Advent, from the Latin
adventus ("coming"), marks
the beginning of the Church year
(the Christian calendar),
comprising the four weeks before
Christmas. In recent years,
Advent has been viewed as
forming the first part of the
three-part season of Christmas:
(1) Advent; (2) Christmas; (3)
Epiphany.
The season of Advent appears to
have originated in Gaul (modern
day France), in the second half
of the Fourth Century A.D. At
this time it was a three week
fast before Christmas. We do not
find the first mention of Advent
in Rome, however, until the late
Sixth Century.
From the beginning, Advent has
been a season of preparation for
Christ's coming. When Advent
observances first began,
Christians living in the West
(the western part of the Roman
Empire) emphasized preparation
for the Second Coming of Christ.
Christians in the East stressed
preparation for the celebration
of Christ's birth. Today, our
Scripture readings focus on
three comings of Christ in
reversed chronological order:
(1) His Second Coming at the end
of time; (2) His Messianic
Coming, as announced by John the
Baptist, to begin His official
work as Messiah; (3) His First
Coming in Bethlehem, as our
newborn King. Featured in each
of these three comings is a very
important fourth coming, of
course, the coming of Christ to
each believer. If Christ hasn't
come to you through baptism and
faith, none of His other comings
will benefit you!
For many centuries Advent's
overall tone was one of sorrow
for sin and penance. But in
keeping with the tone of the
Scripture readings for the
season, in our day the tone of
Advent is one of anticipation
and hope, as well as one of
repentance.
Advent is a marvelous
opportunity for spiritual
growth. Many congregations offer
mid-week Advent Services which,
through their hymns, readings,
and sermons, highlight the main
Scriptural teachings of the
season. Many congregations
provide devotional booklets with
Scripture readings and
meditations for each day in
Advent. Additional customs, such
as the Advent wreath, also add
to the richness of this season.
Information from the webpages
of: Evangelical Trinity
Lutheran Church, Clinton MA |
