The Season Of Advent
The first Sunday of Advent begins the new ecclesiastical year and the
season of Advent. The word Advent means coming. These four weeks
of Advent are a time of preparation, as God took some 4,000 years to
prepare men for the coming of the Messias.
Why did God chose to delay the coming of His Son amongst us for so
many centuries? Why such a long period?
We cannot, mere creatures as we are, fathom the depths of the reasons
why God accomplishes His works under such or such conditions. He is
the Infinitely Sovereign Being Who has no need of a counsellor.
But as He is likewise Wisdom itself that reacheth "from end to end
mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly" (Sir 8:1). we may yet humbly
seek to learn something of the appropriateness of the conditions of His
mysteries. It was fitting that men, having sinned by pride, "Eritis sicut dii"
(Gen 3:5) should be obliged, by the prolonged experience of their weakness
and the extent of their misery, to confess the absolute need they had of a
Redeemer and to aspire after His coming with all the fibres of their nature.
The idea of this future Redeemer fills all the Ancient Law; all the symbols,
all the rites and sacrifices prefigure Him: "Haec omnia in figura contigebant
illis" (1 Cor 10:2); all desires converge towards Him. The religion of Israel
was the expectation of the Messias.
Moreover, the greatness of the mystery of the Incarnation and the majesty
of the Redeemer demanded that the revelation of Him to the human race
should only be made by degrees. Man, on the eve of his fall, was neither
worthy of receiving nor capable of welcoming the full manifestation of the
God-Man. It was by a dispensation at once full of wisdom and mercy, that
God disclosed this ineffable mystery only little by little, by the mouth of the
prophets; when the human race should be sufficiently prepared, the Word,
so many times announced, so often promised, would Himself appear here
below to instruct us: "Multifariam multisque modis olim loquens patribus in
prophetis... novissime locutus est nobis in Filio" (Heb 1:1).
The faithful Jews were constantly in expectation of the Messias. Their faith
discerned in the person of this Redeemer one sent by God, a King, a God
Who was to put an end to their miseries, and deliver them from the burden
of their sins. They have but one longing: "Send, O Lord, Him Who is to come"
They have but one desire: to behold with their eyes the countenance of the
Saviour of Israel. The promised Messias was the object towards which converged
all the hopes, all the worship, all the religion of the Old Covenant. All the Old
Testament is a prolonged Advent the prayers of which are summed up in this
prayer of Isaias:
"Send forth, O Lord, the Lamb, the Ruler of the earth."
"Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just"
"Let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Saviour"
This is the attitude which the Church adopts during Advent, a time
to prepare oursleves for the coming of the Lord.
If we allow ourselves to be guided by her this Advent, the solemnity of the
Birth of Jesus will produce within us all its fruits of grace, of light and
life.
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight his paths" (Lk. iii,4)
We should recieve this Advent reminder as direct message of God to
our souls. "Prepare" -- this, perhaps, can sum up the message of Advent.
Prepare for what?
For the Second Coming,
For your own death,
For the Christmas Communion...
To most of us, this preparation means a conversion, a turning to the Lord,
a change of life, and penance. In the Epistle for the First Sunday of Advent,
we read "It is now the hour to rise from Sleep" -- to rise from our neglect
of the things of God. We're all prone to fall from our first fervour, and
need to rise with redoubled piety from our sleep.
Let us then examine the past; our thoughts, words, deeds... our
spiritual duties, and any sinful habits which we might have aquired. We are
all sinners and prone to fall.
Abbot Marmion writes: "The sight of our infirmity ought not, however, to
discourage us; far from that. The more we feel our weakness, so much the more
ought we to open our soul to confidence, because salvation comes only from
Christ.
If then we want the celebration of Christ's Nativity to procure great glory for
the Holy Trinity, and to be a consolation for the Heart of the Incarnate Word,
a source of abundant graces for the Church and for ourselves, let us strive to
purify our hearts, let us preserve a humility full of confidence, and above all
let us enlarge our souls by the breath and vehemence of our desires.
Let then our hearts yield themselves up to an absolute confidence in Him Who
is to come. It is to render ourselves very pleasing to the Father to believe
that His Son Jesus can do everything for the sanctification of our souls.
Let us ask our Lady to make us share in the holy aspirations that animated her
during those blessed days that preceded the Birth of Jesus.
Let us humbly ask her to make us enter into her dispositions. She will hear
our prayer; we shal1 have the immense joy of seeing Christ born anew within
our hearts by the communication of a more abundant grace, and we shall be
enabled, like the Virgin, although in a lesser measure, to understand the
truth of these words of St. John: The Word was God... and the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory... full of grace and truth...
And of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace (Jn 1:14-16). "
We must use this holy season to begin again, with a fresh zeal and
love for God. Let us cast of "the works of darkness, and put on the armour
of light".
Advent is a time of repentance and reflection. It is a time to repent
of our past indifference, and to cast off sin. Let us, then, pray daily
for strenght in avoiding sin and resisting temptations. Let us atone for
sin by penance and mortification. The more we enter into the true spirit
of Advent, the greater will our joy and graces be at Christmastide.
Let us not forget the Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent, the Judgement Day,
when He will come-- not in mercy -- but in justice.
THE ADVENT WREATH
This could once be found hanging up in homes all over Christian
Europe. Its symbolism is obvious enough--a wreath bearing four
candles, which are gradually lighted as advent advances and the
birthday of the Light of the world draws closer. The wreaths are
not difficult to make. Twist some wire into a strong circle about a
foot or 18 ins. across. If you have no wire, roll newspapers into
spirals, bind them with string and make the circle from that. Then
twist strips of evergreen round the circle, the more the better, and
secure it with purple ribbon (have also white ribbons ready, for
later the purple ribbons give place to white). Yew is the best
evergreen to use because of its feathery leaves, but box, privet, ivy
cypress, holly, will do. Laurel is often used because of its
association with victory, and Christ's coming is a victory over sin.
Tie at equal distances round the wreath the four purple ribbons
and tie the ends together. It is from this that the wreath should be
suspended from the ceiling.
On the first Sunday in Advent the wreath is hung and four candles
are fixed among the green. Someone explains to the others the
meaning of it. "Advent lasts four weeks. Each week brings us closer
to Christ, who is the light of the world. The little flame of the
candle is the symbol of his coming. We could also think of the
people who do not realize that Christ is coming and who do not
believe it, even if they know." The youngest person present lights
the candle and an Advent hymn is sung.
On the second Sunday of Advent this is repeated, only two candles
are lighted, on the third Sunday three, on the fourth four; and on
Christmas-day the purple ribbons change to white. The waiting is
over, Christ has come upon earth.
The promises that, by the voice of the prophets, God made to His
people so as to arouse in them the desire of the Messias, are
magnificent. But many of the Jews understood these promises in the
material and gross sense of a temporal and political kingdom. The
good things promised to the just who awaited the Saviour were but
the figure of the supernatural riches which we find in Christ; we
have the divine reality, that is to say the grace of Jesus. The
liturgy for Advent constantly speaks to us of mercy, redemption,
salvation, deliverance, light, abundance, joy, peace. "Behold the
Saviour cometh; on the day of His Birth, the world shall be
flooded with light" (Antiphon for Lauds of the 1st Sunday in
Advent; "exult then with joy, O Jerusalem, for the Saviour shall
appear" (Antiphon for Lauds for the 3rd Sunday in Advent); "peace
shall fill our earth when He shews Himself" (Response for Matins
for the 3rd Sunday in Advent). Christ brings with Him all the
blessings that can be lavished upon a soul: "Cum illo omnia nobis
donavit" (Rom 8:32).
Let then our hearts yield themselves up to an absolute confidence
in Him Who is to come. It is to render ourselves very pleasing to
the Father to believe that His Son Jesus can do everything for the
sanctification of our souls. Thereby we declare that Jesus is
equal to Him, and that the Father "hath given all things into His
hand" (Jn 3:35). Such confidence cannot be mistaken. In the Mass
for the first Sunday in Advent, the Church thrice gives us the
firm assurance of this. "None of them that wait on Thee shall be
confounded": "Qui te exspectant non confundentur."
This confidence will above all be expressed in the ardent desire
to see Christ come to reign more fully within us. "Adveniat regnum
tuum!" The liturgy gives us the formula of these desires. At the
same time that she places the prophecies, especially those of
Isaias, under our eyes, and causes us to read them again, the
Church puts upon our lips the aspirations and the longings of the
just men of old time. She wills to see us prepared for Christ's
coming within our souls in the same way as God willed that the
Jews should be disposed to receive His Son. "Come, O Lord, They
mercy, and grant us Thy people" (Alleluia for the 4th Sunday of
Advent). "Shew us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and grant us Thy salvation"
(Offertory for the 2d Sunday of Advent). "Come and deliver us,
Lord, God Almighty! Raise up Thy power, and come" (Collect for the
4th Sunday of Advent).
The Church makes us constantly repeat these aspirations. Let us
make them our own, let us appropriate them to ourselves with
faith, and Christ Jesus will enrich us with His graces.
Let us also remember that Advent is a time of alms-giving, of helping
those who are in need. Let us do this not only by offering prayers for them,
but through corporal works of mercy.
Remember also your priests and traditional chapels. Many of us labour
under very difficult circumstances-- some close to poverty. Those of you who
are blessed with a decent income are obliged to contribute to the support of
your local chapel and pastor. When you do this, you are truly giving to God
and building up the Faith. This Advent, let us be as generous as we can.
Our Lord, when He comes in His glory, will not let a single glass of water
given to another for His Sake go un-rewarded. When we give to others for
God's sake, He will surely bless our works and grant us what we need.
* THE JESSE TREE
All of the traditional teaching of the Church concerning the Incarnation
indicates the wealth of material which the very liturgy itself offers to our
minds and heart, imagination and senses. This teaching may be translated into
terms easily loved and comprehended by children. Endeavor to relate all to
the fundamental and solid ground of the liturgy itself, and try to integrate
many of the prayers and customs, old and new, into the life of the Church in
such wise that it may be used by parents and teachers to appeal to little
children.
"Ours is a Christmas tree designed to put Christ back into Christmas. The
ornaments, made by the children, represent the ancestors of Christ. Imagination
is fired by reading of these characters in the messianic story, and some of
the symbols and figures used have indeed been ingenious. A box of 'good junk'
in the classroom, scraps of shiny paper, rich cloth, fur, metallic stripping,
etc., provides material and suggests further ideas for construction.
The base of our tree is wrapped in corrugated paper cut to represent a tapering
root, and Jesse's symbol is placed thereon. With abandon, we then cut back to
Adam and Eve. An apple with two bites out and a serpent coiled about it tells
their doleful story. A few green leaves attached to red Christmas balls provide
other apples to place among the branches, to remind us of the grip that sin had
upon the world through the long ages of waiting for the Redeemer.
Pushed down over the topmost spiny branch of the tree is a plastic disc
supporting twelve aluminum-foil stars. Just before school lets out before
Christmas, we place in a test tube that we have scotch-taped above on this
branch
the most beautiful rose we can procure from the florist, swaddled in the maiden
hair fern. Lettered in gold on the blackboard near the tree is this:
"Our Christmas tree represents, as does the liturgy of the season, the longing
of sinful mankind for its Redeemer. The cry of the Old Testament for the
Saviour--"Drop down dew, ye Heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the
Just one"--is repeated in the New Dispensation in which we share. "Let the earth
open and bud forth a Saviour!" cried the ancestors of Christ who are represented
by symbols on our Jesse tree. Our cry is the same: that the Christmas Rose, who
is Jesus Christ, will bud in our hearts, from the branch that is Mary. She who
wears a crown of twelve stars lights the way to her divine Son. Let us redouble
our prayers in these last Advent days that Christ be truly reborn in us. "Come
Lord Jesus, and tarry not." ... Making our Jesse tree has been lots of fun. We
sing while constructing it, and sing around it after it is completed. Under it
we place our crib, beneath the branch from which hangs Ruth's symbol. We tell
our many visitors the stories about the figures, and when Christmas comes at
last we all feel somewhat as those men and women did whose representations
adorn our Jesse tree...."
JESSE TREE SYMBOLS
The Sun: Just as the natural sun gives light and life to all upon whom its
rays fall so Christ, the Rising Dawn, dispels darkness and brings eternal life
and light.
The Tablets of the Law: The Law of Moses as symbolized in the tablets which
God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai was fulfilled in Christ Who brings a law of
love.
The Key of David: The key is the emblem of authority and power. Christ is the
Key of the House of David Who opens to us the full meaning of the scriptural
prophecies, and reopens for all mankind the gate of Heaven.
Bethlehem: Seven hundred years before Christ's birth, Micheas prophesied that
the Savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem, which means "House
of Bread," was appropriately designated as the birthplace of Christ, the Bread
from Heaven.
The Root of Jesse: The flower which springs up from the root of Jesse is another
figure of Christ. Isaiah prophesled that the Savior would be born from the root
of Jesse, that He would sit upon the throme of David, and in Christ this
prophecy is fulfilled.
The Star of David: The six-pointed star is the emblem of the Royal House of
David even to this day. Christ Who is born of the House of David, can truly claim
this emblem as His own.
Jacob's Ladder: In a vision, Jacob saw a ladder reaching from heaven to earth,
with angels descending and ascending. Christ, the Incarnate God, is the Ladder
reuniting earth to heaven, mankind to God.
Jonas in the Whale. As Jonas remained in the whale three days, so Christ
remained three days in the earth after His death.
The Temple: The Temple was God's dwellinq place among the Jews of the Old
Testament.
The Crown and Sceptre: The crown and sceptre signify Christ's universal
kingship. As we sing in the fifth O Antiphon, Christ is not only the King of
the Jewish nation, but the "Desired One of all," the cornerstone which unites
both Jew and Gentile.
The Sword of Judith: Judith of the Old Testament, who killed with a sword the
leader of the Assyrian army, saved the Israelite nation. She prefigured Mary
whose "Fiat" brought salvation to all mankind.
The Burning Bush: God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush, which
burned but was not consumed, a symbol of the Virgin Birth of Christ.
Noe's Ark: A savior, Noe preserved the natural life of all within the Ark;
Christ brings supernatural life to mankind and preserves that life within His
Mystical Body the Church.
The Ark of the Covenant: We address Mary as the Ark of the Covenant because she,
like the Ark of the Old Testament, contained the most precious Gift of the New
Law.
The Altar of Holocaust: Sacrifice was offered daily on the Jewish altar of
holocaust--a type of the Christian altar and the daily sacrifice of the Mass.
The Apple: "O Happy Fault, whereby we have merited so great a Redeemer."
The Paschal Lamb: At the yearly Pasch, the Jews sacrificed a new, unblemished
lamb in thanksgiving for all that God had done for them and as an atonement
offerfng for all their sins. This sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb was fulfilled
in Christ, the "Lamb who takes away the sins of the world."
The Pillar of Fire: In the Old Testament, God appeared in a pillar of fire to
lead His people through the desert, as Christ leads us through the desert of
life.
Manna: The manna which the Jews ate in the desert for forty years was a symbol
of Christ, the true Bread which descended from heaven.
THE CHRISTMAS MYSTERY
If each successive Christmas season is to plunge us ever more deeply into the
mysteries of Christ, it is necessary that all our celebrations and customs be
an overflow of our participation in the holy Sacrifice of the altar. Moreover,
all family customs and observances in the school, parish etc., should lead us
back to the Mass and to a more meaningful participation in this great central
Act of our lives where we meet Christ and grow in grace.
We meet Christ, too, in the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church,
which an increasing number of families and laity today are adopting and adapting
as their prayer. The Divine Office with its readings, psalms, hymns and prayers
extends the theme and spirit of the Mass through the whole day, enveloping us
in the particular mystery which the Church is celebrating.
For the Church not only re-presents the great mysteries of Christ in the holy
Sacrifice of the Mass and in the Divine Office--but she allows us actually to
re-live these mysteries through our participation in her prayer. Her feasts are
not merely an historical commemoration of the life of Christ; they are not
merely an example to inspire us--they are the re-living of the whole work of
Christ on earth by His Mystical Body.
Pope Pius XII explains in "Mediator Dei": "The liturgical year devotedly
fostered and accompanied by the Church, is not a cold and lifeless
representation of the events of the past, or a simple and bare record of a
former age. It is rather Christ Himself who is ever living in His Church...His
mysteries are ever present and active; they still influence us because each
mystery brings its own special grace for our salvation."
How can we "live the Mass" more deeply during these Days of Christmas
so that our participation in the holy Sacrifice can lead to the unfolding of
Christ's life in us? One way to begin is through reading and studying and
praying the Propers of the Masses for Christmastide. The Proper prayers
of these Masses are rich, deep, and full of meaning. If they are meditated
upon and absorbed, they have the power to form our minds, feed our souls,
transform our lives.
It is with the Mass and the Office that we must begin our celebration of the
Twelve Days of Christmas. Once the genuine keynote, the true and deep
theme of the feastday is struck in the morning's observance at the altar
and carried through the day in the Hours of the Office, we can be sure that
our family customs and our celebrations will be a true "living with the Church"
and will help to transform us "unto the measure of the age of the fullness of
Christ."
The theme of the Advent season has been one of joyous expectancy as the
Church, in vigilant preparation, waited and watched for the first signs of the
coming of the Lord. The very name Advent, and the Masses of the four Sundays
with their urgent plea to Christ to "hasten and delay not" have reminded us
that we are awaiting His coming in grace at Christmas, and in glory at the end
of time.
On the evening of December 17 the last and most intensive phase of Advent
preparation begins. On this evening is inaugurated the first of the Great
"O's" of Advent. The "O Antiphons" are seven jewels of liturgical song, one
for each day until Christmas Eve.
They seem to sum up all our Advent longing as they paint in vivid terms the
wretched condition of mankind and his need of a Savior. Addressing Christ with
seven magnificent titles, they beg Him with mounting impatience to come to save
His people. The "O Antiphons" are intoned with special solemnity in monasteries
at the Vesper Hour, before and after our Lady's great song of thanksgiving, the
Magnificat, which is sung every evening as the climax of this Hour of the Divine
Office.
THE "O ANTIPHONS"
- 17 December:
O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching
from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come,
and teach us the way of prudence. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be)
- 18 December:
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses
in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come,
and redeem us with outstretched arm.
- 19 December:
O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before
whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make
supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not.
- 20 December:
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and
no man shuts; who shuts and no man opens: come, and bring forth the
captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
- 21 December:
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice:
come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
-22 December:
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes
both one: come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.
-23 December:
O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the
nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.
-24 December
O THOU THAT SITTEST UPON THE CHERUBIM, God of hosts, come,
show Thy face, and we shall be saved. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be)
- Indulgence of 7 years once on any day.
Epiphany
--HISTORY AND LITURGY OF EPIPHANY--
Through The Ecclesiastical Year
* Epiphany
* Miracle of Cana
* The Final Manifestation
* The Magi
* Blessing of Homes
EPIPHANY
The term "Epiphaneia" (manifestation) designated in the Greek-Roman
world an official state visit of a king or emperor to some city of his realm,
and especially the occasions on which he publicly showed himself to the people.
The Apostles applied this term to Christ manifesting Himself as our Divine
Saviour: "He manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him" (John 2,
11). Since in the ancient pagan world people believed that gods, too, did
sometimes "appear" on earth and show themselves in human form, the word
"theophany" was applied to such events ("theophaneia": manifestation of a
god). The early Church, in both the East and the West, often used this
meaningful term of "theophany" for the Feast of the Epiphany.
The liturgical feast of Christ's "manifestation" originated in the Orient,
in Egypt, during the third century. Modern scholars explain the date
(January 6)
by the fact that the Egyptians celebrated on this day their great festival
of the winter solstice in honor of the sun god. The Church authorities opposed
this pagan observance with a feast of the true manifestation (nativity) of
the Divine Saviour King.
Epiphany, then, started as a feast of the Lord's nativity celebrated on the
day of the winter solstice in Egypt, which was twelve days behind the Julian
calendar. This festival also included the commemoration of the Magi's visit
and adoration. In Egypt (and a century later in the whole East Roman Empire)
a commemoration of Christ's baptism was added, to stress the true character of
this manifestation against the Gnostic "birth of divinity" doctrine
regarding Christ's baptism.
In the Greek Church Epiphany is still named "Theophaneia" (the appearing of
God).
In a similar sense the Syrians call it "coming forth" ("denho") of the Saviour;
and the Armenians use the term "God's manifestation" ("Hajdnuthiun").
From the Orient Epiphany came to Europe during the fourth century, about the
same time as the new Feast of Christmas took root in the Roman liturgy. In
many places (Spain, Gaul, upper Italy) Epiphany was established first. In
Milan it was solemnly observed as early as 353, but it still commemorated
mainly the nativity of the Lord. Soon, however, Christmas spread from Rome
through the whole Latin Church, and toward the end of the fourth century into
the Greek Church as well, and the Nativity was now celebrated everywhere on
December 25. This caused a change in the liturgical objective of Epiphany.
In the Western Church, Epiphany had as its main objective the adoration of
the Magi. The baptism of Christ and the miracle of Cana were also commemorated,
but only in a subordinate manner. In the East, however, the visit of the Magi
was celebrated together with Christmas on December 25, and Epiphany soon
became the great feast of Christ's baptism.
Epiphany has always remained one of the greatest feasts of the liturgical year.
As early as A.D. 400 Emperor Honorius (for West Rome) and Arcadius (for East
Rome) forbade horse races and circus games on January 6 because they kept
people from attending divine service. Justinian (565) made it a full civic
holyday. During the Middle Ages it had a vigil with fast and abstinence. The solemn
octave was abrogated by Pope Pius XII in 1955 (for the Latin Church).
In the Code of Canon Law (1918), Epiphany has been retained as a holyday of
obligation for the whole Church. The United States, however, and some countries
in western Europe (France, Belgium, Holland) are dispensed from this obligation
by the Holy See.
MIRACLE OF CANA
The celebration of this miracle as one of the manifestations of
Christ is probably due to the fact that the Gospel uses the very word
"manifest" ("ephanerosen") in connection with it (John 2, 11).
Saint Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, in Italy (431), mentions it as one of the
"three manifestations" of Christ.
In holy liturgy this commemoration presents a spiritual comparison of
great depth, namely of Christ's "wedding" to His spouse, the Church--a
picture based on many texts of a similar marriage symbolism between God
and His people in the Old Testament. "Today, the Church is wedded to her
heavenly bridegroom, after Christ has washed away her sins in the Jordan."
THE FINAL MANIFESTATION
There was a trend among many pious authors in medieval times of
adding other manifestations to those officially mentioned in the liturgy,
such as the multiplication of loaves, Christ walking on the waters, and
the raising of Lazarus. It is true that all these events, and many similar
ones, could rightly be considered as epiphanies of the Lord. The liturgy,
however, has never officially included more than the four events of the
Nativity, the adoration of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and the
miracle of Cana.
There is an exception, though, and a very significant one. Although
not expressly mentioned in the liturgical texts of Epiphany, the thought of
Christ's last and greatest manifestation in His coming at the end of time
("parousia") stands like a radiant beacon behind the liturgical celebration
of His coming in the past. Through the whole season of Advent and Christmas--
in fact, through the whole ecclesiastical year--the liturgical prayers have
stressed the preparatory character of all the celebrations on earth: they
are to lead the faithful to the joyful and everlasting reunion with Christ
at the end of time.
"Behold, the Lord will come, and all his saints with him; and on that day
there shall be a great light. Alleluia." These words of the Advent liturgy
seem to come to a symbolic fulfillment on Epiphany. As the Lord truly
manifested Himself on earth, so He will manifest Himself in that last and
greatest epiphany when all things will find their fulfillment in Him.
Saint John Chrysostom proclaims this very thought in one of his
sermons on Epiphany:
``There are two manifestations of Christ, not only one. The first
is the one which has already happened, His epiphany in the
present. The second is the one of the future which will come at
the end of time with great splendor and glory. You have heard
read today what St. Paul writes to Titus about both these
epiphanies. Concerning the first he says, "The grace of God our
Savior has appeared to all men...." About the second he writes,
"We look for the blessed hope and glorious coming of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2, 11-13). ``
THE MAGI
The name Magi is not a Hebrew word, but of Indo-European origin,
and means "great, illustrious." Saint Matthew mentioned the term
without explanation because it was well known to the people of
Palestine. The Magi originated in Media (Persia), and their caste
later spread to other Oriental countries. They were a highly
esteemed class of priestly scholars, devoting themselves not only
to religion but also to the study of natural sciences, medicine,
mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. In several countries they
were members of the king's council.
Where did the Magi come from? Saint Matthew gives a general
answer: "Wise men from the East." Speaking in modern terms, it
could have been from any one of the countries of Arabia, Iraq,
Iran, Afghanistan, or India. It has never been exactly determined
from which of these countries they came.
Quite early in the Christian era a popular tradition conferred on
them the title of "kings." This tradition became universal at the
end of the sixth century. It was based on Biblical prophecies
which described the conversion of the pagans and, although not
referring to the Magi, were applied to their visit:
The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the
kings of the Arabians and of Sheba shall bring gifts. (Psalms 71,10)
The kings shall walk in the brightness of thy rising.... They all
shall come from Sheba, bringing gold and frankincense. (Isaiah 60, 3-6)
The Gospel does not tell us how many they were. The Christians in
the Orient had an old tradition of twelve Magi. In early
paintings and mosaics they are represented as two, three, four,
and even more. In the occidental Church a slowly spreading
tradition put their number at three. It does not seem to have any
historical foundation, but was probably based on the fact of the
threefold presents. Another reason for the number three was the
early legend that they represented all humanity in its three
great races. Thus one of them was pictured as a member of the
black race, and this choice seemed to be confirmed by the Bible:
Let the great ones come forth from Egypt, let Ethiopia stretch
out her arms to God. (Psalms 67, 32)
The book "Collectanea et Flores," ascribed to Saint Bede the
Venerable (735), records an earlier legend of their names and
appearance:
The first was called Melchior; he was an old man, with white hair
and long beard; he offered gold to the Lord as to his king. The
second, Gaspar by name, young, beardless, of ruddy hue, offered
to Jesus his gift of incense, the homage due to Divinity. The
third, of black complexion, with heavy beard, was called
Baltasar; the myrrh he held in his hands prefigured the death of
the Son of man.
There is an old legend that when many years had passed the Magi
were visited by Saint Thomas the Apostle, who, after instructing
them in Christianity, baptized them. They were then ordained to
the priesthood and made bishops. It is said that once more the
star of Bethlehem appeared to them and reunited them toward the
end of their lives. "The city of Sewa in the Orient" is given as
the place of their burial.
The legendary relics of the Magi were brought from Constantinople
to Milan in the sixth century. In 1164 Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa obtained them from the archbishop of Milan and
transferred them to Cologne. Their shrine in Cologne was, and
still is, the center of many pilgrimages.
BLESSING OF HOMES
The Roman ritual also provides a beautiful and
impressive rite of blessing the homes of the faithful on the
Feast of the Epiphany. This blessing is usually given by the
pastor. After reciting the "Magnificat," the priest sprinkles
the rooms with holy water and incenses them, then recites the
prayers. Here, in English translation, is the actual prayer of
blessing:
Bless, O Lord, almighty God, this house, that therein be found
good health, chastity, the power of spiritual victory, humility,
goodness and meekness, the plenitude of the Law, and thanksgiving
to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: and may this blessing
remain on the house and on its inhabitants. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen."
After the blessing the initials of the legendary names of the
Magi--Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar--are written with white chalk on
the inside of the door, framed by the number of the year, and all
symbols are connected by the cross: 19+G+M+B+--. To sanctify even
the chalk for this writing, there is a special "Blessing of Chalk
on the Feast of the Epiphany" in the ritual.
Ember Days
Ember days are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the
Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and
prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December , after Ash Wednesday,
after Pentecost, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross).
On Ember Days we thank God for the gifts of nature, make use of them in
moderation, and assist the needy. Traditionaly, clergy are ordained on
the Saturday of Ember Week. The Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of
Ember-Week are traditional days of fasting.
The origin of Ember Days go back to the earliest time. Records show that
it was celebrated as early as 217 A.D in Rome. Later, Pope St. Leo wrote
of the practice :
"But there are three things which most belong to religious actions,
namely prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, in the exercising of which while
every time is accepted, yet that ought to be more zealously observed, which
we have received as hallowed by tradition from the apostles...
And while all seasons are opportune for this duty, beloved, yet this
present season is specially suitable and appropriate, at which our holy
fathers, being Divinely inspired, sanctioned the Fast...
If he uses the gifts which GOD gave to His glory, and withholds his
inclinations from those things,which he knows will harm him. For in
abstaining from malicious envy, from luxurious and dissolute living,
from the perturbations of anger, from the lust after vengeance, he will be
made pure and holy by true fasting, and will be fed upon the pleasures of
incorruptible delights, and so he will know how, by the spiritual use of
his earthly riches, to transform them into heavenly treasures, not by
hoarding up for himself what he has received, but by gaining a hundred-fold
on what he gives."
Ash Wednesday
Lent is a fast of forty days, not including Sundays, beginning with Ash
Wednesday and ending with the Saturday before Easter Sunday. This year,
Lent begins on the 25-th of February.
It is a period set aside by the Church- for fasting and self-denial in token of
our Lord's fasting for forty days and forty nights before His temptation.
Pope Gregory I described Lent as "the spiritual tithing of the year."
The first day of Lent is called "Ash Wednesday" in all Christian countries
of the Western world from the ceremony of imposing blessed ashes in the form
of a cross on the foreheads of the faithful while the priest pronounces the
words:
"Memento homo quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris"
(Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return)
The name Ash Wednesday (Feria quarta cinerum) was officially introduced by
Pope Urban II (1099); prior to that the first day of Lent was called
"Beginning of the Fast" (initium jejunii).
The ashes used are obtained from burning the blessed palms of the previous
Palm Sunday. They are also given a special blessing before being distributed
on Ash Wednesday. The four prayers employed in the Roman Missal for this
ceremony date back to the eighth century. Here is the first prayer, which
contains the actual rite of blessing:
"Almighty and eternal God, have mercy on the penitent
sinners, forgive those who humbly ask remission; and deign
to send thy holy Angel from Heaven, to bless and sanctify
these ashes. May they constitute a wholesome remedy for all
who implore thy holy name in humility and accuse
themselves sincerely of their sins; who deplore their
misdeeds in the sight of thy Divine pity, or who appeal in
anxious supplication to thy exceeding kindness. Through the
invocation of thy holy name, grant that all those, on whom
these ashes will be imposed for the remission of sins, may
also obtain health of the body and protection of their souls.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
The use of ashes as a token of penance and sorrow is an ancient one, often
mentioned in the Scripture of the Old Testament (Jonas 3, 5-9; Jeremias 6,26
and 25, 34; etc.). Christ, too, refers to this custom, in Matthew 11, 21. The
Church accepted it from Jewish tradition and preserved its original meaning.
The early Christian writer Tertullian (third century) mentions the imposition
of ashes as one of the external marks of Christian penance.
Septuagesima Season
Soon we will enter the Septuagesima season, as the Church makes
her transition from the joyful Epiphany to Lent--which begins on Ash
Wednesday. The three Sundays preceding Lent are called Septuagesima
(seventieth), Sexagesima (sixtieth), and Quinquagesima (fiftieth).
On the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday (the third Sunday
before Lent) the ancient and hallowed exclamation of Alleluia is officially
discontinued in the Western Church to signify the approach of the solemn
season of Lent. The Alleluia is sung twice after the prayers of the Divine
Office, and not heard again till the solemn vigil service of Easter, when it
once more is used as a glorious proclamation of Easter joy.
The Eastern Church abstained first from meat, but began on Sexagesima
(the second Sunday before Lent), which is called "Meatless" . With
Quinquagesima
the Eastern Church began (and still begins) the abstinence from butter,
cheese, milk, and eggs. Thus in eastern Europe that day is called
"Cheeseless Sunday".
In preparation for Lent the faithful in medieval times used to go
to confession on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. From this practice, that day
became known as "Shrove Tuesday" (the day on which people are shriven from
sins).
An old English sermon of the eleventh century exhorts the faithful thus:
"In the week immediately before Lent, everyone shall go to his confessor;
and his confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what
he is to do"
The spirit of pre-Lent is one of penance, devotion, and atonement,
the Sunday Masses and the liturgical rules reflecting this character. The
Gloria is omitted, purple vestments are worn, and the altars may no longer
be decorated with flowers.
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