There is a proposal by some members of the North American Academy of Liturgy (an Ecumenical group) to celebrate Advent for Seven Weeks rather than just Four but using the present readings from the Common Lectionary.
Rationale
The aims are:
1. To establish the primary purpose of Advent as eschatological, the Coming of the Kingdom, rather than incarnational (the Coming of Christ)
2. To retain the present lectionary readings which are clearly eschatological.
3. To interpret these readings around themes from the O Antiphons, in a slightly rearranged order
Advent I O Sapientia Wisdom “wisdom from on high”
Advent II O Adonai Lord “Lord of might”
Advent III O Rex gentium Ruler of nations “desire of nations”
Advent IV O radix Jesse Root of Jesse “branch of Jesse’s tree”
Advent V O clavis David Key of David “key of David”
Advent VI O Oriens Morning Star “dayspring from on high”
Advent VII O Emmanuel God with us “Emmanuel
The historical justification for all this is that Advent was once observed for a longer time usually beginning on the Sunday after the Feast of Saint Martin (November 11). An Advent fast of forty days (excluding Saturday and Sunday) also began the first weekday after November 11.
Here is how things would work out this year:
Advent I O Sapientia
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
(Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Reading 1 Wis 6:12-16
Resplendent and unfading is wisdom,
and she is readily perceived by those who love her,
and found by those who seek her.
Reading 2 1 Thes 4:13-18
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
Gospel Mt 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Advent II O Adonai
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
Reading 2 1 Thes 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
Gospel Mt 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Advent III O Rex Gentium
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Reading 1 Ez 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
Reading 2 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Gospel Mt 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
Advent IV O radix Jesse
O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Reading 1 IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
Reading II 1 COR 1:3-9
you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
Gospel MK 13:33-37
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
Advent IV O clavis David
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
Second Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 IS 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Reading 2 2 PT 3:8-14
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
Gospel MK 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
Advent VI O Oriens
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
Third Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 Is 61:1-2A, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
Reading 2 1 Thes 5:16-24
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Gospel Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
Advent VII O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever."
Reading 2 Rom 16:25-27
now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
Gospel Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
There are a few Protestant congregations that have begun to call these last Sundays of Ordinary Time "Pre-Advent Sundays"
ReplyDeleteI like Advent, and extending it is fine by me. My concern is that most people see Advent as pre-Christmas. And what do I do with my four-candle Advent wreath?
ReplyDeleteWhat do I do with my four-candle Advent wreath? Trade it in on one of those 7 stick candelabra used for benediction. Or find a 3 stick candelabra to place in the middle of the wreath where some people put a Christ-candle. I actually have one of them.
DeleteWikipedia tells us Advent wreaths came for Lutherans. An early one contained four white candles for the Sundays with six red candles between each that were lit on each successive weekday.
(A priest once described the "correct" order in which to light Advent candles. I think it went something like you start with the candle to the left of the rose colored one, then the one to its right, then the rose one and then the one across from it which makes a sign of the cross!)
The wikipedia article describes red candles being used in England and even an Orthodox 6 candle wreath that involves a different colored candle for each week! The Orthodox observe a six week Advent fast but don't call it that. They always talk about pre-Christmas because they have a lot of Nativity themes in their liturgies for the weeks before.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath
Interesting. We've always had the white pillar candle in the center of the wreath. That gets lit Christmas Eve thru the 12 days of Christmas.
DeleteMaybe try a Menorah eight plus one candles.
DeleteI'd be kind of in the pre-Advent crowd. Not in Advent yet, but thinking about it. I guess I start thinking about it in November when the leaves have died and they blow off the trees. The wind has been blowing enough this week to finish the job.
ReplyDeleteI don't ever know what to think about the Second Coming. I believe in it, it's in the Creed. But what drives it? If it's sin, hasn't there been enough by now to make it happen? Or is it something like a big meteor hitting the earth or a massive solar flare? I guess it will happen when God decides to call time.
My great-grandma was one who was fixated on the "end times"..
She was an evangelical type of Presbyterian. Lived to be nearly 100. My mom said G-Grandma wanted to go to heaven, she just didn't want to die to get there. Which I can understand. Except I think living through the end times would probably be worse than dying.
I agree there is continuity of lectionary themes from the end of one liturgical year to the start of the next. And I wou
ReplyDeleteWasn't Advent longer than four Sundays in the pre-Vatican II calendar? I read somewhere that it ran 6-7 weeks.
I will say that, on a personal spiritual note, Advent can be difficult to enter into, because it is so brief. This year it is essentially three weeks long. For me, they are hectic weeks, with the busy-ness having little to do with Advent proper.
I don't feel strongly about organizing the liturgical celebrations of the season around the O Antiphons. Presently they don't stretch over the breadth of the season. Currently (and traditionally?) they mark the week leading up to Christmas, not the entire season.
Not sure what to think about the perceived need to emphasize the coming of the kingdom more. The theme already is present in the lectionary, whether those Sundays are considered the end of one liturgical year or the start of the next.
Jack, thanks for posting the antiphons (which auto correct changed to "iPhones," food for thought there) and readings. I'm folding them into daily prayers to see what shakes out.
ReplyDeleteI will also. I need to pray.
DeleteTwo things have shaped my experience of Advent.
ReplyDeleteThe first is the Book of Isaiah which is read in the Divine Office during Advent, especially the first chapter which occurs on the first day of the liturgical year:
13 Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, and the sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked.
14 My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to me, I am weary of bearing them.
15 And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely,
17 Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow.
So as a teenager, no matter how much I loved liturgy in general and the Divine Office in particular, I understood that love of God requires that we also love our neighbors. The criticism of the prophet was not about worship of idols but about the divinely authorized liturgy of the temple.
The second thing that shaped my experience of Advent was my Thirty day retreat as a Jesuit Novice which took place during October. I interpreted the retreat as a mini-liturgical year with the first week as Advent, the second week as the Incarnation and public ministry of Jesus, the third week as Lent and Passiontide, and the fourth week as Easter and Pentecost. That process led me to re-interpret the liturgical year in terms of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.
The themes of the first week are about creation and final destiny, they are meant to lead to conversion and confession. The Second week is about the choice to follow Jesus. The third week is about major choices in life, such a religious vocation.
That meant I began to see Advent as being about conversion, the choice of the Kingdom, and Lent as being more about what positive choices to make in life rather than as a season of repentance.
Therefore, the emphasis of the last part of the liturgical year, namely the coming of the Kingdom is very much in line with what Advent should be about, the choice of “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Remember that Jesus preached the Kingdom not himself or the church. Both Christ and the Church are signs of the Kingdom. However, we should not limit the reign of God to Christianity and especially not to some attempted Christendom.
Our commitment in the Advent and pre-Advent seasons should be to the coming Kingdom. At Christmas we mediate upon that fact that the Kingdom took the form of a Child, and that we all must become as children.