There are two seasons of preparation in the Church calendar: Lent and Advent. During Lent we prepare for the Passion, death, and Resurrection of the Lord by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In the Mass we cover the statues, remove Holy Water from the fonts, stop singing the Gloria and stop saying Alleluia. At home we fast by giving things up, abstaining from meat on Fridays, and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. We also give alms by doing extra good works and setting money aside for the poor. During Advent we’re supposed to be preparing for the birth of the Lord, but what do we actually do to prepare? We wear purple at Mass and we shop for Christmas presents. Aside from that? Not much. I encourage you to spiritually prepare for the birth of the Lord through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What prayers can help us prepare for the Nativity? First, pray the O Antiphons. These are antiphons that are used in Mass from December 17 to Christmas that give different titles of Jesus Christ. You can meditate on these antiphons and ask yourself who Christ is in your life. You can also take time to read the accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels. They can be found in Matthew 1 & 2, Luke 1 & 2, and John 1:1-28. Another great thing to do is to visit our Adoration Chapel and spend time with Jesus Christ exposed in the monstrance. After all, what better way is there to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh than to spend time in the presence of the Most Holy Body of the Lord? That would be a perfect time to read the Nativity accounts and meditate on the O Antiphons. We aren’t officially required to fast during the season of Advent now, but traditionally there were several days of fasting on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the feast of St. Lucy of Syracuse on December 13. They were called Ember Days, and this year they would fall on December 14, 16, and 17. Fridays are also special days of fasting and abstinence in memory of the death of our Lord on a Friday. We sacrifice things on those days to unite ourselves to the Cross of our Lord and to teach ourselves to prefer God to all things. It’s difficult to be excited about Christmas when we’ve already been celebrating it for a month or more by the time December 25 comes around. Fasting on the Fridays and Ember Days of Advent can help remind you that you’re preparing for something for greater than Christmas presents, carols, and eggnog. Finally, prayer and fasting are useless if they don’t lead to a growth in charity. There are so many opportunities to give during the Christmas season, and we should take advantage of them. You can give at St. Cletus either through the Toys for Tots boxes or by giving directly to the St. Anthony Boxes in Church, or you can give through any of the many good charities out there. Don’t just give money, though; make a point to do good things for the people around you during this time, especially when they won’t know about it. As the Lord said, “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your almsgiving may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you” (Mt 6:3-4).
O Antiphons
December 17: O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge.
December 18: O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!
December 19: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!
December 20: O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
December 21: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine of those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 22: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!