It turns out Rome is just as bad at starting Christmas early as the United States is. The trees are up, the lights are on, the churches have their Nativity scenes out (though in fairness these are up year round). It's like I'm still in America.
Now I don't want to really enter into the debate of whether or not you should put up the Christmas tree before Midnight Mass. I have no problem with the tree going up early and the decorations coming out December 1. As a matter of fact, the Vatican lights their tree in the Piazza of St. Peter's on December 17. There are some who think turning on a Christmas light before December 25 is the worst thing to happen to the Church since the Arian Heresy. And, of course, there are those on the other side who love Christmas so much they're singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" in June!
These two extremes don't really address the heart of the matter though, and that is how to properly live the spirit of Advent. The first group I spoke of seems to have the mistaken idea that Advent is exactly the same as the season of Lent. This is quite false; there are similarities, but Advent is a season in its own right with its own proper liturgical spirit. Then, the other extreme only sees Advent as somewhat of an extension of Christmas, which also degrades the nature of Advent.
There are really two questions that should be addressed then. First, what exactly is Advent about, at least liturgically (as this is a liturgical blog), and secondly, how can we live Advent in accordance with the Liturgy?
In a logical manner, let's begin with the first question, "What is Advent about?" Let's start with the name, Advent. It comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." We all know that Advent's liturgical focus is on the Two Coming of Christ, i.e. His birth in Bethlehem and His Second Coming in Judgment at the end of time. For this reason, the Church gives special precedence in Her liturgical readings to Isaiah, which can be applied to both Comings. Additionally, in the Gospels, we will read texts dealing with the Second Coming at the end of time and John the Baptist's call to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Then, in the final days leading up to Christmas, the Church will read the Gospel readings from Luke and Matthew which address how the birth of Christ came about.
However, the saints often refer to a "third coming" of Christ which we may consider in Advent. In the Office of Readings for Wednesday of the First Week of Advent St. Bernard says, "The intermediate coming [i.e. this 'third coming'] is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved." It is through this third coming that we are best able to "live the season of Advent."
This third coming is the opening of our hearts to Christ. It is well to note that the liturgical color for the season is violet, which is the color the Church uses for penance. Additionally, the Gloria is not used on Sundays, which is another sign of penance. In these ways, Advent is similar to Lent. The Church is calling us to do penance, since it is through the denial of ourselves that our hearts are opened to Christ. When John the Baptist quoted Isaiah and said, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth (Luke 3:4-5)," he was speaking of all this metaphorically in that it will take place in our hearts.
The valley which will be filled is the eternal longing we feel in this life and the mountains and hills that must be brought low are those of our pride. Pride can only be brought down through humiliation; for this reason we are called to reexamine our lives and do penance.
However, if we stop here, Advent really is no different than Lent. Thus, let us further examine some of the features that distinguish the two. In Advent, the Alleluia and the Te Deum are both retained in the Liturgy, whereas they are not in Lent. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, additionally, states, "In Advent the organ and other musical instruments should be used with a moderation that is consistent with the season's character and does not anticipate the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord (313)," whereas the same paragraph continues, "In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing." Therefore, we may see a retained moderation in our expressions of joy which is completely lacking in Lent.
This, of course, combats the other idea that Advent is an extension of Christmas. Indeed it is not; it is a preparation for it. In Christmas, we especially rejoice in the fact Christ has come to dwell in our hearts; during Advent we continue invite Him to enter more deeply.
We need, then, to address the second question, which is, "How can we live the spirit of Advent?" I have already mentioned penance. This is a great time of year to prepare for the coming Feast of Christmas, by fasting now. We all know how easy it is to gain a little weight around the holidays, so why not anticipate that weight gain by losing a few pounds so you end up balancing it out? Not only is fasting good for the soul in that you'll be better disciplined, it serves as a practical defense against excessive weight gain!
Penance, of course, doesn't have to include giving things up. Instead, as an extra discipline, perhaps consider taking up daily Mass if you do not do so already, especially from December 17 until Christmas, as the liturgies of those days are very connected to each other. Plus, with all the stresses the holidays can bring, there are many opportunities to use those as your penance. Instead of dreading and looking distastefully at all the work the holiday season requires, enter into it joyfully realizing that it's for the good of others and your own soul that you are doing all these things. If it's not for the good of others or your own soul, it probably shouldn't be done.
Thus, shopping for and wrapping presents, and sending out those Christmas cards, and all the baking are all opportunities for prayer. You can pray for the people you are doing those actions for as you do them. In this way you will exit out of yourself, and Christ can then enter in. As a visible reminder of this, consider a personal Advent wreath in the home.
Lastly, we can never forget prayer. There is a wonderful tradition of the Christmas Novena, which is prayed from December 16 through December 24, to prepare for Christmas. It is a wonderful mixture of joy at Christ's imminent coming and sorrow for our sins. It can be found on this blog, here.
There are many daily reflections available to be used as well during Advent. These can be found by a simple Google search, if your parish does not already provide them. These serve as wonderful supplements to the daily Rosary, which is especially useful in this season as Mary is such a central part of it.
Finally, let us not forget that ultimate prayer of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have special recourse to the Sacrament at this time of the year. Undertake a thorough examination of conscience, so that you may discover all the ways in which you are preventing Christ from entering your soul. Additionally if the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is already part of your spiritual life (and if it's not, it should be), make sure you haven't fallen simply into a routine. Every Confession should be a new and unique encounter with Christ, the merciful Savior! He is coming soon (Revelation 22:20), may we already possess him spiritually so that His coming will be reason for us to fall down in love of Him, as we fall down in love before His crib!
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