Little Lent

I like Advent.  I remember how, when I was a kid, our church had an Advent Workshop each year.  We would spend a Saturday moving from room to room in the church - each one filled with the supplies needed to make different Christmas items:  ornaments, gifts, wreaths.  There were crafts for all skill levels.  I'm pretty sure that snacks were involved as well.  I LOVED that day. 

Today I was looking for a pithy quote or graphic to decorate this post that had something to do with Advent.  I started reading some of the text that went along with the pictures I was considering, and learned some new stuff about it.

I didn't realize that Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches observe an Advent fast:  Philip's Fast (after the apostle, but only because it starts the day after his feast day).  Philip's Fast lasts from November 15 up to Christmas Eve.  Just as we observe a period of anticipation and penitence before Easter, some also observe the 40 days prior to Christmas.  As a time to reflect, to prepare our souls to be worthy of Jesus' first coming; it's a Little Lent.  Even the vestments and paraments for the seasons share the color purple.

I like the connections.  Lent is a very important season for me.  It's sort of the spiritual center of my year; one where I really get into daily devotions and reflection.  Not that I have to have something official to have that focus or that I can only practice this in the Spring, it's good to have a built in reminder at Advent that i need to take the time and be deliberate about my sacred time.  

Like we wait until Easter Sunday to sing 'Christ the Lord Has Risen Today', perhaps we should wait until Christmas Day to sing 'Joy to the World'.  Rather than try and rush through Advent to get to the "good stuff," maybe we could savor the waiting and pay more attention to the Advent readings, hymns and traditions.  

Just a thought.

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,

Der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt!

Dass sich wundre alle Welt,

Gott solch' Geburt ihm bestellt.

Now come, Saviour of the gentiles,

recognised as the child of the Virgin,

so that all the world is amazed

God ordained such a birth for him.