By Brea Cannon
Liturgical Rhythm of Life
Here we are a couple weeks into November. In the Church, the month is devoted to the soul of the faithful departed. November is not over and it is never not too late to begin offering up a day or two for the departed loved ones in your life. Maybe you have lost someone very close to you this year; the remainder of the month could be offered up specifically for his or her soul and their transition from purgatory to be in heaven with our Father for eternity.
Advent, if I told you it will be here soon, would you believe me? It begins this year on Dec. 1.
Advent is a time of preparation for the joyous occasion of our Lord’s birth. The weeks of Advent give us a pause in our busy lives to prayerfully usher in the Savior of the world.
Without a little preparation for the Advent, it can be difficult to fully engage and prayerfully experience the entire season. A friend once explained that he likes to take two weeks of vacation at a time; he needs the first week to calm his mind and prepare himself to relax. Then he can actually start to “vacation” by the second week. He needs to prepare for vacation.
The thought of “prepare to prepare” may be a bit new to some but I have personally found it fruitful.
One way to prepare for Advent is to pull out your calendar. Advent and December are filled with treasured traditions and memorials in the liturgical calendar.
Dec. 6: St. Nicholas — St. Nicholas was a bishop of Myra when he discreetly threw alms through a window to provide the dowry for three young girls. For his good deed, tradition has it, God rewarded him by giving him permission to walk the streets of earth on the eve of his feast giving out gifts. To this day, tradition holds fast to young children putting out shoes on the eve of the feast and St. Nicholas fills them with special goodies. In our home, we also enjoy cuddling up with stories of the good bishop while eating sugar cookies shaped like St. Nicholas.
Dec. 8 OR Dec. 9 when the feast is on a Sunday: Immaculate Conception — This is one of the six Holy days of obligation — please check your local parish’s Mass schedule. On this day, we celebrate Mary’s sin-less conception, her escape from original sin. In addition to Mass, it is nice to enjoy a dinner of white, a symbol of purity — white linens, possibly white wine and a menu of white such as baked chicken and cauliflower.
Dec. 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe — Patroness of the Americas. This is a great day to honor Our Lady with roses in your home. When Juan Diego was instructed by Mary to pick roses and place them in his tilma, he was shocked to find roses in December as they were not in growing season. On this day, we also like to have some type of Mexican food — it’s a fun way to celebrate together with friends and family. As Patroness of the Americas, it is a great day to attend Mass and offer up prayers for our country, the Americas, and the world.
Dec. 13: St. Lucy — Lucy means light. To honor this young martyr consider lighting a candle and offering the day for the young people in your life. It is also a great day to meditate on Jesus as the light of the world and how his birth brings us out of darkness. If you are adventurous in the kitchen, traditional Lucy buns are a fun treat.
Advent is a time to prepare — there are many great feasts and fasts (Ember Days Dec. 18, 20 and 21) nestled in this liturgical season. Take this time ahead of Advent to prepare so you will be able to fully engage in the season and prepare the way of the Lord. Don’t let the calendar and the feasts overwhelm you this time of year. At the heart of this Advent season, be rooted deep in the promise of the Savior to come on that joyous Christmas day.