This isthe last season here is to talk about on the Catholic Church calender Advent is the time leading up to Christmas, much like Lent is the time leading up to Easter. Pentecostal and at least some Baptist churches do not do anything like this. Nondenominational churches usually don't either.
Advent would probably have been the best season to big in with, and it is what we began with in RCIA.
Advent is a very reflective time. There is no"Gloria" in the Mass, but there is still "Alleluia" in the advent Mass.
Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve right before the Vigil of Nativity. The advent special music is mostly the "O antiphons"such as "O Come All Ye Faithful."
The music is toned down and supposed to be more reflective and subdued. It's like the calm before the storm, but in a good way. At Christmas, we pullout all the stops musically and decoration-wise.
At Midnight Mass, every Catholic parish on earth begins Mass at Midnight of December 25th and it lasts for at least an hour. As the earth turns, the praises go up and the celebration begins all around the world, "Happy Birthday Jesus, thank you for what you did." In our city, we have a really big music and art university. I think they had students from there doing the music. They had opera singers and a symphony and they did all the Christmas songs from our book. At the conclusion of Mass, they did the Halleluia chorus mixed in with, I think, Joy to the World. It was arranged beautifully, it flowed seamlessly from Joy to World, to Halleluia and back. It was awesome. We have an old church building designed with acoustics for a choir like that. It is the first time I have experienced anything like that live. It was so beautiful!
So that is why the toned down music and mood during Advent. It is to seriously ponder and take in everything that was going on with Mary's pregnancy and all the amazing things God was doing, and why. It also adds even more emphasis to the big bang of a celebration at Christmas.
There is something called an "Advent Wreath" that holds four candles. Three of the candles are violet and one is rose-colored. You are supposed to light one each Sunday of Advent. An RCIA participant from the Methodist church says they have five candles and each one means something - love, hope, and etc. One of the teachers said "We don't have that much fun in the Catholic church. We just light the candles." I though that was funny.
The colors for Advent are, of course, violet and rose like the candles. Rose is just for the third Sunday, though. The priests wear violet vestments, except on the third Sunday. On the third Sunday, also called Gaudete Sunday, Catholic priests wear rose vestments.
The colors for Advent are, of course, violet and rose like the candles. Rose is just for the third Sunday, though. The priests wear violet vestments, except on the third Sunday. On the third Sunday, also called Gaudete Sunday, Catholic priests wear rose vestments.
More on Advent:
In addition to featuring advent wreaths, the environment is supposed to be one of elegant simplicity. There may be moderate use of flowers in keeping with the season and climate.
Really important Catholic feasts during Advent include:
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - December 8th, refers to the idea that Mary was sinless, not to the virgin birth.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas - December 12th. This commemorates the Event that led to the conversion of indigenous communities in Mexico and Latin America. Reading this story has almost made me reconsider my position on the Marian dogmas I disagree with - almost. It has certainly given me a new respect for it.
In our parish and others in the Springfield, IL Diocese, we also have the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on December 2nd.
Godspeed.
~Mother Star
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