About Ancient Advent

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Over the past ten years Ancient Advent has become a beloved tradition here at Saint Mary’s. Expanding Advent from four Sundays to seven Sundays has many ramifications for the spiritual life of 21 st century Christians.

These are two principal reasons for re-establishing Ancient Advent in the life of the Church. Dean William Petersen explains:

“First the churches log ago lost the Advent season to what I call the ‘Christmas
Culture’ of our society – instead of Advent we celebrate the ‘Christmas Shopping
Season.’ We all know that Christmas decorations and gift items begin to appear
in all kinds of stores way before Hallowe’en. After October 31 the manifestation
becomes complete! By the time the church year begins a month later in
December with Advent I, the churches are tempted to make the season
exclusively a four-week journey to Bethlehem. But that focus is only one aspect
(and secondary at that!) of the Advent season.

“The primary one is beginning the new church year with a steady look at the ‘end
times,’ that is, at the goal of fulfillment of all the implications of Christ’s
resurrection for humanity and, indeed, the entire creation. This is usually called
the ‘kingdom’ or the ‘reign of God.’ That emphasis is intended to give the
beginning of the annual cycle of the liturgical year an emphasis that will help
Christians to engage ever more deeply in Christ’s mission of peace, justice, and
the integrity of creation. Having these things firmly in heart, mind, and will, we
may be able more authentically to enter into the yearly round from Bethlehem to
the Passion, Pentecost, and the celebration of All Saints that concludes the year.
Starting Advent in November would, at least, give the primary focus of the
season a chance before we are all overcome by carols in Mall music.

 

“The second reason for an expanded season has to do with setting before us in
our worship, rooted in Scripture, an alternative and, I think, more authentic vision
of the ‘end times’ or the ‘reign of God’ than those otherwise so effectively media-
touted ones offered in fundamentalist, millennialist, or rapture-ist churches,”

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Our 10 year experiment has shown us that it really is possible to ‘get a spiritual jump’ on the “Season of Consumption” and Saint Mary’s people are glad to do it again this year!

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Facing East During Advent

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For almost two thousand years Christians have been looking east – the direction of the dawning light, the direction from which Christ will appear at his second coming.

All Christians looked toward the east during public worship – including the Celebrant of the Mass. There are many implications of this way of celebrating the Eucharist, but this is what it emphatically is not “the priest turning his back on the people.”

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Since Advent spiritually is about the eschaton – the end of time, the ‘making of all things new’ at Christ’s second coming in glory – this is an especially appropriate time to allow the three sacred ministers to join the congregation as we all ‘look eastward’ in body, soul, and spirit.

We will return to west-facing celebrations on Christmas Eve.

About the O Antiphons

The O Antiphons developed during the Church’s very first centuries. These texts spring from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophets, and Wisdom Books. They are found in the Liturgy of the Hours, which is used for daily prayer. Advent is about the many ways in which the Lord comes to us.

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The Advent Solemn Set

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The Advent Solemn Set was the very first work (in 2013) of our liturgical sewing group. The theme behind the set is the expectancy of “the far-spent night.”

In keeping with the season, the dark blue/purple of the fabric and the absence of rich decoration reflect the solemn-but-not-penitential nature of Advent. The layered fabric evokes symbolically the stars shining in the twilight just before dawn.

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"In the tender compassion of our God, the morning star from on high shall
shine upon us, giving light to those who sit in darkness and under the
shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
– Luke 1 78-9 NEB

We give thanks to God for the talented work of those dedicated parishioners Janie McKee, Gwen Pelton, and Cheri Williams whose talent made the idea a reality.

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Advent Candles

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We all know about Advent Wreathes which many churches (including Saint  Mary’s) have used to mark the four Sundays of Advent. In keeping with our experiment in recovering the ancient Advent of seven Sundays in all its fullness, our Advent candle concept is a bit different. This is one way to distinguish our celebration of ancient Advent from that of other churches for whom an Advent Wreath is merely a way of counting down the Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In our polycandelon, the seven large candles symbolize the ages of God’s salvation history form the creation of the universe to the end of time and the Second Coming of Christ in Glorious Majesty.

The inner oil lamps symbolize those events which tempt us to predict Christ’s second coming which, as Jesus tells us ‘no one knows, except the Father.’