Mary said to the Angel, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

I love the readings of this last week before Christmas, especially the Gospels. Today we again hear the story of the Annunciation that we heard on Sunday.  So many great artists have painted the Annunciation and I was happy to find this beautiful collage of such artistic depictions presented along with Hans Leo Hassler's Dixit Maria.  I loved singing this beautiful piece when I was in choir. I hope it helps lead your meditation these final days and brings you joy and peace. (just ignore the clapping at the end).

I am Sending My Messenger Ahead of You

As we approach the final week of Advent I was reflecting on today's reading from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus speaks highly of his cousin, John the Baptist, who is the bridge between the Old and New Covenant. He is the messenger, the one who is to prepare the way for the Lord.  It came to me, that we too are called to announce the Good News of the coming of Jesus and to prepare a way for Him.  John has something to teach us.  We are not to serve the Lord for any personal gain or for recognition. The way we are to prepare for the Lord, is first by preparing our own hearts and being open to the salvation that Christ offers us.

Another of my favorite Advent hymns is On Jordan's Bank.  This speaks of preparing our souls, of recognizing that we need to be cleansed from sin to make a proper "home" for our Lord, Jesus.

A Rose by Any Other Name...

Today is Gaudate Sunday. It takes its name from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon for today's Mass. "Rejoice in the Lord always..." which is again repeated in today's second reading. We light the third, rose colored candle on the Advent wreath signifying that the time to commemorate Jesus' birth is close at hand. It is one of two Sunday's a year when priests and deacons wear rose vestments, and the two times a year when people ask "Father, why are you wearing pink?"  Father inevitably will say, "It's not pink, it's rose!" 

This always confuses me.  Think of it, when you say "rose" what color does that really mean?  If I go to a florist and ask for a rose, the person behind the counter will ask me what color rose do I want.  There are red roses, white roses, yellow roses, orange roses, there are even black roses, and of course there are pink roses. Does anyone ever go to a florist and ask for a rose rose? 

As an artist I am very conscious of color. Pigments can be broken down into very different shades and tints. Rose can refer to very different colors that are somewhere between red and magenta. There are also differnt tints to the color. We have a reddish pink, a salmon color, bluish tint, muted pink, pale rose, mauve, and so on and so forth. 

So why call it rose?  Roses have, since the Middle Ages, been associated with our Blessed Mother.  Part of the miracle at Guadalupe, when the Virgin appeard to Juan Diego in Tepeyac, Mexico in 1531, was that roses bloomed at the spot even though it was not the season for roses. We are celebrating that feast tomorrow. One of the titles of Mary is the Mystical Rose and we know that Our Lady is an important part of our Advent preparation. But still why call it rose and not pink? Is it because "real men don't wear pink?"  That seems rather silly since many men look very good in pink and rose is just as feminine sounding as pink. I guess it will remain a great mystery as to why we say rose rather than pink. 

One of my favorite Advent hymns is Low, How a Rose E're Blooming." It is a sixteenth century hymn that perhaps explains why we say rose instead of pink.  OK, that may take care of it for Gaudate Sunday in Advent, but what about Laetare Sunday in Lent.  Oh well, that's for another time and season.  In the meantime, enjoy the hymn.

And the Glory of the Lord Shall be Revealed

Still focusing on this past Sunday's first reading from Isaiah, I just love this selection from Handel's Messiah.  It is so uplifting and awe inspiring. In keeping with the rest of the passage, it is a cry of hope. "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." While not a hymn that we in the assembly would sing in church, it is still one of my very favorites for Advent.

God promises that we shall see His glory revealed.  And indeed we have.  The Father sent us His only Son to reveal the Father to us. In Christ we get a glimpse of the glory of God, and in Christ we offer the Father all the glory that belongs to Him. Jesus reveals the Father to us, for He and the Father are One.  This is an image of an adult Jesus, at a time when most are focusing on the coming of an infant, and it is a promise of what is to be further revealed at His second coming for those who live their lives in Christ.  

Comfort, Comfort, O My People

The first reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11, is so rich. There are  many beautiful Advent hymns based on these few passages that I want to share with you. I'll begin with "Comfort, Comfort, O My People," based on the first half of the reading. The passage is from Second Isaiah, the Book of Consolation, and it was written at a time with the people of Israel needed comfort and hope while nearing the end of their exile in Babylon. The Lord knew of their suffering and sorrow and spoke a word of encouragement and promise.

When I was in our diocesan choir we would sing this hymn at Advent Lessons and Carols after the passage from Isaiah was read.  I remember the lector that was chosen to read this passage had a strong and dramatic voice and would make this prophesy truly come alive.  It is joyful prophesy and it is reflected in the joyful tone of the hymn.  It is a hymn of hope, and in today's world we need hope and a word of comfort from our God, who promised to be with us always.

Happy Advent

I mentioned in a previous post that the family calls me Mama Scrooge.  Unlike Ebenezer, it is not that I dislike Christmas. Quite the contrary I love Christmas. What I don't like is celebrating the "Holidays," which seem to get more and more commercial every year.  I also do not like celebrating Christmas in November. Since before Thanksgiving one local radio station has been playing Christmas music 24/7.  There are quite a number of homes in my neighborhood that are already fully decorated and lit and this week, on December 1st, I am going to a Christmas Dinner. Even my home parish has Christmas trees up in the sanctuary.

The thing is I like celebrating Advent. It is probably my most favorite liturgical season. I am what I call an Advent purist. I even have an Advent wreath hanging on my front door (with purple and pink decorations) and purple and pink bows on my windows.  Advent is a time of joyful anticipation for not only the commemoration of the birth of Jesus but in anticipation of His coming again. It is a time that I refer to as a "pregnant pause" from our busy lives to focus on preparing ourselves for the Lord's coming.  But the truth is, that for most people, this time of year are busier than ever. They rush around, anxiety levels are high as they rush around looking for the best bargains, writing out cards, decorating, cooking, baking, going to parties. No wonder that the day after Christmas most people have had enough of the "season."

Starry Night Over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh

For me Advent is a time of introspection. It is a time to take a look at my life and to focus on my own preparedness for the Lord and to find moments of peace, time to pray and meditate on the mysteries we celebrate this Advent season. Most of all I love Advent hymns.  The sad thing is that most people are not familiar with them. They speak of hope and of the coming Savior. Over the coming weeks I will share some of them. My favorite is Creator of the Stars of Night.  This ninth century hymn reminds me of the clear, cold night sky of winter and the beauty of God's creation.  No one can look at a night sky and not ponder the vastness of the universe, and the realization of how tiny we are. Yet despite our obvious insignificance, God chose to come to us, to be one of us, and we wait in patience for when He will come again.