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Advent (the name means ‘coming’) is the start of the church’s year and runs from the Sunday that falls on or closest to the 30th of November. It ends with the first evening prayer of Christmas. It is a season of reflection and preparation, of hope and anticipation as we wait for the coming of Christ - at Christmas, at the end of our lives and at the end of time. Although the ‘Gloria’ is omitted, Advent is less severe than Lent: flowers can still decorate the church (in moderation), music, although reduced, is allowed and the Gospel acclamation still includes the word ‘alleluia’. “...Advent is a season of devout and joyful expectation.” There are always four Sundays in Advent regardless of what day of the week Christmas Day falls on. The third is known as Gaudete Sunday and rose vestments may be worn – otherwise the colour is purple. The origins of Advent go back to the early centuries of the church. In Spain and Gaul (modern France) a period of fast was observed before the Feat of the Epiphany (6th January) the original feast of Christ’s birth and an important date for Baptisms. By the end of the fifth century we have the first written evidence of Advent as a time of preparation. By the middle of the sixth century the beginnings of an Advent liturgy can be seen in Rome. By the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) the four Sundays of Advent are being celebrated. This was not universal and the length of Advent could vary from diocese to diocese – Milan still celebrates Advent with six Sundays. We owe the omission of the Gloria, something of its penitential character and the purple vestments to the influence from Gaul on the Roman liturgy in the twelfth century. The Gloria, “... is not omitted for the same reason as it is omitted in Lent, but in order that on the night of Christmas the angels’ song may ring out once again in all its newness.” |
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23rd December - Optional memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest. Born - June 23, 1390, Kęty, Oświęcim, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland Died - December 24, 1473 (aged 83), Kraków, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland Venerated in - Catholic Church Beatified - 28 March 1676, Rome by Pope Clement X Canonized - 1767, Rome by Pope Clement XIII Major shrine - Church of St. Anne, Kraków, Poland Feast - 23 December, 20 October (Poland, General Roman Calendar 1770–1969) Attributes - in a professor's gown with his arm around shoulder of a young student whose gaze is directed towards Heaven, giving his garments to the poor Patronage - Poland; Lithuania; Jagiellonian University Born at Kęty near Oświęcim in Poland in 1390 to a fairly affluent country family, John was educated at Cracow University and was ordained shortly after completing his education. He was successful both as a preacher and a teacher but, for an unknown reason, was removed from his post and was appointed to the parish at Olkusz. This was not a successful posting and after a few years he was recalled to the Chair of Theology at Cracow. He became famous not only for his academic excellence but also for his extreme poverty and austerity, as well as for his almsgiving. He died in 1473 and was canonised in 1767. He was held in such high esteem that his gown was used, on degree days, to vest each new doctor of the University. Almighty God, you gave us the example of your priest, St. John of Kanty so that we may advance in the knowledge of your holy things; grant that by showing compassion to all we may gain forgiveness in your sight. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cantius https://web.archive.org/web/20120904040442/http://www.canons-regular.org/go/bull-of-canonization/ https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-of-kanty/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08451b.htm https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2010/12/saint-john-cantius.html |
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25th December - Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. “So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living-space. In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night. An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours.” Luke 2: 4-14. The Gospels do not give the date of Jesus' birth. Clement of Alexandria mentions the opinion of some who placed the event on the 20th of April and of others who placed it on the 20th of May. The earliest evidence of it being celebrated on the 25th of December comes from a Roman calendar that was drawn up in 336 which lists the date as the day of Christ's nativity and also as the start of the liturgical year. An inference from sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo suggests that the establishment of Christmas preceded the Donatish schism of 311. This causes problems with the commonly held belief that the date was fixed to coincide with the pagan festival of Sol invictis ("Invincible Sun" or "Unconquered Sun"). This feast was only established in 274 and it is unlikely that the Church would have wanted to take over a pagan festival for its own purposes before the Emperor Constantine was converted to Christianity. St. John Chrysostom, in a sermon at Antioch in 386 states that "it is not ten years since this day [25th December] was clearly known to us, but it has been familiar from the beginning to those who dwell in the west". The custom of having three Masses: Midnight, Dawn, and Day, at Christmas seems to have been a papal custom in use in Rome by the end of the sixth century. In the fifth century there was only one; celebrated by the Bishop of Rome in St. Peter's Basilica. During the sixth century a replica of the crib of Bethlehem was built in Santa Maria Maggiore and the Bethlehem custom of having a Mass at night before the crib was adopted. The second Mass at dawn was the commemoration of St. Anastasia which was celebrated in her basilica. In time this was replaced by a Christmas Mass. The third Mass had been the original Christmas Mass at St. Peter's Basilica though that was eventually transferred to the shrine of the Crib at Santa Maria Maggiore. The three Masses can be seen as reflecting the triple birth of Christ: first, by which He proceeds from the Father before all ages, second, by which He his born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and third, by which He is born spiritually in our souls by faith and charity. Almighty God, who so wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and still more wonderfully restored it, grant that we may share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annunciation_to_the_shepherds https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm https://catholicsaints.info/christmas/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/nativity.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/12/251.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-birthday-of-jesus.html |
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26th December - Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. Born: unknown. Died: c. 35. Patron of the Guild of St. Stephen for Altar Servers. Stephen (Greek: Στέφανος Stéphanos, meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name, Hebrew: סטפנוס הקדוש, Stephanos HaQadosh), (c. AD 5 – c. AD 34) traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity, was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. His martyrdom was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul, a Pharisee and Roman citizen who would later become a Christian apostle. Prayer: Dear Saint Stephen first deacon and martyr, you are the patron saint and model for all deacons. You gave your life unafraid, valiantly speaking the truth you forgave those who were your persecutors. With love we mould our lives after yours. May we gain courage and strength from the wisdom and faith that you possessed as gifted by the Holy Spirit. Intercede for us, oh powerful Saint Stephen, that we may quietly reach out to the poor and the lonely, not seeking recognition for ourselves, but to honour the name of our Lord Jesus, the Saviour. You who had the face of an angel guide our path - we ask all of this through the prayer of our Lord Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Attributes: Red Martyr, stones, dalmatic, censer, miniature church, Gospel Book, martyr's palm frond. In Eastern Christianity he often wears an orarion. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. “Look! I can see heaven thrown open”, he said, “and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” All the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; and they made a concerted rush at him, thrust him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and said aloud, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And with these words he fell asleep. Acts of the Apostles 7: 55-60. Stephen was one seven men of good reputation who were filled with the Spirit and with wisdom, along with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholaus of Antioch who were chosen by the community to assist the Twelve with the distribution of food while the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer and to the service of the word (Acts of the Apostles 6: 1-6). Stoning as a means of execution often appears as a form of lynch law and this may be how it originated. The Jewish Law laid down stoning as the punishment for a number of offences: idolatry, blasphemy, child sacrifice, divination, violating the Sabbath, adultery, and fornication by an unmarried woman. It is mentioned in the Old Testament in Exodus 17: 4, Numbers, 14: 10, 1 Kings 12: 18 and in the New Testament In Acts 14: 19 and 2 Corinthians 11: 25. The Lord Jesus Christ was threatened with stoning in John 8: 59, 10: 31, 10: 33 and 11: 8, and accused the Jews of stoning the prophets in Matthew 21: 35, 23: 37 and Luke 13: 34. He intervenes in the case of the woman caught committing adultery in John 8: 3-11 and as an unmarried mother, death by stoning could have been the fate of Our Lady. As a community action in which each member takes part and in which no single person strikes the fatal blow, the judgement and punishment are therefore shared, and no individual incurs blood guilt. St. Stephen is the patron saint of altar servers. The Guild of St. Stephen was established in 1905 by the Catholic Archbishop Francis Bourne of Westminster, the Guild of St Stephen has one concern: promoting and supporting the highest standards of altar serving throughout the Catholic Church in Great Britain. The Guild understands the underlying importance of altar serving for people in the modern era, not just to know what needs to be done during the Church’s most sacred celebrations but also why. The Guild provides unity and support between and through different parishes and diocese for humble servers of the altar. Faithful to the vision of Father Hamilton McDonald, the Guild constantly strives to serve God more worthily and with deeper understanding. Almighty God, grant that we may imitate what we worship and as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of your martyr St. Stephen, so learn to love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors. See also: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-stephen-the-martyr/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/stephen.htm https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/inventionStephen.htm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14286b.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen%27s_Day https://www.bartleby.com/210/12/261.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/12/saint-stephen.html |
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27th December - Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. Born - c. 6 A.D., Bethsaida, Galilee, Roman Empire Died - c. 100 A.D. (aged 93–94), place unknown, probably Ephesus, Roman Empire Venerated in - All Christian denominations which venerate saints, Islam (named as one of the disciples of Jesus) Canonized - Pre-congregation Feast - 27 December (Roman Catholic, Anglican), 26 September (Eastern Orthodox) Attributes - Book, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle Patronage - Love, loyalty, friendships, authors, booksellers, burn-victims, poison-victims, art-dealers, editors, publishers, scribes, examinations, scholars, theologians Influences - Jesus Influenced - Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Papias of Hierapolis Something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our own hands, the Word of life – this is our theme. That life was made visible; we saw it and are giving our testimony, declaring to you the eternal life, which was present to the Father and has been revealed to us. We are declaring to you what we have seen and heard, so that you too may share our life. Our life is shared with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1: 1-3. The son of Zebedee and brother of James he was one of he first of the Lord's disciples and, along with Simon Peter, are amongst Jesus' closest followers. They accompanied Jesus at the raising of the daughter of Jarius (Mark 5: 37, Luke 8: 51), were present at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17: 1), questioned Jesus about the end times (Mark 13: 3), it is he and Peter who are sent ahead to make preparations for the Last Supper (Luke 22: 8) and who failed Him in Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 37), but it was John, who, with the Mother of Jesus, stood at the foot of the cross on Calvary and who, representing the Church that would be the Mystical Body of Christ, took Mary as his Mother. It is he and Peter who run to the tomb to find it empty following the Resurrection (John 20: 1-10). John played a leading role in the early Christian community in Jerusalem (Galatians 2: 9) and is listed as second only to Peter among the disciples in the upper room (Acts 1: 13). He accompanied Peter to preach in the Temple where the two were arrested (Acts 3-4) and travelled with Peter to Samaria to examine the converts there (Acts 8: 14-25). He is traditionally associated with five books of the New Testament: The Gospel that bears his name, three Letters and the Book of Revelation. His Gospel is markedly different from the three Synpotics. He writes about the events of Jesus' life in a theological and meditative way that presupposes some knowledge of Christ's life. Particularly stressed is the Divinity of Christ who is both Light and Life, there is a bond between the Son and the Father as between Christ and His disciples, as between the disciples themselves. In Christian iconography John is represented by an eagle symbolizing the ethereal quality of his Gospel. Acts 12: 2 records the martyrdom of James but Scripture says nothing about the fate of John. Later sources from the eighth and ninth century report that both died as martyrs. Second century traditions record John's activity at Ephesus in Asia Minor. Tertullian, writing at the end of the second century, reports that John went to Rome at the time of the Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96) where the church of St. John before the Latin gate commemorates his legendary and miraculous escape from being plunged into a vat of boiling oil. Almighty God, through your blessed Apostle John, you unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant that we mat grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvellously brought to our ears. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Apostle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Epistle_of_John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Epistle_of_John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Epistle_of_John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08492a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08438a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08435a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01594b.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-the-apostle/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/john.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/12/271.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2018/12/saint-john-apostle.html |
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28th December - Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs. Died - c. 7–2 B.C, Bethlehem, Judea (martyred by King Herod the Great) Venerated in - Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church Canonized - Pre-Congregation Attributes - Martyr's palm, Crown of martyrdom Patronage - Foundlings, Babies, Children's choirs, Anti-abortion movement Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more. Matthew 2: 16-18. In an attempt to eliminate any rivals to his earthly throne, the Idumarea Herod ordered the killing of all the male children in Bethlehem In honouring the Holy Innocents, the Church honours all who die in a state of innocence - the Mass of the Angels celebrated with white vestments used at the funerals of children - and consoles the parents of dead children with the conviction that they also will share the glory of the infant companions of the new born Jesus. We cannot entertain too high and idea of the merit and obligation of teaching God's little ones to know Him. and the great and necessary truths He has revealed to us. Without knowing Him no one can love Him or acquit himself of the most indispensable duties he owes to his Creator. Children must be instructed in prayer and the principal articles of faith as soon as they attain the use of reason, that they may be able to give him first fruits by faith, hope, and love, as by the law of reason and religion they are bound to do. Almighty God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day. not by speaking but by dying, grant that the faith in You which we confess with our lips may also speak in the manner of our lives. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07419a.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents https://catholicsaints.info/holy-innocents/ https://www.christianiconography.info/holyInnocents.html https://www.bartleby.com/210/12/281.html https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2011/12/holy-innocents.html |