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Today's reflection is on the season of Advent. Advent is my favorite liturgical season, mostly because of the music. The music of the Advent season has so much anticipation and looking forward. My favorite hymn is an Advent Hymn. It dates back from the 6th or 7th Century AD. I sang this hymn last night when I prayed Evening Prayer I of the First Sunday of Advent.
Most people in today's world skip Advent and go right from Thanksgiving (or even Halloween) to Christmas. This is a mistake. Advent is a time of penance given to us by the Church in order to prepare for the coming of the Savior. It is alomst like a miniature Lent. Perhaps we can all give something up for Advent, like we do for Lent, and use this time truly as a spiritual preparation for Christ's coming. Not just the commemoration of his coming into the world two-thousand years ago, but also his second coming, when he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.
As we prepare for Christmas, lighting the candles on the Advent Wreath, let us remember to live by the Virtues of Faith, Hope, Joy, and Love whic these candles represent. When we go to Mass, let's remember that it is not Christmas yet. This is a season of great anticipation. Let's keep the anticipation in it and not jump ahead to Christams.
I've always liked Advent music as well, JP. Even though it's not a proper itself, Veni Veni Emmanuel is something I love to sing and it captures well the spirit of advent. Both calm and expectant, yet triumphant in its own way at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIn my Compline book, it has the English text of the hymn set to the tune of Conditor Alme Siderum; it works very well.