The Christian season of Advent begins today, the fourth Sunday before Christmas and will continue until Christmas. It marks a season of preparation before Christmas, a new liturgical year, and is symbolized by the color purple.

Like Lent, Advent is a season of Preparation. Lent focuses on repentance, penance, and forgiveness and is a time of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. I was raised in the Catholic church and during Lent, we prepared ourselves through prayer, fasting or sacrifice of some sort, and almsgiving – both through charity and through performing works of mercy. Like many people, I find Lent and its focus on penance difficult, as it should be.

Making Room

Advent, while also time of preparation, is a time of expectation and hope. It is a time of year that I find myself looking inward and taking stock of the year and where I am in a spiritual sense. I’m finding that I have to push a lot of stuff away this year in order to make room for hope.

Since I started writing again, it has sparked some introspection. I have been neglecting my spirituality and I’m in what somebody once aptly called a spiritual dry spell. I have always felt close to God in nature, but I haven’t spent any time in nature in a very long time. I have felt strengthened by being a part of a faith community but am not a part of a community now. 

I’m still experiencing a deep sense of grief and loss after losing my mother this year; more than that, it rekindled the grief of losing all my siblings as well. That knowledge that I have no immediate family left (except for Kevin of course!) has been weighing on me. I’ve been feeling sad, cynical, and alone.

All of this is to say that I am grateful Advent has come. I think I needed it to get me back on track.

Seven years ago, I bought paints and started using art as a prayer language for the first time. I loved it. It gave me permission to try new things and know that if I put my heart into it, whatever came of it was good (no matter how bad I might think it was!)

Looking back at my memories, I found a photo of this painting, one of the first that I did seven years ago. I painted it at the beginning of Advent, while listening to Shane & Shane sing O Come O Come Emmanuel. I was following a prayer/art prompt to reflect on a favorite Christmas song. While it won’t win any art contests, it reminds me of how open and hopeful I was then. It feels like that has slipped away at some point. 

Every year as Advent arrives. this is the first song I listen to. I meditate on it and every year it brings a new meaning to me. This year, I found this version by a Russian Christian singer, Simon Khorolskiy (see video below).

I found myself being distracted by the fact that he is Russian, and also that how I feel about Israel made it harder to personalize the song. Then the lyrics, “O Come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be Yourself our King of Peace,” pulled me back from that.  It reminded me how easy it is to be distracted from what we know really matters, but also how easy it is to refocus when you cultivate awareness of that. I can’t change what happens in Ukraine or Gaza, but I can pray for them all, and hope for better things to come.

A Continuous Call to Hope

Having experienced so much loss the past few years, I have been feeling unsettled, as if some of my roots have been damaged in a wildfire. For quite a while after I lost my brother to cancer (the first of my siblings to die) in 2006, I felt that way. The feeling continued to grow worse until I was an absolute mess and in a full-blown faith crisis.

A friend gave me the book, “A Grief Observed” and I’ll always be grateful to him for that. I’m also grateful to C.S. Lewis for writing that description of his own anguished spiritual journey through grief. He said that writing it was “a defense against collapse, a safety valve.” Reading it at that time provided that for me as well. I knew that if C.S. Lewis himself could yell and shake his fists from inside the fires of grief, demanding answers from God, and still find his way through all that, then I might someday find some peace too. I was right.

But grief doesn’t just go away, does it? No, it simply dies down a bit, and its embers continue to smolder. Every new loss rekindles its flames.

Now here we are at Advent, a time to quiet ourselves, dig deep, and prepare for the coming of Christ -to the world and to our hearts. We often have to clean out a lot of junk to make room for Him, room for Hope. That seems to be my work now.

Pope Francis said a few years ago,

“…confidently waiting for the Lord allows us to find comfort and courage in the dark moments of our lives… Advent is a continuous call to hope.”

Excerpt from Pope Francis’s Angelus talk, First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020

I think that’s just what I need right now. A continuous call to hope. Observing Advent this year seems imperative to me.

Traditions

I’ve always loved Advent and its traditions. Let’s look at a few of them.

The Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree, perhaps among the least-known Advent traditions, originated in medieval times. It focuses on the family tree of Jesus and those stories that lead up to his coming; an appropriate activity for Advent, a period of preparation.

It is named after the biblical Jesse, who was the father of King David.

An ancient biblical prophecy stated:

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”

Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 1-2

Only a small number of Jesse’s descendants survived after the Israelites were exiled to captivity in Babylon beginning around 597 BCE. The Christian view of this prophecy is that It was from this remnant, or stump, as Isaiah put it, that Jesus of Nazareth – the shoot that sprouted to bring new life -descended via the line of Jesse’s son, David, and the prophecy was fulfilled.

I remember making ornaments as a child for a Jesse tree. Each ornament represents a story about one of Jesus’s ancestors. It’s a symbolic family tree, you could say. There are many resources now online to help with this tradition, like faithward.org for example (from whom I borrowed the stump image above.) It’s a great project for kids!

The Advent Calendar

Advent calendars began as a religious tradition, originating among Lutheran Germans who brought the tradition with them to other countries during the German diaspora of the 19th century. The calendars have doors, boxes, pouches, or envelopes that are labeled for each day of Advent. One is opened each day to find a surprise- it might be a picture or a scripture verse illustrating a Bible story about the nativity; or a small figure for a nativity, as in the one pictured here from Vermont Christmas at Etsy; and often a treat of some kind, like an ornament or a piece of candy. Some Advent calendars have tasks for each day – acts of kindness, a prayer, or simply something Christmas-themed. Many can be found for purchase here and here. Alternatively, many creative DIY ideas can be found here, here, and here.

The tradition has been secularized and commercialized, not surprisingly; so much so that it’s common for people to be surprised to learn that this started as a religious tradition. We can now purchase a wide variety of secular “Advent” calendars, counting the days down from Dec 1 to Christmas with a hidden gift each day. Just a few of the calendars I saw available online for purchase this year have themes such as Legos, Disney (of course), Barbie, Taylor Swift, and Pokémon. For adults, there are coffee beans, tea, jams & jellies, Swarovski crystals (for $1300!), and spirits-whiskey, gin, or tequila. There is also wine, gifts for the chef from Williams & Sonoma, beauty products from Harrods, and jewelry, among the many options. We can even buy one for our pets! (I hope Charlotte never discovers that we failed to buy her the Milkbone “Advent” calendar!) There are too many to list, but one of many online lists, such as this one: “The 70 best Advent calendars of 2023 for everyone” will give you a sense of the myriad choices.

In the less materialistic secular realm, we find beautiful children’s Advent calendars that have themes such as multicultural awareness, environmental consciousness, and acts of kindness, like those at sharingkindness.com. Their calendars provide a small reflection and an act of kindness to perform that day, such as, “You grow from doing things that may seem scary. Try doing something that may seem scary at first,” and lists a couple such items like “calling someone to say sorry, or stand up for someone or something.” Another door holds the message, “Be thankful for the heroes of society. Create a thank you card for a bus driver, fireman, postman or police officer thanking them for their service.” Each day has a small magnet that the child can place on the themed magnetic board. There are printable options as well to use in your own way.

We did not have Advent calendars in my house growing up. Perhaps because it required discipline and commitment and money that our household never had.

The Advent Wreath

I love lighting the candles of the advent wreath- a new candle each Sundy of Advent, another tradition that originated in some form among German Lutherans in the 16^th century. I love the symbolism that has grown around it.

• The wreath is round, symbolizing God’s infinite love.
  
  
• The wreath is often made of evergreen branches, representing eternal life.
  
  
• The four candles represent the light of God coming into the world and each has its own symbolism:
  
  
  • The first candle, a purple one, represents hope. It is also called the “Prophecy candle” to remind us of the prophets, in particular Isaiah who foretold the birth of Jesus.
  
  
  • The second purple candle represents peace. It is also called the “Bethlehem candle” to remind us of Mary & Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. To some, this candle represents Faith.
  
  
  • The third candle, the rose pink one, symbolizes the joy of the world at the birth of Jesus. It is also called the “Shepherd’s candle” to remind us of the angel’s proclamation to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy for all the people.”
  
  
  • The fourth candle, a purple one again, is the candle of love, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only son…” and is also called the “Angel’s candle.” To some, this candle, not the second one represents Peace, and the angel’s message, “Peace on earth, Good will toward men.”
    

• Many wreaths have a larger white candle in the center called the “Christ Candle” that is lit on Christmas Eve.

• In the UK, candles have different symbolism. In order, they represent the hope of God’s people, the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

• Other faith traditions and/or places use different colored candles as well. In the UK, red is common.

• In the Eastern Orthodox church, Advent is six weeks and their wreathes have six candles.

We never did this in our household when I was growing up, but as an adult, I fell in love with the tradition, with the ritual, and the symbolism of the fire. I did it as an adult most years for a long time. I fell out of that practice and I’m not sure why. That will require some reflection.

Nativity Sets

Many homes begin displaying nativity sets at this time of year. Some set it all up at once, and others observe a tradition of putting out pieces one at a time throughout Advent until they place the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.

How We’ll be observing Advent this year

Nativity Set

This year was supposed to be Mom’s first Christmas living with us here in Indiana, and I had looked forward to setting up her nativity set together. It was Mom’s favorite Christmas season activity. She had collected a ceramic nativity set over many years- one piece at a time. She treasured it, and I loved it too. She always told me that she would leave it to me. I really wanted it to be hers this year, not mine, but here I am with my inherited nativity set.  I’ll set it up today on her old drop-leaf table exactly as she would have, and it will have even more special meaning to me this year.

Advent Wreath

This year, for the first time in many years, we will have an Advent wreath. Although I didn’t get all the components gathered in time for my wreath to be complete, We will light the first candle today. I’ll post a photo next Sunday.

Prayer & Reflections

My plan will be to do daily prayer and reflection. I’m going to try the Hallow app this year. It is a Catholic app which will have an Advent program with Liam Neeson and Jonathan Roumie doing readings. Who would not want the voices of Aslan (Chronicles of Narnia)  and Jesus (The Chosen) reading to you?   I rushed to sign up for that!  I was only half-surprised to learn they will be including readings from C.S. Lewis! Of course they are LOL. Although Hallow has a free version with many free  resources, it is also has a pay option for some offerings, and there is a 1 -month free trial- just long enough for Advent! 

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Advent Prayers Week 1 – Hope

There are many beautiful prayers for Advent, but one of my favorites is one that Fr. Henri Nouwen wrote. It is one I am praying daily during Advent and is the first of three prayers today:

Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces
to hear your voice each day,
We who are anxious over many things look forward
to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy
of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.
To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!’

Amen.

Prayers for the Lighting of the Candle

Dear Lord,
As the days grow shorter and the world becomes darker, help us during this Advent season to slow down, quiet ourselves, and be silent. Help us to focus on you to feel you draw near to us as we wait. Help us to listen through our sorrows to hear your voice.

We light the first candle and reflect on the light of hope, so badly needed in this chaotic and broken yet beautiful world. You are our hope. We pray that your hope spreads to the darkest corners of the earth and touches those in desperate conditions who are most in need of it. 
Amen.

 

God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.

God of hope, the rock we stand upon,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly this Advent time.
Amen