Advent, from a Catholic POV

[Auleliel]

I could not have said what SD said any more eloquently.
Agree, 100%.

...am I right in thinking this past weekend was graduation weekend for you, Owlie?

I graduated the 13th, and my best friend's mom graduated the 20th. It has been a crazy week.
Today is the last day of school before break (I'm still student teaching until mid-January), so I will see if I am up to the whole shebang this afternoon. It can sometimes be very relaxing to just type for a few hours, especially if Advent and Christmas music is involved. And cookies. Lots of cookies.

[aliantha]

Congrats on your graduation, Owlie! I'm good with your continuing in any way that works best for you. And yeah, I vote for cookies.

[Auleliel]

Part 1 of the Crash Course/Catch-up. More will come as it comes.

December 10, 2009
Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Elizabeth speaks the very first beatitude in Luke’s Gospel: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
The Greek word used here for “blessed” means “inner happiness.” Being happy has a lot to do with being peaceful—being able to say “yes” to the life I’ve got, and not the life I wish I had. Mary is happy because she said “yes” to God, and trusted that this was the path to peace.
There are some things in my life that I can change for the better, and that is fine. But much of life is learning how to say “yes” to things I can’t change. Life will not always do my bidding. It just won’t. I need to accept it with a “yes” that is more than reluctant resignation. How do I do that?
I start by recognizing that the Spirit of God is at my side, on my side. And then I say “yes” as Mary did, trusting that God will see me through all of it.

On a side note, I find it mildly ironic that Elizabeth praises Mary for accepting and trusting in God’s promise, when Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah is still consigned to silence for disbelieving the promise God made to him.
This Scripture passage is connected to a few prayers that have been important to me in my life. As a Catholic, I have a deep respect for Mary. We have a prayer (the Hail Mary) that honors Mary and asks for her to intercede for us (i.e. pray on our behalf). One line of the Hail Mary comes from this Scripture passage: “blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Another prayer I am reminded of, by the reflection offered in The Little Blue Book, is the Serenity Prayer, which I believe is a contributing factor to my continued “sanity”, and which I will include here.
Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Let me know if we need an explanation for the Beatitudes—I don’t know if that’s common knowledge or not because I grew up in Catholic schools learning about such things.


December 11, 2009
Friday of the Second Week of Advent

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.”

Joy runs through Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus.
Mary sets the tone here as she begins her Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
Think of a time when you rejoiced in what someone else had done—a son or daughter, a close friend, or someone you hold as a “hero” in your life.
That’s the kind of rejoicing Mary is talking about. She rejoices in the “greatness of the Lord,” in “God my savior.” Mary loved God. And when she realized firsthand how really good God is, she sang for joy. Her heart was lifted. It was delight—pure joy, not at all self-conscious.
When I think about it, my greatest rejoicing is often this kind. Not in what I have accomplished, but in what someone I love has done. It brings tears of joy.
The best prayer of all is the kind I experience when I suddenly and simply realize just how good God is. What a blessing to have a God like that.
I have the same God as Mary. I can take those first words of the Magnificat and make them my own. It’s as fine a prayer as there is.

Spend some time thinking about the many wonderful things that the Lord has done, and praise God’s goodness.

[Auleliel]

December 12, 2009
Saturday of the Second Week of Advent and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

500 years ago, during the colonization of Mexico, an Aztec peasant named Juan Diego was walking on a trail near what would become Mexico City. At the top of a hill, the Virgin Mary appeared to him, looking very much more like one of his people than the images of Mary in the churches built by the Europeans. Mary told Juan Diego in Nahuatl (the Aztec language) to tell the bishop to build a church in her honor on that site. The bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego had actually received a message from Mary, and asked for a sign, so Juan Diego went back to that hill. Mary told Juan Diego to pick some flowers (it was mid-winter), and the roses he found were native to the bishop’s home in Spain rather than to that region of Mexico. He carried the roses in his cloak to the bishop. When he opened his cloak to display the roses, the image of Mary appeared on his cloak.
The original cloth is still intact and on display in Mexico City in the church that was built in Mary’s honor—replicas of the cloak tend to last less than two decades. It has been analyzed chemically and by many other methods, and the evidence seems to indicate divine origin rather than an elaborate hoax. I was able to see it when I was in Mexico last year, and it was a very moving experience.
Another interesting tidbit about Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Why is the Virgin who appeared to St. Juan Diego known as Our Lady of Guadalupe?
When Diego told the bishop about his vision and his wish that a shrine be built there, he described a woman who appeared to him as “te quatlaxupe.”
The bishop’s interpreter misunderstood what he heard, and thought Juan was referring to a shrine to the Virgin in Guadalupe, Spain.
Actually, “te quatlaxupe” means “woman who crushes the serpent.” Juan Diego believed the woman who had appeared to him was stronger than a serpent god, the most powerful of all Aztec gods.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas, which means she has a special interest in the Americas and will intercede in matters involving the Americas and for the American (not just USA) people.

Today’s Scripture passage is a continuation of Mary’s prayer of rejoicing.

“The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

A simple way to pray is to take a Scripture passage and “stay with it for while. The purpose isn’t to study it like a textbook. The purpose is to let God speak to me through these words.
The words are graced vehicles through which God speaks to me, even if what I hear God saying may seem to have little to do with the exact meaning of the words.
Today’s Scripture passage is a good one to pray that way. Try it:
- Read the passage slowly and see what strikes you.
- Talk to God about it for a minute or so.
- Keep your heart and mind totally open to whatever God might say to you.

[Auleliel]

Welcome to Advent, from a Catholic POV, 2010.
Menolly requested that I resurrect this thread for this year's Advent season, so I'll give it a try.


I'll start with a quick overview of where we are thus far in Advent, a little bit of WHGB.

We are now halfway through the second week of Advent. This year, Advent is almost as long as it possibly can be, at 27 days (the longest possible Advent, 28 days, happens when Christmas is on a Sunday).

Special Catholic observances that have occurred thus far include:

November 28: First Sunday of Advent. At Mass, we light the first of 4 candles on the Advent wreath. This candle is either purple or blue, depending on the preferences of the parish or diocese. In my parish, it is blue. Many Catholics also light this candle at home on their own wreaths. It is also the beginning of a new liturgical year (Happy New Year!). This means that instead of reading from the Gospel of Luke, like we did last year, we are reading from the Gospel of Matthew. The Scripture readings for Advent also involve many readings from the book of Isaiah, because many of Isaiah's messages can be interpreted to predict Christ's birth, life, and death, and his second coming.

November 30: Feast of St. Andrew. St. Andrew was one of the first of the 12 apostles to join Jesus. Some people say a special prayer 15 times per day starting on this day until Christmas. My family does not follow this tradition, so I can't really elaborate on it much further.

December 5: Second Sunday of Advent. At Mass (and at home), we light 2 blue/purple candles. (I believe somewhere in last year's posts I had a link to some explanations about the Advent wreath. No time right now to try to find it.)

December 6: Feast of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas is the inspiration for Santa Claus, but in real life he was the bishop of a city in ancient Turkey, known for his generosity and aid to the poor. His feast day is celebrated in many different ways, depending on the cultural heritage of the family you're in. In my family, we used to celebrate it by putting out our shoes the night before and receiving small gifts and candy in them the next morning, supposedly placed there overnight by "St. Nick". Now that all the kids in my family are older, we don't put out our shoes anymore, but I intend to continue this tradition when (if) I have kids of my own. I think I wrote about the basis for the traditions about St. Nicholas earlier in this thread (I have not taken the time to read through what is already posted--I'm behind enough as it is).

December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Contrary to popular belief, this is not about Jesus being conceived without sex. It is about Mary being conceived without being subjected to the effects of sin. (I think I explained a bit about this in previous posts, as well. In a couple of days I'll have more time to search out the relevant information and links, if people want them.)


In the next few days I hope to have the time to make a more formal and thorough post.


This week one of my diocese's bishops gave the homily (i.e.Catholic version of the sermon) at my church, and something he said really struck me as something to think about. He was talking about what Advent is and what it means. He said that Advent is being in a tight spot, recognizing you do not have control, and trusting God to lift you out of the tight spot. He said that it was possible to have Advent in July as long as these three elements were present, and that December without these three elements is not Advent. That really hit me, especially because trust in God is something I have been focusing on in my life as of late.

[Dread Poet Jethro]

Tight spots, I've been there
Control, I have not had it
The All, I do trust!

[Cambo]

Cool that you resurrected this thread, Auliel. I was just talking with a Catholic workmate on the bus home. I really enjoy hearing about people's beliefs from their own perspective, like the little blue book you've quoted. Who wrote that, out of interest?

[Auleliel]

Cool that you resurrected this thread, Auliel. I was just talking with a Catholic workmate on the bus home. I really enjoy hearing about people's beliefs from their own perspective, like the little blue book you've quoted. Who wrote that, out of interest?

The Little Blue Book is edited and published by people in the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan. They base it on the Little Books (series of Advent, Lent, and Easter booklets) written by Bishop Ken Untener prior to his death in 2004.

[Auleliel]

Second Week of Advent
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Feast of St. Juan Diego

St. Juan Diego was the poor Mexican peasant who was visited by Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe, feast day: Dec. 12). His faith and actions led to the spread of Christianity among the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the Americas. For more information about him, see this page, or scroll up a few posts to my explanation from last year about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Anyone attending Mass today will hear this verse from the book of Isaiah being read:

Fear not, I will help you.

The theme for Advent, or at least this week, seems to be strongly focused on trusting God--trusting that he will keep his promises of salvation and blessing, and trusting that following his plan for us will lead to great things, even if right now it is difficult, or scary, or complicated, or confusing. The Little Blue Book discusses the difficulties that can arise when following Jesus, and how sometimes it seems easier to accept baby Jesus than to follow the teachings of Jesus as an adult.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, [Herod] inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

...[This] hints at the death of the child just born--the "assembling" of the chief priests and the scribes of the people. Three times in his Passion Narrative, Matthew uses this same word to describe the religious leaders "assembling" to put an end to Jesus. Ironically, here in the birth story the chief priests and scribes give supporting evidence that this child could be the Messiah.
It was easier for them to accept Jesus as an infant. Perhaps it's easier for us too. When he grows up, he will speak some hard words.
In the Advent season, we open ourselves to receive Jesus fully into our lives. He will not stay a child. He becomes a prophet, a leader who calls us to follow in his footsteps and to walk a different way of life. The truth is, he's not always easy to follow. Don't be afraid to tell him that.

To sum up, following Jesus and living according to God's plan can be tough, but with trust and faith in God, we don't need to be afraid of any obstacles, whether internal or external, because we are not alone, and in the end we can expect great things.

[Auleliel]

Third Week of Advent
Tuesday, December 14, 2009

Sunday, December 12, this year was an important day. Not only was it the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (see upthread for information about her and why she's important for Catholics in the Americas), but it was also Gaudete Sunday.
Gaudete is Latin for rejoice. On the Advent wreath, we light a pink candle instead of a blue or purple candle, setting this week apart. (Pink is supposed to be a symbol of joy.) Why joy, when we're still waiting? Remember, in Advent we're not just waiting for Christmas. We're waiting for Jesus' second coming, which is essentially the end of the world as we know it. If we're sitting here on earth waiting for the end of the world, what are we joyful about?
On a short-term and somewhat superficial level, we're joyful that it's halfway to Christmas, so we don't have to wait much longer for the presents and the family gatherings and the food and the fun.
On a long-term and deeper level, the we're-waiting-for-the-end-of-the-world level, we're joyful that God loves us so much that he already came to save us, and is going to come and take us home someday. We're joyful that we have the opportunity to bring love to the world we're in now. We're joyful that we have a God who is trustworthy and keeps his promises and is merciful and compassionate and forgiving, and who helps us to be trustworthy and merciful and compassionate and forgiving and to keep our promises. We're joyful that, even though we have to wait, God has given us something worth waiting for: a promise that pain and suffering and evil and sadness and despair will not last forever, will not conquer the love and hope and peace and joy that we have and share now, and that we will have and share even more in the future. There is so much to be joyful about.
There is a plaque hanging on our kitchen wall that says, "Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God." Being aware of God's presence in our lives does bring joy.

Today, December 14, is the Feast of St. John of the Cross. St. John of the Cross is one of the Doctors of the Church. This means that he did a lot to advance the Church's understanding of God and the relationship between God and the world. St. John of the Cross, and his contemporary St. Teresa of Avila, talked a lot about "dark nights" in our spiritual lives. These "dark nights" are the times in our lives when we feel separated from God, when we feel as though we have been abandoned by God or that God perhaps does not exist after all. These feelings are normal, and nearly everyone has them at some point in their faith journey. St. John of the Cross also believed that "God's purifying love will lead a person of faith to a deeper relationship, in part by reducing his or her attachment to anything that is not God."** In other words, sometimes sorrow and pain and loss and dissatisfaction are the means by which we can come into the joy of a deeper relationship with God.

What brings you joy? When are you aware of the presence or existence of something infinitely greater than yourself? What are you waiting for this Advent season?

**This quote is from the current edition of Living Faith (Volume 26, Number 3), a quarterly booklet of daily readings and reflections for Catholics, published by Creative Communications for the Parish, based in Missouri.

[Menolly]

Beautiful thoughts.

[Auleliel]

December 24, 2010
Last day of the Fourth Week of Advent
Christmas Eve

Advent is drawing to a close, and the waiting is almost over (at least, for part of what we're waiting for, the celebration of Christ's birth--we likely have a while longer to wait for Jesus' second coming).

Many Catholic churches will have Christmas vigil Masses this afternoon and tonight--in Catholicism, the major holy days (such as Christmas and Easter) may be celebrated the night before as long as it's after sunset, and Sundays may be celebrated the afternoon before, even before sunset. At my parish, there is an afternoon Mass for children on Christmas Eve, and a "midnight" Mass in the evening. In my family, we attended the children's Mass until we were all old enough to be able to appreciate the midnight Mass.

In my family, Christmas Eve is a very special day. Over the years we have developed some traditions that we look forward to over the course of the entire year. On Christmas Eve, we have our great-aunt over for dinner, and then we go to some neighborhoods near our house that always have beautiful light displays and listen to Christmas music while we watch the lights. After that, we attend midnight Mass--this year I'm playing viola for the choir, and the music we'll be doing before and during Mass is beautiful. When we get home, we put all the gifts we have for each other under the Christmas tree. Tomorrow, Christmas, is spent with family and extended family, and involves much gift-giving and delicious food.

Christmas Eve was also an important day in the life of St. Clare of Assisi. St. Clare is the patron saint of television, even though she lived 800 years ago. One year, on Christmas Eve, she was ill and unable to attend the Christmas Mass, which was important to her. The other sisters she lived with went to Mass at a basilica over a mile away. Through a miracle, Clare was able to witness the entire Mass from her bed, and saw it so clearly that she could identify which priest was officiating the Mass.

Now is a good time to think about why Christmas is so important. Why should we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, especially when it is highly unlikely that Jesus was born on December 24--scholars don't even agree on what year he was born, much less what month or day. Celebrating our own birthdays is not so very different from how we celebrate Jesus' birth. When we celebrate our own and each other's birthday, we are thankful that person is in our lives, and acknowledge the value of that person. When we celebrate Jesus' birth, we acknowledge how valuable he is to the world, and are thankful for his presence in our lives. Yet, Christmas is very different from other people's birthdays, because the importance and significance of Jesus' birth is so very different. Jesus' birth was part of God's greatest gift to humanity--God became one of us. Not similar to one of us, but actually one of us. God, who created us, became one of us. In human terms, that would be like a carpenter becoming the seat of a chair or a farmer becoming a cornstalk or Bill Gates becoming a line of computer code--a very humbling experience. Before Jesus' birth, humanity was a real mess, and God decided to come be with us--come be one of us--to create a solution to the problem. We celebrate the solution during Lent and Easter.

Thank you, Lord, for loving us so much that you humbled yourself to be one of us and save us.

Merry Christmas!

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

Glad You Asked: Why did God choose Mary? [Podcast]

(Credit: U.S. Catholic)


In this episode of the podcast, LaRyssa Herrington discusses the theological significance of God’s choice of Mary to bear God to the world.


Catholics often have to explain to their Protestant friends that no, we don’t worship Mary. We do venerate her, though, because she freely chose to say “yes� when God asked her to bring Jesus into the world. And we ask her to intercede for us because of her closeness to Jesus.

Catholics have a set of doctrines about Mary, and a whole branch of theology called Mariology. This doesn’t mean every question about who she was and her role in salvation history is set in stone, however. For centuries, theologians–most of them men–have debated topics such as whether or not Mary was perpetually a virgin, how much she knew about her son’s mission, and whether she could have, theoretically, said “no� instead of “yes.�

But why Mary in the first place? Why did Jesus, whom Catholics worship as the second person of the Trinity, come into the world through the body of a young woman from a poor family in Roman-occupied Palestine? Was this necessary in some way, or just chance? What is the theological significance of God’s choice of Mary to bear God to the world? Why, in short, did God choose Mary?

To answer these questions, guest LaRyssa Herrington joins hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss on the final episode of the season. Herrington is a doctoral student in systematic theology at the University of Notre Dame researching womanist theology, Mariology, eschatology, ritual studies, and sacramental theology.

[…]


Why did God choose Mary? [Audio: 20 min]