O Night Divine

Quotable

"The Advent mystery is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ."

Thomas Merton

Simplify Advent

I'd love for you to read my article at Seton about a simpler Advent that God blessed us with.

"When I was expecting my eighth baby, our house was in the midst of a major renovation. An eighth baby will do that to you, you need a place to put him. That construction landing right at the very end of my pregnancy, and throughout the Advent season, gave me great inner turmoil."

Read the rest here

It's time to prepare

In exactly two weeks from tomorrow Advent will begin and as of right now we are thrity-nine days from Christmas.  It seems daunting, which is why it is so important to begin to prayerfully discern how we want this Advent to look for our family.  Tomorrow at Mass I intend to ask the Lord to inspire my plans to reflect His desire for my family to grow ever closer to Him.

Two weeks is plenty of time to ttake stock of your situation and see what you would like to focus on this Advent with your family.  Some things to consider...

1. If you are pregnant or nursing your time and enery levels are bound to be limited, your Advent should be less hustle and bustle and should reflect your need to rest and take care of your baby. Limit your outings and plan for some fun indoor activities and devotions with the children. 
   
   
2. If you are out of the baby stage this may be the year you can finally get to some of the more time consuming activities that you have had to pass on in year's past. DOn't give into the temptation to do everything you've longed to do, that's a good way to make yourself and anyone else nuts. rather focus on doing one thing really well.  Maybe this is your year to do a Jesse Tree (Michele has printable ornaments) or observe the Ember days or perhaps you will go all out with the O Antiphons, whatever you decide don't overdue. Do one thing really well and enjoy it.
   
   
3. If you have older kids or  kids returning from college this could be a way to draw them further in the practice of their faith. You might be able to commit to daily Mass, a spiritual study of some kind or maybe travel to visit a shrine.  

Whatever your plans become remember that the end goal is an Advent that creates an atmosphere in the home that welcomes the Christ child, one that further's the faith of your children and settles your own mind and heart so as to be prepared to welcome the King of Kings.

 

Join us here at O Night Divine as we journey through Advent together.

 

"Let us some close to the crib. If you
love riches, you will find the gold that the kings brought;
if you are looking for the smoke of honors,
you will find that in the incense;
and if you take delight in the delicacies of the senses,
you will find the delicate perfume of myrrh that pervades the stable.
Be rich in love for this adorable Saviour,
respectful in the familiarity
with which you relate to Him,
and delight in the joy of experiencing in your soul so many inspirations and affections
because you look exclusively to Him." ~ St. Frances de Sales

Spiritual Reading to start off right

Bridget Galbraith sent me a link to a published homily that she thought I might like to share here.  It is a very powerful piece of writing, one I needed to read and I'm sure a lot of people need to hear.  The site is called LittleMoreTracts and a link to the homily can be found at the bottom of the exerpt. Reading this has recommitted me to making confession and penance a large part of my Advent devotions.

"Advent is great season of spiritual awakening. Advent tries to rouse us from our slumber, our spiritual laziness, to prepare ourselves not just for Christmas, His first coming, but even more importantly for Christ’s final coming and for our personal judgement, for the moment in which our place in God’s Kingdom will be set for all eternity.  St Paul speaks positively when he says “our salvation is closer than we first accepted the faith.”   Surely our salvation is what we are living for if we are believers, even if weak believers. Surely salvation is our genuine hope if we believe in Christ and are truly grateful for His death on our behalf!   Yet we run a risk of falling away from that promise if we are willing to do only the minimum to hold on to it.  How often Christ said that from those who are willing to do the minimum, like the man who buried the one talent in the parable, we may lose it all, that the little we have may be taken away from us. "

Read the entire homily here.

Our 2009 Advent Catechesis

2010 Updated reading list can be found here.

I mentioned in my previous Advent pondering post that our main Advent catechesis will be using three key books by Inos Biffi and illustrated by Franco Vignazia. They are available for sale at Family-Centered Press. The Advent Book Package is an excellent deal!

 These books explain so clearly the Liturgical Year and the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas; they are the perfect catechesis for both children and adults. The text is wonderfully supported by the rich flowing illustrations.

I'm crazy about the illustrations by Franco Vignazia. The images themselves are catechetical in nature -- just like the old illuminated manuscripts and stained glass windows that even young children and illiterate faithful could learn and contemplate great mysteries of the faith. Vignazia's is reminiscent of various methods, like religious icons and illuminated maniscripts. My sons have loved just to gaze at the beautiful illustrations for long periods.

  Download Advent Reading 2009 This is a Word document, so you can tweak to what works for you.

I decided to break the books down so that they would last through Advent. I know there will be days we'll add and subtract. The sections are short, but meaty. I'd like to keep them smaller for the most part to leave time to soak in the richness. We'll begin on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29. The readings are small chunks, skipping Saturdays, but including Sundays. Looking ahead to the Christmas season, I know we won't be doing much formal studying, so I'm going to include reading about the Christmas season in Advent.

We will begin with An Introduction to the Liturgical Year by Inos Biffi, as this is the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. We will read the Part One: Advent and Christmas Seaons during the first two weeks of Advent.

For a few years now we have hung a round liturgical calendar in our kitchen, discussed, and tried living the liturgical year in various ways. Every liturgical year cycle we are called to go in deeper into the Paschal Mystery, to understand more so that we can love and serve God even more. An Introduction to the Liturgical Year is the next step in understanding the symbolism and meaning of the various liturgical seasons and feasts.

On the Third Sunday of Advent we will begin The Way to Bethlehem by Inos Biffi which covers similar items as the first book, but a little more detailed at the Nativity story. Both these books cover the coming of the Messiah, with the prophecies, the prophets, the forerunners of Christ, the key Advent figures that lead to His birth in Bethlehem, and also the saints of the season.

On December 8, we take a break to view The Life of Mary. I'm finishing up the school year on the 23rd.

I've added a few readings from Ethel Marbach Pochocki’s Saints of the Season for Children (or Saints in Waiting, both out of print) and her Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints. These will be used as extra reading on the saints' days in Advent, and reading for the key Advent figures (Isaiah, John the Baptist, and St. Joseph).

 If there's interest for fun reading, we'll read along daily Destination Bethlehem by Sharon Altman and Christine Winkelman.

That's a peek at our Advent reading plans, although I know how things can change even if they are carved in stone. Come Thou, O Long Awaited Messiah!

Prepare the Way of the Lord!

  I have an internal struggle as I see all the posts and reminders of Advent and making Advent plans. I rebel interiorly, as I don’t like to overplan, especially for Advent. But as I’m thinking through what our family will do for Advent, I realize I need to solidify my goals, streamline my vision, and make plans. I have to plan a little so I can keep it simple. It seems a little contradictory, but it does make sense to me. If I don’t have some goals and plan in mind, we can be hit willy-nilly with all sorts of attractive activities, busyness of preparation, and then I will lose sight and control and be in the situation I always dread – over my head and just barely treading water. This is a pondering post, not one with lots of crafts and ideas.

My thought process: What will be my focus or main meditation during Advent? And what will our family’s main focus be during Advent? What are the main points to be then be interiorized?

Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus, meaning coming. This is a two-fold coming, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming (No. 524).

Advent is a separate season from the Christmas season in the Church's liturgy. Advent is a time of hope, a time of preparing, a time for patiently and prayerfully waiting. It is not technically a fully penitential season, but purple as the seasonal color indicates celebration has not begun. The Advent Masses omit the Gloria, but retain the Alleluia. Christmas carols aren’t sung until Christmas. Christmas has an octave – eight days each one being another Christmas, and then the season lasts until January 10, the Baptism of our Lord. That is 17 days to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. The 26 days of Advent is the time to prepare.

I want to convey that contrast in my home. Christmas doesn’t happen until December 25. Will we be “Christmased” out when it does arrive? It’s an uphill battle, because we are faced with the secularism of Christmas, or “Happy Holidays” before Halloween is over. We will have outside invitations and activities that mark Christmas celebration before the 25th. We will be hearing Christmas carols and seeing Christmas decorations and all those delicious-but-fattening Christmas goodies all through Advent. We aren’t trying to become hermits, living an austere life with no celebration. No, what we’re aiming to do is simplify and pace our family so that we will have energy for the true celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season.

Our family needs to imitate Mary, in her preparation for Christ’s coming. Can we turn off the mindless hustle and bustle and replace it with Mary's active contemplation? She visited and helped Elizabeth, and then went home to prepare for Christ’s birth. At that time there weren’t gift registries or a baby’s bedroom to decorate, or a long list of items needed for an infant layette. Mary would have been weaving the cloth and sewing the swaddling clothes and diapers and blankets – all activities that are active work, but allow for contemplation. Can we imitate Mary’s spirit, even though we might have busier preparations happening? Can we imitate her humilty -- staying quiet and hidden, keeping all thoughts towards Him while Jesus grew in her womb? And how about imitating her spouse's humility? What messages to convey during this Advent to my family?

1. Gifts – Giving, not about receiving. Charity for neighbor; practicing corporal and spiritual works of mercy for others.
2. Humility – Who was Jesus? Humility is the basis of all virtue, and we can observe and contemplate it from the moment of Incarnation, also imitating Mary and St. Joseph. (Humility is the area that I will be personally meditating on especially this Advent. I need a lot of it.)
3. Advent, not Christmas – It is not Christmas yet. Christmas is celebration of Christ’s birth, Advent is preparation.

The main thrust of our Advent traditions will include a new liturgical calendar, an Advent countdown calendar, preparing the manger, the Advent wreath with the four key figures of Advent with a little tweaking for this year. All these are simple and traditional, but always enjoyed.

I have a few child friendly Nativity sets that I put out during Advent. Except for the Fisher Price Nativity, Baby Jesus will be absent until Christmas Eve. An activity we will add this year will be some of our crèche figures (Jesus and Mary and the Three Kings) traveling throughout Advent. We normally don’t decorate the house for Christmas until the 3rd or 4th Sunday of Advent, and we keep the Christmas carols and shows at a minimum until that point.

The anchor will be the Liturgy from the four Sundays of Advent. Each Sunday in Advent will have a theme that we will try to keep throughout the week, incorporating it with our Advent wreath. The Liturgical Year pivots on the Paschal Mystery, which is commemorated every Sunday. Sunday “is the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no 106). This is my main motivation, to reiterate that message that Sundays take priority.

The fixed dates for the Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas and Memorial of St. Lucy fall on Sunday this year, so they are superseded by the Sunday Advent liturgy. I’ve already had questions from my son as to why St. Nicholas isn’t on the calendar this year. I do find this a teachable moment to explain the order of precedence for feastdays in the liturgical year. But since we do love these saints and the customs are part of our family tradition, I’m moving some of our reading and celebration of these two saints earlier in the week, so they don’t override our Sunday activities.

We’ll continue doing school days, as we’ve fallen behind a bit with sickness and traveling. The main thing we’re adding to our lessons for Advent is reading, and some of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd presentations (Advent prophecies, the Annunciation, the Visitation, etc.), and Advent hymns, especially chant. I hope to post separately on both of those.

Our main read-alouds throughout Advent will be books by Inos Biffi:

We will begin with An Introduction to the Liturgical Yearby Inos Biffi, as this is the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. We will read the section on Advent in Part One during the first two weeks of Advent.

The Way to Bethlehemby Inos Biffi will be for the second half of Advent, as we get closer to the actual feast of Christmas. Both books cover the richness of the season reflected in the Advent liturgy.

I also will include The Life of Mary for the feasts of Mary, particularly December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and during the Fourth Week of Advent, when we're contemplating Mary.

These books explain so clearly the Liturgical Year and the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas; they are the perfect catechesis for both children and adults. The text is wonderfully supported by the rich flowing illustrations by Franco Vignazia. I am so excited that these books are back in print. Michele shares my enthusiasm for these treasures, and is offering these books for sale at Family-Centered Press, which is extremely helpful since Way to Bethlehem is not available in the US. Having bought my copies piece-meal from different suppliers, paying shipping for each book, the Advent Book Package is an excellent deal!

We will read a bit For some of the Old and New Testament saints, I’ll be using Ethel Marbach Pochock’s Saints of the Season for Children (or Saints in Waiting, both out of print) and her Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints. These will be used as extra reading on the saints' days in Advent, and reading for the key Advent figures (Isaiah, John the Baptist, etc.).

I did purchase Destination Bethlehemby Sharon Altman and Christine Winkelman and really love it. It’s a wonderful read-aloud for each December day of Advent. It's a story based around a central fictional character Isaac, as he walks through the historical events surrounding Christ's birth. The book presents a good example of beginning discursive meditation, as the reader can be the main character. This approach was encouraged by St. Josemaria Escriva, "Have you...every contemplated these mysteries? Become little. Come with me and -- this is essence of what I want to tell you -- we shall live the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph." And elsewhere he said:

Do you want to accompany Jesus closely, very closely?... Open the Holy Gospel and read the Passion of Our Lord. But don't just read it: live it. There is a big difference. To read is to recall something that happened in the past; to live is to find oneself present at an event that is happening here and now, to be someone taking part in those scenes. Then, allow your heart to open wide; let it place itself next to Our Lord. And when you notice it trying to slip away —when you see that you are a coward, like the others — ask forgiveness for your cowardice and mine.

I also like the historical/cultural information given at the end of each chapter. Depending on interest and time, we'll read this daily, but we might save it for next year.

I'll post more on my plans and my reading plan for our picture books. This is already so long!

No-Panic Advent Series

Karen Edmisten has reposted her wonderful No Panic Advent Series. There is such simple, reasonable and seasoned advice here. This year, as retailers are pounding the "Holiday spirit"even earlier this year, this is a good post to read and take to heart.

Karen Edmisten: No Panic Advent Series

In this coming Advent and Christmas season

Please keep the Barrett family in your prayers.  As many of you already know, the Barrett's oldest son Ryan died suddenly this past August 14th.  Obviously, Advent and Christmas are going to be very difficult for the Barrett family this year and Mary Ellen has asked me to express to you all that she simply cannot yet find the strength to post here in what should be a happy and joyful time.

  So she is taking a break for the season and Jennifer Miller and I will be filling in for her.  I have redesigned the site and we are organizing, rearranging and getting things tidy for the upcoming Advent and Christmas season.  We'll have some ideas for you, a few book recommendations and maybe even some recipes to share.  We sincerely hope you find it to your liking and that you may you have a peaceful and hope filled Advent and a joyful and happy Christmas!

Getting Ready

I'm very excited about our little give-away in the previous post. You still have some time to enter as I won't be closing the comments until noon EST today. Please join in.

We are getting down to the wire. Do you think of Saturday night as New Year's Eve? I do.  Why not have a celebratory evening and ring in the new liturgical year with a bubbly beverage and noisemakers?

I have a few last minute links for you all to check out and help you plan your Advent. The winter isssue of the beautiful Simple Gifts Magazine is now available and the publisher, my friend Nissa Gadbois has generously shared a link with us to her St. Lucia Day article. It's a pdf file and the photos are lovely.  It may make you need to  have the whole  magazine!

The always creative  Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda has posted a wonderful idea for a  No Flame Advent Wreath . What a wonderful idea! NOt only can the children safely handle the wreath but as Charlotte suggests it would make an inspired gift to someone in a hospital, nursing home or assisted living situation. I thought that was a stroke of brilliance.

Jess at Star Cottage has a unique idea for Jesse Tree ornaments.  I loved it.

Karen Edmisten has done a really helpful series on her blog "A No Panic Advent" is the theme and so far there are six posts;
Part One, The Jesus Stocking
Part Two, Note Some Dates
Part Three, O Night Divine (It seemed silly to leave this out and silly to leave it in, Karen just tells you to check out this website, since you are here you can skip this one.)
Part Four, Files
Part Five, The Jesse Tree
Part Six, Don't Sweat a Little Secularity ( I love this one).

Another blog to keep firmly in your favorites  is Catholic Cuisine. The ladies over there work very hard to bring some "flavor" to your liturgical celebrations and it is really worth the time to check it out every day and see what is going on there.

And lastly (for today) but certainly not least is our friend from down under Annie. She has a post Preparing for Advent that is beautifully photographed and is filled with ideas you will want to make part of your Advent.

I hope this all keeps you happily clicking away today.

Have a blessed day!

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

"St. John the Baptist is the Lord’s immediate precursor or forerunner, sent to prepare his way. 'Prophet of the Most High', John surpasses all the prophets, of whom he is the last. He inaugurates the Gospel, already from his mother’s womb welcomes the coming of Christ, and rejoices in being 'the friend of the bridegroom', whom he points out as 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'. Going before Jesus 'in the spirit and power of Elijah', John bears witness to Christ in his preaching, by his Baptism of conversion, and through his martyrdom.

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: 'He must increase, but I must decrease."(CCC523-524)

We are halfway there. If you look at my nifty little widget to the right you will see that there is, indeed, only six months until we are blessed to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord.

Now is the time to bring out your Christmas notebooks and start planning. You do not want to be one of those nutty people in the craft store on December 13th trying to figure out a way to make everything beautiful NOW.  I've been that nutty person and I'm telling you it's not fun.

Here is what you can be deciding now:

1. Budget. Set a budget now and start saving or planning for that budget. Include gifts, decorations, food, holiday celebrations, gift wrap, donations, travel expenses, and clothing.
2. Handmade Holidays. If you are a knitter, sewer, woodworker, jewelry maker...now would be the time to start making Christmas gifts. This week make a point to plan who you would like to make gifts for and start getting your materials together. If you start now you might be able to finish off your list before Advent and give yourself a more relaxed season.
3. Travel. If you are going any great distance now might be the time to check out fares and rates that can save you lots of money. Gas prices won't be going down so it might be cheaper to book your air, train or bus ticket now.
4. Outlets. Many websites have outlet sections that allow you to buy out of season clothes at great discounts.  One of my favorites is Lands End . Out of season clothes now are winter clothes so you might be able to pick up some nice things as gifts.

So there is quite a bit you can be doing now to plan and create a lovely Advent season for yourselves. Over the summer the elves here at O Night Divine will be working feverishly to update the site and start helping everyone celebrate this, most beautiful of feasts with joy.

Have a wonderful summer