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Advent

Advent I: The beginning of a new Church Year

Sunday, December 1, 2013, marks the First Sunday of Advent, which is the beginning of a new Church (Ecclesiastical) Year.

The services during Advent are not intended to celebrate Christmas but to help each of us prepare ourselves for, and expect the coming of, Christ. The word “Advent” is a derivation of the Latin word, “advenio,” meaning coming or arrival. Early observances of this festival are recorded prior to the seventh century, and through the ensuing ages it has evolved into the form familiar to us today. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest November 30th and lasts four Sundays. The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new church year.Read More »Advent I: The beginning of a new Church Year

The Ecclesiastical Calendar (part 1)

ADVENT

(The Ecclesiastical Year begins with Advent, a season to recollect the hope of (1) the coming Christ (his birth), and to look forward to (2) the Lord’s coming again:  the Parousia.)

1. First season of the Ecclesiastical Year

2. Begins with the Sunday falling upon or nearest St. Andrew’s Day (Nov. 30th), however an easier way to calculate the beginning of Advent: Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas Day, not counting Christmas Day if it falls on a Sunday.  There are always four Sundays in Advent.

3. Originated out of early Christian practice having to do with a fasting period for candidates who were to be received into the fellowship on January 6th (Epiphany Day) when it served as a time for study and preparation.

4. Often called, “Winter Lent,” Advent is considered a period of penitence in preparation for the coming of the Savior: (1) the human Incarnation of Christ ; (2) the “Second Coming” of Christ in glory at the end of time (Parousia).

5. Liturgical color is purple or violet (less often, blue) which represents penitence as well as the “royal” color (Kingship of Christ).

6. Key Words and Phrases: Prepare, Watch, Wait, Darkness, Anticipation; Humility; Expectation; Hope; Listen; Evening;Read More »The Ecclesiastical Calendar (part 1)

Miracle of the Mundane

By Rev. Fritz Ritsch

If you are, or have been, the parent of new baby, you’ve become intensely aware that in most social situations that baby in your arms is a ticking time bomb. Your little bundle of joy could go off at any moment: in the theater, in the supermarket, in the restaurant, even here in church—and people will turn and give you “that look”—the look that means, “What were you thinking, bringing that baby in here?”

When that happens, I’m often reminded of the words of the writer of Psalm 8: “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.” To the psalmist apparently, this most mundane, even annoying sound is gifted by God with the spiritual power to stave off the danger of terrorists and assassins. The cry of a baby is the ultimate proof that life is more powerful than death. So cry away, babies, and thank you for the blessing you bestow upon us when you enter our doors!Read More »Miracle of the Mundane