Liturgical time- Advent, Christmas and Epiphany 2016-2017 Year A
What is liturgical time? Holy (Sanctified) Time
Where does the Modern Liturgical Calendar Come from? Jewish tradition Daily, Weekly, Seasonal Prayer Observations of Church Feast and Calendar Fasts Day from Sundown to Sundown Roman tradition Midnight to Midnight Christian tradition Focus on incarnation and resurrection
Advent 4 Weeks Preceding Christmas
Season of Waiting, Preparation, Anticipation May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you and scatter the darkness from before your path; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen
For What are You Waiting Be prepared Be mindful in your waiting
There are no specific numbers of days in Advent. There are 4 Sundays which are fully incorporated into the Season. The season is back dated based upon the celebration of Christmas.
Advent Wreath Relatively new liturgical practice- Which started as a home devotional and was adopted into liturgical use in the mid-twentieth century.
Purple or Blue The Great Advent Debate Truth is in the Book of Common Prayer there are no rubrics which determine color.
Latin Rite in the 13 th Century Tridentine pattern in 1570 Council of Trent About Liturgical Colors White for all feasts except martyrs Red- for martyrs Black for penitential days Green- for all other occasions Remains the same as Latin Rite but allows for Blue or Violet to be used instead of Black
Purple or Blue are both Liturgically appropriate Tradition says to use your best vestments and paraments for the Feasts of Incarnation and Resurrection (Christmas and Easter)
Advent Lessons and Carols Genesis 2: 4b-9, 15-25 God creates man and woman to live in obedience to him in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3: 1-22 or 3: 1-15 Adam and Eve rebel against God and are cast out of the Garden of Eden. Isaiah 40: 1-11 God comforts his people and calls on them to prepare for redemption. Jeremiah 31: 31-34 A new covenant is promised which will be written in our hearts. Isaiah 64: 1-9a God is called upon to act and to come among us. Isaiah 6: 1-11 God reveals his glory to the prophet and calls him to be his messenger. Isaiah 35: 1-10 The prophet proclaims that God will come and save us. Baruch 4: 36--5: 9 The Scribe Baruch urges the people to look East because salvation is at hand. Isaiah 7: 10-15 God promises that a child shall be conceived who will be known as "God with us." Micah 5: 2-4 The one who is to rule Israel will be born in the village of Bethlehem. Isaiah 11: 1-9 The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Holy One. Zephaniah 3: 14-18 The Lord will be among us; we are summoned to rejoice and sing. Isaiah 65: 17-25 God promises a new heaven and a new earth. Luke 1: 5-25 An angel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son. Luke 1: 26-38 or 1: 26-56 The Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of the Most High. Do you see any themes in these readings?
Christmas The Feast of the Incarnation
Celebrating the Word made Flesh Being present in our bodies Being fully human Check in with your physical being during the celebration of the Incarnation
Christmas Lessons and Carols First Lesson from Genesis 3: 8 15; 17 19 God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent s head. Second Lesson from Genesis 22: 15 18 God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Third Lesson from Isaiah 9: 2; 6 7 The prophet foretells the coming of the Saviour. Fourth Lesson from Isaiah 11: 1 3a; 4a; 6 9 The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown. Fifth Lesson from the Gospel of Luke 1: 26 35; 38 The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sixth Lesson from Luke 2: 1; 3 7 St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus. Seventh Lesson from Luke 2: 8 16 The shepherds go to the manger. Eighth Lesson from the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1 12 The wise men are led by the star to Jesus. Ninth Lesson from the Gospel of John 1: 1 14 St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
Christmas is not Jesus Birthday Contrary to what you may have learned in Sunday School. Celebration of Christmas was not established until the late 4 th Century Births were not celebrated in the ancient world Jesus birth was only considered important in hindsight The Humanity of Jesus became of equal importance to his death and resurrection between the 325 (The Council of Nicaea)and 381 (The Council of Constantinople)
Incarnation Nativity The Feast of Christmas celebrates two themes God made Man in Christ The Gospel of John Jesus born in a manger The Gospel of Luke
Roots of Christmas Celebrations Rome and Jerusalem
In Rome In Jerursalem Blended Customs Lead to our modern observance Three Services for the Feast of the Incarnation Daily Papal Mass- at 9 am (Missa in die) Sunrise service (Missa aurora) Midnight mass (Missa nochte) The Feast of the Nativity was actually observed at Epiphany Consisted of two services on the eve in Bethlehem One Service in the Main Church in Jerusalem the following morning.
The Episcopal Church has 3 versions of collects and Eucharistic prayers for Christmas which highlight the themes of the season O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Christmas Eve Early Service) Combines Advent and Christmas Themes O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen (Christmas Eve Late Service) This comes from the vigil mass at the basicilica of St Mary Major in Rome Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Christmas Day) This comes from the 1549 prayer book and is possibly part of the sun down service as described by Egeria in her 4 th century pilgrimage to Jerusalem
12 Days of Christmas Why does this include Feasts of St Stephen, St John and the Holy Innocents? December 26, 27: The Feasts of Stephen and John predate the Celebration of the Feast of the Incarnation. December 28: The Feast of Holy Innocents is the only one related to the season of Christmas (Matthew 2:13-18 Herod s murder of the innocent children in Jerusalem) January 2 The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Always the 8 th day after Christmas)
Epiphany A Feast and A Season
Day of Epiphany is not the Completion of Christmas Season after Epiphany is Ordinary Time A season of hopefulness and looking forward The Baptism of Jesus is always the 1 st Sunday in Epiphany Looking forward to the ministry of Jesus Looking forward to our own ministry as baptized Christians
Epiphany Season Better to be called the season after Epiphany as our siblings in the ELCA call it Or Ordinary Time as Roman Catholics do
Themes of the Readings for the Season After Epiphany The Ministry and Life of Jesus Beginning with his baptism in the Jordan Looking forward to the miracles Looking forward to the healings Looking forward to the cross Our Ministry and Life are likewise in the future What are we looking forward to?
Time between January 6 and Ash Wednesday No set length of time for this season it is dependent on the date of Easter which is determined based upon the lunar calendar more information about this when we talk about Lent and Easter.
Transfiguration Readings Confusion Despite the fact that the Last Sunday After Epiphany always includes the readings which refer to the Transfiguration of Jesus- it is not the Feast of the Transfiguration. The Feast of the Transfiguration is observed on August 6.