Monday, December 1, 2008

Advent

Our Lady of the New Advent
Courtesy of puffin.creighton.edu/.../andre/images/advent.gif

From EWTN...

Advent: A time of preparation

The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.

Since the 900s Advent has been considered the beginning of the Church year. This does not mean that Advent is the most important time of the year. Easter has always had this honor.
The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes.

2 comments:

c said...

I love Advent! Thanks for posting this. And I love EWTN :) I haven't been listening much this week, as I've been tuned into all the Christmas music...

Unknown said...

Advent is beautiful...the reflections, the waiting, the being ever so watchful. It came upon us quite suddenly this year...I'm still trying to put together my Advent wreath!

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