:00 AM PST by Salvation
ADVENT The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event. Since the 900s Advent has been considered the beginning of the Church year. This does not mean that Advent is the most important time of the year. Easter has always had this honor. The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes. |
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The Prophet Elijah
To understand the biblical meaning of prophet, one has to distinguish it from the popular notion that a prophet predicts the future. A person who claims to do that is more along the lines of an oracle" -- someone who is asked a question, consults the divinity, and gives a response.
The word prophet comes from a Greek word that means one who speaks on behalf of another. In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the another is God. Thus, prophets are those who speak on behalf of God. They have the gift of seeing things from Gods perspective and their primary focus is on the present. Insofar as they talk about the consequences of the present course of action, they also look to the future. It would be best to say: Prophets forewarn; they dont foretell.
The prophet Elijah (mentioned in the Gospel passage in the next post) was one of the greatest prophets in Israel, even though he left no written works. He was a solitary figure, and lived in caves.
Elijah was noted for his emphasis on Yahweh as the one and only God. When King Ahab married Jezebel (a pagan), she introduced rituals to the god Baal. Elijah strongly objected, and he had to flee for his life.
In the three-year cycle of Sunday scripture readings during Advent, the first reading always describes the words and/or actions of one of the prophets.
The 2nd Book of Kings describes Elijah, in his final days, talking with the prophet Elisha when a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Thus it was believed that he did not taste death.
Some 300 years later in the books of Malachi, God says Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes. Jewish theologians took this to mean that Elijah would return before the Messiah came.
So the disciples ask: If Elijah hasnt returned, how could Jesus be the Messiah? Jesus gives the answer: John the Baptist is the Elijah figure prophesied by Malachi.
The Gospel writers do not give us a biography of Jesus, but answer the question: Who is Jesus?
All four Gospels answer: He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. He has come to begin the final preparation for the kingdom of God.
Picture Jesus saying to you (as he once said to the disciples): Who do you say that I am?
Give your answer not in the abstract, but to him
Why Am I Doing This?
She lived alone, as so many do. And she felt it especially at Christmas, as so many do
Decorating her Christmas tree, she began to argue with herself, an argument shed had several times before in these days before Christmas. Why am I doing this? No one will see it, and I dont need it.
Then she heard herself say, You have to do this. Not so that others will see it, but to remind yourself that the hope is real not just words or a dream. Its real. Jesus really did come. And so you really have a tree, and you decorate it, and you buy real gifts, and you go to Midnight Mass, and you have a real Christmas dinner. This is how you keep the hope alive and real.
Zechariah was one of approximately 18,000 Jewish priests in Palestine at the time of Jesus.
They were divided in 24 groups of 750 each. Twice a year, each group came to the Temple in Jerusalem to serve for a week. Their roles during this week of service were chosen by lot. Some of them, in a given week, werent chosen to do anything.
Each morning four lots were cast to decide who would carry out the four tasks at the altar. Then in the afternoon a fifth lot was cast to determine who would enter the Holy Place to offer the evening incense. This extraordinary privilege usually came only once in a lifetime.
In Lukes account, when the afternoon lot was cast, Zechariah was chosen to enter the Holy Place and offer the evening incense. It was there that the angel appeared to him to announce the birth of John
The name Elizabeth was not a common name in Jewish culture. The Hebrew word, El, means God. The name Elizabeth means God is the fullness.
Since she was a descendant of Aaron, Elizabeth was of priestly stock. This meant that any of her sons would be eligible to serve as a priest in the Temple.
Elizabeth, childless for many year, conceived and gave birth to the child about whom Jesus would one day say, Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist."
Gone with the Wind
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1900, Margaret Mitchell was the daughter of an attorney father and a devoutly Irish Catholic mother.
Margaret was always interested in her citys history. At one time she wrote feature articles on Atlantas historical roots for the Atlanta Journals Sunday magazine.
In 1926 she left this job to become a full-time housewife, doing some free-lance writing on the side. When one day, she broke her ankle and was confined to her small apartment, she voraciously read the countless library books her husband would bring home to her. Jokingly, he told her that if she was going to have anything left to read, shed have to write a book herself.
So she did. It would take her 10 years to finish it, but Margaret Mitchell sat down and began to write Gone with the Wind.
The movie Gone with the Wind starring Vivian Leigh as the Irish Catholic Scarlett OHara premiered on this date in 1939.
I wrote about people who had gumption and people who didnt. (Margaret Mitchell)
If Matthews Gospel were being performed as a drama, this is the point where the orchestra would suddenly strike an ominous chord. Something bad is about to happen.
Up north in Galilee, Jesus had been confronted at times by Pharisees and scribes. But how he is in the big city, and in the Temple area. Suddenly, for the first time, the chief priest and the elders appear on the scene.
These people have power. These people are the most threatened by what Jesus has just been doing entering the city like a messiah, predicting the destruction of the Temple, driving the sellers and buyers from the Temple area.
These are the people who will succeed in having Jesus executed. And now, here they are looking him in the eye.
Why do we have a Gospel like this which seems like it belongs in Lent when were 10 days away from Christmas?!
Because were preparing to celebrate the birth of the child whose death will make our death a birth.
The Boars Head
Over time, the wild boar became a symbol of evil. Killing, roasting and eating the boar was the celebration of the victory of good over evil. This came to be associated with Christmas because the birth of Christ was the turning point in the great struggle between good and evil.
Henry VIII made wild boar the official Christmas dish in England. Eventually the wild boar was hunted to extinction in England, and was replaced at Christmas by pig, turkey, or goose.
The Wassail Bowl
The word wassail comes from Old Norse vas heil a toast meaning good health.
The wassail bowl was a wooden bowl into which people dipped their cups for a beverage in preparation for a toast on ceremonial occasions.
At Christmas, the poor in England would go wassailing, which meant dancing and singing in the neighborhood streets, hoping that householders would give them a warm drink from their wassail bowl.
Our first thought on this passage might be: Actions speak louder than words. But lets take it a little deeper.
Most of us were baptized as infants, and somebody else said the yes for us. At some point we implicitly said the yes insofar as we chose to continue as members of the Church. But we need to make our yes explicit.
Even after we do that, its not over. Our decision is a living commitment. It has a life. We cant simply store it in a safety deposit box.
When the decision becomes my own, there is initial contentment. This may continue for a long time. But I can expect some crises/temptations along the way. I deal with those, and each time it becomes a new decision to be a disciple of the Lord.
During the Advent season, we think about Marys ultimate yes to God. There is certain exhilaration in making a decision like that, being aware of it along the way, and consciously renewing it from time to time.
Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
How Long is Advent?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before December 25. It always has four Sundays, but the total number of days can vary.
For example, if Christmas falls on a Monday, then Advent lasts three weeks and a day.
If Christmas falls on a Sunday, Advent lasts four full weeks.
Regardless of when Advent begins, every year the same Scripture readings are used from December 17 24. The Gospels on these days describe events leading up to the birth of Christ:
December 17: The genealogy of Jesus (Matthew)
December 18: The annunciation to Joseph (Matthew)
December 19: The annunciation to Zechariah (Luke)
December 20: The annunciation to Mary (Luke)
December 21: Marys visit to Elizabeth (Luke)
December 22: Marys Magnificat (Luke)
December 23: The birth of John the Baptist (Luke)
December 24: The Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke)
Dont skim the Scripture passages in these postings. Read slowly. Let the Lord speak to you through these words.
These are the opening words of Matthews Gospel. He begins with the basics the genealogy of Jesus. It will be a long list of 48 names stretching across 2,000 years.
Matthew wants to emphasize that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Son of David who would fulfill Old Testament prophecies. Thats why he works downward from Abraham through David, to Jesus. (Luke, in his genealogy, starts with Jesus and works upward to Adam. He wants to emphasize that Jesus is the Son of God.)
Both Matthew and Luke drew upon popular traditions (rather than written records), and both adapted the data. They are trying to establish Jesus theological identity, not his DNA.
The list of names in Jesus genealogy includes a wide variety of people, not all of the perfect by any means. Jesus family had some skeletons in the closet. Probably your family is no different. Theyre still your family.
Were about a week away from Christmas. This would be a good time to mend some family ties.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
The popular Christmas song Do You Hear What I Hear? Was actually written as a prayer for peace.
In October of 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union seemed on the brink of nuclear war because of the Cuban missile crisis. Composer Noel Regney was walking home in New York, having just met with his producer who was listening to the radio to see if we had been obliterated.
While walking, he recalled, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The babies were looking at each other and smiling and all of a sudden my mood was extraordinary.
When he got home, Regney (a French Resistance fighter during World War II) began to write the lyrics to a song about peace. He thought about the green fields of his native France, the innocence of newly born lambs, and the peacefulness of the first Christmas.
Do You Hear What I Hear? (His wife wrote the music.) was slated to be the B side for another song that was expected to be a hit. When plans for that record were cancelled, another record company picked up Regneys song.
Released at the end of November in 1962, it sold out all 250 thousand copies within a week.
Noel Regney died almost 40 years to the day after his record was released. He was buried from St. Mary Catholic Church in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Dreams play an important part in Matthews account of the birth of Jesus. There are five of them four to Joseph and one to the Magi. In Josephs first dream, the angel gives him some astounding news: His wife, Mary, has conceived a child by the power of God!
Dreams play an important part in the life of another Joseph centuries earlier (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). When he told his brothers about his dreams, they became jealous. Eventually they sold him to a caravan headed for Egypt. Joseph ended up as a servant of the Pharaoh. Later he won great favor by interpreting the Pharaohs dreams.
The story of these two Josephs is the story of God working through human beings. God still does that, and I am one of the human beings through whom God accomplishes his plans.
As routine and plain as my life may seem, God acts through me to accomplish great things. They may seem small, but in the eons of Gods plan, theyre like the mustard seed which when full-grown is the largest of plants and puts forth large branches.
How did God work through me yesterday?
Christmas Cards
The custom of sending Christmas cards began in England in 1843 when Sir Henry Cole sent some cards to friends at Christmastime. These were not like todays cards with Christmas or winter scenes. They depicted good deeds such as giving food and clothing to those in need.
The first American cards, were made in 1875 by Louis Prang, a German-born painter. These were more along the lines of the kind in use today. He helped popularize cards by holding contests each year for the best designs.
Which is more important the picture on the card, or the text? According to Hallmark, it isnt even a close call. Its the text by a mile.
Speaking of miles, in the United States, over 2 billion Christmas cards are sent each year. To put that in perspective
if average-sized cards were placed side by side, they would stretch around the world six times.
The angel tells Zechariah that his prayer had been heard.
To this story leading up to this point, Luke hadnt told us what Zechariah was praying for . Now we know. He had been praying for Israel, of course, as a Jewish priest would do. But he and Elizabeth, unrealistic though it may have seemed because of their advanced years, had also been praying for a child.
Three times in Luke we hear angels say, Do not be afraid to Zechariah here, to Mary at the Annunciation and to the shepherds in the filed. In Lukes Gospel, Jesus will also say those same words five times during his public life.
Anything in particular youd really like to pray for?
Anything going on in your life that has you scared?
Listen.
God is saying to you: Do not be afraid.
Hanukkah
The eight-day Jewish feast of Hanukkah begins today. Each day one of the candles of the Menorah is lit.
Because Hanukkah falls in November-December, it is mistakenly associated with Christmas. Actually, it celebrated the cleansing of the Temple from pagan desecration in 164 B.C.
The five major feasts in the Jewish calendar are:
**Passover (March April), which celebrated the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt.
**Pentecost (May-June) a harvest festival 50 days after Passover.
**Sukkot (September-October), which celebrates the New Year. The shofar (rams horn) is sounded, beginning 10 days of penitence.
**Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, is the last of the 10 days of Rosh Hashana. In earlier days, it was the only time when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to incense the Ark of the Covenant and sprinkle it with the blood of sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. This is no longer possible because the Temple was destroyed in 70 A. D.
If I was told by an angel what God planned to accomplish through me in the weeks and years ahead, Id probably ask, as Mary did, How can this be?
In fact, Id probably have a whole list of questions for the angel
How can this be given my lack of power and influence or my weaknesses or my health problems or my sinfulness?
Get ready for this. The angels answer would be the same as the answer to Mary: It will happen through the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that came upon Mary comes upon me.
It is God who accomplishes through me whatever good I do, just as it was God who accomplished the Incarnation through Mary. And Marys answer is best: God, whatever you want.
God wants to accomplish something through me? Really? To whom should I speak about this?
Why, God, of course.
Pilgrims Landing at Plymouth
It was on this date in 1620 that the Mayflower landed at Plymouth. Referred to as pilgrims, the passengers were actually Puritans or, more basically, Anglicans.
Puritanism was a reform movement withinthe Church of England that sought to purify the church from Roman Catholic practices and influences. It began in the latter 16th century, and by the end of the 17th century was no longer significant.
The Puritans frowned upon the celebration of Christmas because of all the externals Christmas trees, crib scenes, decorations, and gift-giving. Thus, in some of the early colonies under the control of the Puritans, the celebration Christmas was outlawed.
The efforts of the Puritans to enforce discipline upon the whole community resulted in the blue laws, many of which had to do with the observance of the Sabbath. They received this name because some of the laws were bound in blue paper.
The Mayflower initially reached land at Provincetown on Saturday, November 11. Only a few men went ashore to gather woods and look around. On Sunday they all prayed and rested on the ship. On Monday after 66 days at sea with 102 people on board the women went ashore to do laundry. Thats how Monday became known as wash day. Covenant and sprinkle it with the blood of sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. This is no longer possible because the Temple was destroyed in 70 A. D.
Herods murder of the youngsters in Bethlehem is one of the saddest parts of Matthews Infancy Narrative. Matthew spares us a description of the slaughter and simply uses a text from the prophet Jeremiah to recall the sobbing that surely took place:
A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.
Bethlehem was a small town and the estimated number of boys two years old and under would have been about 20. Herolds massacre is not recorded in historical documents, but the relatively small number makes the story all the more plausible.
Mary and Joseph would have known the families of these children. One can only guess at their feelings when they later heard about this.
The feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated on December 28. The words of the Prayer After Communion are well written:
Lord, by a wordless profession of faith in your Son,
the innocents were crowned with life at his birth.
At the very beginnings of the Church, the Eucharist was normally celebrated on Saturday evening after sunset. The members of the early Church were almost entirely Jewish, and still practiced the Jewish religion. They still observed the Sabbath, which included going to the synagogue service.
The rules governing how far a person could walk on the Sabbath made it difficult to travel to the synagogue, and then walk to another place where Christians gathered for the Eucharist
The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday, and ended at sunset on Saturday. That is when the Eucharist was ordinarily celebrated in those earliest years late Saturday evening. The Sabbath was over and there was no restriction on travel. And Sunday was a regular work day.
As time went on and fewer Christians were Jewish, it became more common to make Sunday the special day each week, in honor of the day the Lord rose from the dead. Thus the Eucharist was commonly celebrated on Sunday mornings.
Christmas, however, was different. Very early there developed the practice of celebrating a Mass at midnight, based on the tradition that Christ was born at midnight.
No one really knows the time of Jesus birth, but the origins of this tradition may lie in a passage from the Book of Wisdom: For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven
(18:14-15)
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