Advent Meditations
Church of the Resurrection, Tampa, Florida presents GAUDETE – A Daily Meditation for the Season of Advent 2009.
Dear Friends In Christ: Advent is upon us again and as has occurred in years past, Advent (from Latin, adventus, meaning "coming towards") and it marks the new liturgical year of the church with a four-week season of preparation for Christmas known as Advent.
Advent has its genesis dating back to 380, when the Council of Saragossa, Spain, established a three-week fast before Epiphany. This inspired idea along with the practice of Lenten regulations, compelled the Council of Macon in 581 to establish the days from Nov. 11 (the Feast of St. Martin of Tours) until Christmas as days of fasting on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week. This eventually found its observance to the Celtic tradition and then onto Rome (N.B)This fast mirrored to some degree the Solemn fast of the Eastern Church .
It the The Gelasian Rites that gave the church the first Advent liturgies . These were revised and renewed Gregory I (d. 604) It was Gregory VII (d. 1095) who finally confirmed that in the West the Sundays in Advent were four with the first Sunday of Advent as the beginning of the Church year.
The Church Year has two sets of lessons, the Sunday Lectionary and the Weekday Lectionary. In the Western Rites of the Church catholic, we are entering Year C for Sundays. Year C focuses on the gospel of Luke and begin with gospel readings in the season of Advent through the Sundays after Epiphany that tell of the coming of Christ and the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
The first readings typically are chosen to illuminate the gospels themes through selections from the Hebrew Scriptures. The second readings include semi continuous readings from the Epistles very often. For weekdays there is Year II (Year I is read in odd-numbered years (2009, 2011, etc.) and Year II is used in even-numbered years (2010, 2012, etc.).
We will use the Common Liturgical Lectionary for Roman Catholics, Anglican and Lutherans for the Sunday Lessons as well as the weekdays in these meditations. You will also find some references utilized for readings from the Lectionary of the Byzantine and Orthodox Rites. (N.B. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not have a season of Advent, in the western sense. It retains the original forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection).
These mediations are designed to remind us, that when we are alert, watch and pray and act accordingly, we will see the world differently. And seeing differently makes all the difference to the way we live as we wait for the Christ to come especially in these difficult days where many are struggling and are afraid for our future. It's not easy to hope when times are bad. This season we in the church like the Blessed Virgin Mary of old are called to wait for the Christ in an uncertain world, knew how to live with hope–to believe the promises of God. May your advent Journey be ONE WHERE you discover anew God the Father, who is the source of all life, all truth, all hope and all beauty. May it be a time where the Christ, finds a home anew in your hearts and homes and may the Spirit, who gives new life supports us in this journey day by day.
The Clergy and Staff of Church of the Resurrection Advent 2009
Sun Nov 29 Psalms am: 146, 147 pm:111, 112, 113 Jer. 1:1-5, 13-2:8 1 Thess 5:1-11 Luke 21:5-19
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
The lessons appointed for today set the a firm foundation for the Advent journey reminding us that as Christians take, attentive to the truths of Holy Scripture that there are signs that clearly point to the redemption that is of the Messiah we are reminded again that he is to come again to the present in the world today in great glory and that which is old and regarded of value ( such as the Temple) will pass away. While these themes seem unusual amidst the consumer culture of Happy Holidays, the themes of Advent invite us into a different narrative about who we are than that of consumer culture's version which ranges from shopping holiday parties and artificial memories and meaning provided by good for a price.
Today on Advent I we are reminded that lives can change dramatically indeed is we can be reconciled to disconnect between God's promise of life for us and the mess we have made of life given. That is why today begins with the challenges for us to join God's desire to make all things new.
PRAYER: Gracious God, we pray you this day increase our desire of will to seek Christ first inthis Holy Season being ever open to the manifest destiny he has for each of us to be made new and in turn be instruments of grace to make the things of this world a new. We ask this in the name of the One lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
ACTIVITY – Let Advent into your home. It's not too late to start an Advent observance. Create or buy an Advent wreath, Advent calendar or Jesse tree today. Let your creation remind you daily that we are waiting for Christ to come.
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Since God willed that the Word should be made flesh and born a human, how then I ask you should not the Word of God himself be able to make Bread become the Body of Christ?”- St. Ephraem, 4th Century Sermon I, On the Most Holy Sacraments
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