The First Sunday of Advent

It’s here already!  Prepare the way for the Lord.  Read this week’s readings here.

Happy New Year?

Advent every year brings a new year with it – the Liturgical Year.  According to usccb.com, “The liturgical year consists of a seasonal cycle and a sanctoral cycle, called the Proper of Time and the Proper of Saints, respectively. Both are organized and published in a liturgical calendar, which is also enriched by observances proper to local Churches, whether national, diocesan, parish-level, or religious community.”

For the Sunday readings, we move into Year C, with the Gospel of Luke. The rumor that you read the whole Bible by going to Mass every three years is not quite accurate.  You do receive a lot of the Bible though, including 13.5 percent of the Old Testament (not counting the Psalms), 54.9 percent of the non-Gospel New Testament, and 89.8 percent of the Gospels. (Data is from Catholic Answers.)  So although you receive a lot of scripture at Mass, reading the Bible on your own is also a great way to pray, and reading the Bible for thirty minutes or more grants you a plenary indulgence, according to the Apostolic Constitution on Indulgences.

Advent History

The name Advent comes from the latin adventus, meaning “a coming.”  Although scholars believe it started earlier, the earliest documentation of the season is from about the year 480.  It originally lasted from the feast of St. Martin until Christmas on the old calendar, a period of 43 days. There was a fast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with Mass celebrated with the Lenten rite.  By the ninth century, it was set to four weeks, as evidenced by the correspondence of Pope St. Nicholas I to the Bulgarians.  Over time, Advent had less required fasting, and by 1281, only clergy was asked to adhere to abstinence during advent.  

The current schedule of Advent is about 1000 years old. while there may be regional differences as to what is observed, the theme of the season remains threefold.  It is to prepare for the liturgical coming of the infant Jesus, to prepare for Jesus coming into our hearts as  believers, and the eschatological second coming of Jesus as He promised He will do.

Be Vigilant at All Times

His eschatological second coming is what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel.  Jesus is telling us to keep our focus on Him.  We need to stay vigilant in our faith, even though the things of the holiday season can easily distract us.  In Luke 24:34-35, Jesus says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.”  Focusing our hearts on God is the most important part of the Advent observance.  This reading resonates now, with the secular Christmas season often overshadowing Advent.  Jesus is the reason for the season, and we can show this to all through our works.

Look Here for More

These links are articles I used for researching the Friday Update.