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Sunday marked the start of Advent and the beginning of a new year in the Church. The Season of Advent is a penitential season, a time for introspection and preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. The word comes from the Latin term Adventus – which means “coming”. This is a translation of the Greek word Parousia – commonly referred to as the second coming of Christ. So it is that Advent is looking forward to celebrating Christ’s first coming, but also anticipates the second coming of Jesus and the subsequent judgement that will follow.
This focus on the Eschaton (see the previous WotW) means that Advent is a time of the year when Christians focus on reforming themselves. Even the colours used in Church reflect this attitude as the vestments and altar cloths turn to purple and blue which are traditionally penitential and hopeful colours. Traditions that Christians in the West have tended to follow at this time of the year include lighting a candle on an Advent wreath each successive Sunday to represent a different aspect of Christian history that preceded Jesus: The Patriarchs, Prophets, St John the Baptist and The Angel Gabriel’s annunciation are remembered on successive Sundays. If the wreath, as in the image here, features a fifth candle this is known as the Christ Candle and is lit on Christmas Eve.
I don’t want to get on a soap-box about this (but I'm going to!), but I think it is quite clear that in modern society we have lost sight of this season and have certainly lost the value of it. So many people say that by the time Boxing Day arrives they are fed up with Christmas, having had it rammed down their throat for the past month or probably more. This should not be the case and was not the case in the past; Christmas really begins on the 24th December and then lasts 40 days – how many of us in early February are still thinking about the Christmas message? Not many. We have, probably due to the commercialisation of Christmas and our instant gratification society, got it all the wrong way round (you only have to think about the scenes on Black Friday). We don't want to wait for it and we are too focused on the material side of Christmas. What's wrong with a bit of anticipation and delayed gratification?
So, when people wish me “Merry Christmas” this year before Christmas Eve, I am going to make a concerted effort to reply “Thoughtful Advent” – they’ll probably think me a pretentious idiot but hey ho…
So, when people wish me “Merry Christmas” this year before Christmas Eve, I am going to make a concerted effort to reply “Thoughtful Advent” – they’ll probably think me a pretentious idiot but hey ho…
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