Q) Why does the Church year start with Advent? And why not on Jan. 1?
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A) This is a great question! It gives me a chance to talk a little bit about how we as Catholics keep time, which is a different way of keeping time than the world. At the very center of the Church’s yearly calendar, and her understanding of time in general, is the awesome feast of Easter, which is the preeminent celebration of our salvation and the fullest manifestation of God’s merciful love and his plan. It is commemorated every Sunday, which is meant to be like a little Easter. Revolving around this great solemnity like planets are four other major celebrations, between which and through which the Church weaves a mighty band that includes the lives of the saints, Ordinary Time, and the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. These four major feasts are Christmas, Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ and Pentecost. As one can tell, these feasts follow the life of the Lord and the great mysteries of his life and mission. So, it’s only natural that the Church’s year begins with preparations for Christmas, a feast day assigned to Dec. 25, nine months after March 25, the feast day of the Annunciation, which is the date assigned to Christ’s conception. For many centuries now, Advent has been marked by four weeks, though it’s unclear as to why and when this was defined.
Allow me to take this opportunity to say that Advent, like Lent, is supposed to be marked by a penitential character, though decidedly less so than Lent. But Advent is still meant to be a time of preparation, and part of this preparation should be the repentance of sin.
Jan. 1 is the start of the Gregorian Calendar, the most widespread tool for keeping track of the year’s progression. It’s all well and good (and probably pretty much necessary) to follow this calendar for the purposes of bills, birthdays, milestones and employment, but we Christians should also remember that we keep time differently than the rest of the world in some significant ways. In this we bear witness to the fact that we are in the world, but not of the world. Of particular importance is the honoring of Sundays, each of which should be the high point of every week, and focusing on the great feasts of the year and celebrating them well. This includes making a good Advent.
Q) Why is the Gloria omitted from Mass during Advent? When will we hear it again?
A) Advent is, again, a time of solemn preparation for Christmas, and part of that preparation includes penance. One of the ways that the Church marks this penitential character to the season is the omission of the Gloria at Sunday Mass. This omission is meant to remind us that we are not quite ready to celebrate the Christ’s arrival just yet, but need to strive to stay vigilant and awake for his coming. The Gloria will resound again at the First Mass of Christmas, which is celebrated in most churches on Christmas Eve sometime. It’s an appropriate return date, as the hymn itself is inspired by the very angels who announce to the shepherds the arrival of the Messiah. Now, it is also the case that the Gloria is still sung or recited on Feast Days during Advent. For example, St. Andrew (Nov. 30), the Immaculate Conception. (Dec. 8), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12), or the celebration of a patronal feast day in a parish, will all still feature a Gloria. On these days, the Church takes a brief break from the quiet of Advent to rejoice in the triumph of her saints. So, sing that Gloria full throat! Consider it a practice for Christmas.
Father Erickson is pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale. Send your questions to [email protected] with “Why Do Catholics Do That?” in the subject line.
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