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The Traditional Missal
The liturgical year begins with the holy Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the coming of Christ. During this short season the Church places us in the atmosphere of the long centuries during which the whole world awaited its Redeemer.
The liturgy expresses longing and prays for the coming of the Saviour. Advent is a time of preparation, in which joy at the approaching festival is mingled with the spirit of penance which seeks to purify and prepare the soul.
It was in time past a season in which fasting was prescribed, and was called the Lent of Christmas. The use of purple vestments, the omission of the Gloria and Te Deum still express the penitential character of the season.
During Advent the Catholic Church pays honour to the prophets and ancestors of Christ - Isaiah, St. John the Baptist, but above all Mary, His Mother, on whose consent the Incarnation depended. Hence the Station at Rome on the first Sunday of Advent was to the church of St. Mary Major, the principle church of Our Lady.
Cast Off the Works of Darkness!
For several years now, we have been struck by the fact that the popular culture begins the celebration of its secularized ''Christmas'' earlier and earlier each time. In England, it is becoming more common to see, not only shops, but even many homes decorated with Christmas trees and lights from around the second week in November.
Due to our latitude, the hours of daylight through November and December in Britain are certainly very short and the days are dark and cold. It is no fun to wake to darkness in the morning, only to have the inky-black darkness fall once again in the late afternoon. Although the proximity of Christmas adds a magical quality when darkness falls around 4pm in mid to late December, the short afternoons are much more grim to endure throughout the chilly weeks of November.
It seems to us that, having cast off the hopeful expectation of the true Advent and Christmas, people can no longer cope with the surrounding darkness; and that they thus switch on their Christmas lights early in an attempt to compensate. It is sad to see artificial joy and light being used as kinds of coping mechanisms, when Our Lord wants to draw us to Himself in a special way during this season. The whole thing is really a metaphor for the spiritual life and struggle of each one of us; how often we allow false lights to distract us from Jesus!
Then again, so much of what passes for celebration in these days also involves drunkenness, excessive spending, gluttony, lust, vanity and a general atmosphere of selfishness.
Throughout much of Europe the shopping centres and markets are heaving with business on each of the Sundays of Advent, whilst the churches continue to draw but a shrinking remnant.
Against this background, we have the timeless call of St. Paul to cast off the works of darkness in the Epistle for today's Traditional Latin Mass. This reads:-
St. Paul's Letter to the Romans c. 13: Brethren: Knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is passed and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't Miss the Opportunity!
We are once again struck by the fact that the penitential and prayerful aspects of Advent must be especially cultivated and reclaimed if our celebration of Christmas is to be genuine and fruitful.
It is clear that we are all living through unprecedently grave times for the Chruch and the world. We agree wholeheartedly with Christopher Ferrara's assessment on Thursday, when he reflected: ''One has the sense that the Church and the world are hurtling toward that apocalyptic scenario depicted in the vision pertaining to the Third Secret of Fatima.''
Advent 2016 presents us with a particularly important opportunity to prepare to meet Christ in various ways: when He comes at Christmas; when we each meet Him at the end of our individual lives; and when He returns at the time of His Glorious Second Coming.
Please join us in praying that we will all have a blessed and holy Advent season. May we each make wise use of the time and graces available to us, in preparing our hearts, minds and wills to meet Our Blessed Lord.
Then will our joy be complete!
Our Lady, Mother of God - Pray for us!     Â
