The Nativity of Christ: Making the Invisible Visible

The Nativity of Christ is the celebration of the Birth of the Word of God, come into the world. This same Word of God took on human flesh at his Conception, and waited until he was born to become visible in the world. Just like his Incarnation, his Birth was brought about in obscurity and in silence. Certainly, the shepherds visited and did him homage; the angels sang Glory to God in the Highest; the ox and the ass were the witnesses of his birth in the manger. Yet apart from these signs and witnesses, the birth of Our Lord was largely unnoticed. Even in this humble birth something wonderful happened.


The invisible was made visible.


Through the various readings and prayers of the Mass during the season of Christmas, one can contemplate various aspects of the mystery of the Incarnation, where God took on human flesh for the salvation of world.

One text I like to read and meditate and pray is the First Preface of the Nativity.

The First Preface of Christmas

During the Christmas Season, the First Preface of the Nativity - listed as one of three prefaces for Christmas in the Roman Missal 3rd Edition (2002) as well as the “Præfatio de Nativitate Domini” of the Roman Missal (1962) - is a marvelous synthesis of the purpose of the Incarnation, Birth and Manifestations of the Word of God:

For in the mystery of the Word made flesh
a new light of your glory
has shone upon the eyes of our mind,
so that, as we recognize in him God made visible,
we may be caught up through him
in love of things invisible.

Firstly, one can (and superficially) remark that nowhere in this preface mentions the “Little Baby Jesus” as the object of the Christmas mystery. Instead, one is immediately referred to the Prologue of the Gospel of John (1:1-5,14):

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
[…]
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.

Note the themes of light/dark and visible/invisible.

In the Word of God taking on human flesh, that very mystery shines a light into the minds of men, so that we can see things as they are, that is, in the light of God’s grace. Thus, in the light of the Incarnation, we can see that God himself becomes visible. God takes on a human face. God reveals himself to humanity in a definitive and efficacious way.

Again: God took on a human face. That is the mystery being celebrated. It’s not just that God took on the appearances of being human, like a Halloween mask - which can be taken off once the party’s over. God definitively united himself with our humanity, our flesh. He did this so that we can look upon God and contemplate all of God just by looking at Jesus.

And there is a reason for this: as we contemplate the Word become Flesh, our hearts learn to love the invisible-made-visible. And in this, our love for invisible, spiritual, eternal things grows. Thus, in contemplating the Human face of Jesus, God is inviting us to embrace spiritual realities that our sinfulness tends to avoid.

That is the mystery of Christmas. It’s not just about the “Little Baby Jesus” - though God is inviting us to look upon the face of the “Little Baby Jesus” and allow our hearts to grow open to more spiritual things. God is also inviting to look at the whole of the humanity of Jesus. To look upon the whole life of Jesus: not only his birth and epiphany, but also his public ministry, and his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Part of our own sanctification on this earth is not merely to hope for “spiritual things” to drop from the sky and reveal themselves to us. A true Christian mystical life is to contemplate the mysteries of the Lord through the celebration of the Liturgy: the Mass, the Office and the other liturgical celebrations. In them Christ is really present; Christ is really acting in the Liturgy; Christ is visible. One can see the Human Face of Christ - not just in the Priest - but also in the face of the Baptized People of God who are present, too. In the Liturgy, the humanity of Christ is “enfleshed” even further through its celebration, the gestures, the vestments, the chants, and the readings. Thus, even in the most “boring” of Masses, the humanity of Christ is being revealed. God’s love is being definitively made visible, so that we can “look upon” him and see how much he love us and invites us to love him in return.

This is the hope of Christmas : to be caught up in the visible-ness of the Word-become-Flesh, so that we can love God - and what God loves - a little bit more each day. So: use your eyes. Look at the beauty of the Nativity and see the invisible God now made visible for you. And for me.

Merry Christmas.

When the liturgy counts down 'til Christmas, too

Today is December 21: the Winter Solstice; the shortest day of the year.  Though the sun is out today in Rome, it won't be out for long. I'll likely take a stroll to the Pantheon to look through the oculus to see if the sun does indeed pass through it on the solstice, as we were speculating about a few days ago in class.

This morning's Benedictus antiphon for December 21 struck me. Whilst there are others doing reflections on the various O Antiphons for the Magnificat, I have also been looking at some of the accompanying Benedictus antiphons.

(This is a fragment from the 10th century Hartker Antiphonary [St. Gallen Stifsbibl. 390] 
which contains the earliest extant instance of this chant.)

(This is a modern engraving based on the Solemnes chant books.)

The text is poignant: Nolíte timére: quinta enim die véniet ad vos Dóminus noster.
           (Do not be afraid: for on the fifth day will come to you... Our Lord.)

It's not a biblical text (as most of the texts for the various Gregorian chants usually are biblical in origin). Its rather a simple exhortation by the Church to her people: Do not be afraid. Do not fear.

It is followed by a interesting feature - the chant itself gives a time-frame when the Lord will come: in five days on the fifth day. (Thx to Fr. Llane Briese for the clearer translation!)

So, the countdown clock continues... until the Lord comes to us. But - as I've been reflecting upon for a few weeks now - his coming is also paradoxical. He has already come, and yet he never left us. He says he will come again, and yet he never left us. The Church says that he will come, and yet he never left us.

But perhaps fear has something to do with it. Our human experience can be tinged and fraught with fear. And fear keeps us from seeing things clearly. Our darkened intellect and our weakened will also keeps us from seeing things clearly, too.  Only by divine illumination can our fears be dashed and our sight restored.

So, hear the voice of the Church: Do not be afraid. Five days more. And we wait a little while longer for... Our Lord.

---

Update:
I did visit the Pantheon at noon today, the winter solstice. Notice the picture below. The ancients built the Pantheon in such a way to allow the sun's light to shine through the oculus above the main entrance at noon on this day. Note also that the sun's light completely envelops the 2nd-to-last "square". (My way of describing this is that the sun is "quadrasected" (intersected in 4-places) by the roof's niche.) As they were tracking the course of the sun through the year, the ancients clearly knew that after the solstice the days would get longer, and that the light would increase.

The Christian community in Rome was also aware of these celestial calendar events. Indeed, one could speculate that a number of Christians in Rome knew that the sunlight would be in a particular place on the solstice.  The Christian celebration of Christmas originated here in Rome - quite early, too. Christmas was celebrated on 25 December, which also happened to correspond to the old dating of the winter solstice. (The solar calendar changed in 325 AD, so the solstice was shifted by a few days, but the Christians still celebrate Christmas on the 25 December.)

Which brings it back to the theme of light. Even in the darkness of our fears and the darkness of our sinfulness, the Sun of Justice (O Oriens!) will come and bring healing, restoration, and forgiveness. May these last few days of Advent be a graced period of preparation as we allow the light of the Messiah to warm the embers of our hearts. Let the Lord enter, he is the King of Glory!

Five Ways to Live Advent Well this Year

(Yes, it is a click-bait-y title, but you're here, aren't you?!)

At breakfast this week, a brother priest casually asked me:

"Hey, you're a liturgy guy... How can I do this Advent thing well? What can I do?"

So, in response to his question, I'll offer the following suggestions. Of course, there are more ways to celebrate Advent well, but here are five:

(1) Pray the Collect from the daily Mass

As I hinted at during my previous post, the opening prayer at Mass (called the Collect) during each day of Advent is a mini-reflection on the meaning of Advent. These prayers are the Church's way of distilling the essence of a particular liturgical season or a Saint's feast day and asking the Lord for a specific grace or gift.  During Advent, these prayers are quite poignant, as they ask for strength, protection and courage whilst we struggle against sin.

For example, the collect for Friday of the First Week of Advent is : 

Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come,
that with you to protect us,
we may find rescue
from the pressing dangers of our sins,
and with you to set us free,
we may be found worthy of salvation.

Each day, take the Collect of the day's Mass & pray it slowly, making the prayer your own.

You can find the collects either in a Daily Roman Missal, a monthly Magnificat booklet, or on other sites. Pray well.


(2) Read the First Reading: A Study of the Prophecies of Isaiah

During Advent, the first reading at each day's Mass is usually from the Prophet Isaiah. In short, Advent provides a mini Bible study of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Read each day's first reading at Mass from Isaiah and see how the Church's Liturgy proclaims the texts as a way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

You can find the daily readings for Mass on the US Bishop's website.


(3) Pray the Prefaces of Advent

The two prefaces used during the Season of Advent are excellent summaries of the twofold purpose of Advent. Praying each of these is a also way to see clearly the double structure of Advent:

• The Two Comings of Christ (used during Advent through December 16)
• The Twofold Expectation of Christ (used from December 17-24)

(4) Pray the Great "O" Antiphons

From December 17-23, the Church intensifies it's preparation for the Celebration of the Birth of the Lord.  During Vespers, there are special antiphons chanted at the Magnificat that highlight an aspect of the Lord's coming which was foretold by Isaiah or other Old Testament prophet. Each of these antiphons begin with the vocative "O", which directly addresses the Lord by one of his prophetic titles.

• December 17 - O Sapientia (Wisdom)
• December 18 - O Adonai
• December 19 - O Radix Iesse (Root of Jesse)
• December 20 - O Clavis David (Key of David)
• December 21 - O Oriens (Dayspring)
• December 22 - O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations)
• December 23 - O Emmanuel

The USCCB, Fr. Z and others have sites dedicated to the O Antiphons.


(5) Set up an Advent Wreath at home

Many households have an Advent wreath on the dining room table. The four candles count the weeks of Advent. It's a simple way to remind you and your family that the Lord is coming - and coming soon!

The Liturgical Season of Advent (2016)

The new liturgical year is upon us. This provides the author with an opportunity to start a series of liturgical reflections on the Liturgical Year and the various liturgical signs and symbols that are present in the Church's liturgy.

The Liturgical Year and the Nativity Cycle 

The Church cannot but boldly proclaim Jesus Christ to the world. She announces a joyful message that Jesus has redeemed the world from sin and death through his own Passion, Death and Resurrection. Every celebration of the Church's liturgy makes this mystery actually present and brings about the salvation of the world in the members of His Body. The Church's liturgy also has cosmic effects:  sanctifying not only creation, but also time as well. The Church's Liturgical Year is the way by which time is sanctified by the celebration of the mysteries of Christ and his redemption of the world.

The Season of Advent begins the Liturgical Year. In addition to being at the start of the Church's year, the season of Advent also begins the "Nativity Cycle" of the Liturgical Year. This cycle includes:

• The Season of Advent - Preparing for the Coming of the Lord.
• The Season of Nativity (Christmas) - Celebrating the Birth of the Lord.
• The Season of Epiphanytide - Celebrating the earthly manifestations of the Lord.

All three parts of the Nativity Cycle point to the same mystery being celebrated by the Church: the Incarnation of the Word of God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his manifestations to the world as its savior.

The Meaning of the Term "Advent"

The Latin term adventus (which means "coming" or "arrival"), is used in both the Sacred Scriptures and the Liturgy to signify the Coming of Christ. Adventus is used to translate two Greek words: parousía (which originally indicated the arrival of a deity to its temple or to its people) and epiphánia (which relates to the visible manifestation of a hidden divinity). Both Greek and originally-pagan religious terms are converted and converge into the one Latin word to indicate  the Coming of the Lord. Thus, adventus means both Christ's arrival and his visible appearance.

When the Church speaks about the Coming of the Lord, she usually means it in two ways:

• The First Coming: His taking on Flesh in the Womb of the Virgin, his Birth and first Manifestation to the World; his Baptism and public mission; his Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and the promise of his Return.
• The Second Coming: When the Lord returns at the End of Time, "to judge the living and the dead." This is truly the end of all things, when the Lord will return to create "a new heavens and a new earth" and the eternal liturgy will continue the worship of the Trinity forever.

When the Church celebrates the Season of Advent, she takes into account both comings of Christ. Advent starts with the Second Coming and highlights what will happen at the End of Time, then as Christmas approaches the focus shifts to the First Coming at his Birth.


Brief History of the Liturgical Season of Advent

Advent was one of the last formal liturgical seasons to develop, after Easter (Pascha), Christmas, and Lent (Quadragesima). In many ways, it developed as a period of preparation before the 2nd Great Feast of the Christian Year (Christmas/Ephiphany), and as such, it took on some of the characteristics of the preparation period for the 1st Great Feast of the Christian Year (Easter/Pascha).

• 3rd to 4th C: The term Adventus was a term used to indicating the coming of the Son of God in the midst of humanity, though this did not take on any liturgical expression.
• 4th C: Hilary of Poitiers (in 367, Gaul) and the Council of Zaragoza (in 380, Spain) spoke of a three-week periods of preparation before Epiphany. (Christmas had not yet been fully developed as yet). This period of preparation likely began on December 17. They were also considered primarily ascetic (meaning a period of fasting) rather than liturgical.
• 5th C: Beginning on November 11 (the Feast of St. Martin), the "St. Martin's Fast" was a six-week period of preparation before Christmas. 
• 6th - 13th C: After a period of development and codification of liturgical books during which the term Advent was formally used in the liturgical texts, there were two co-existing periods of preparation before Christmas:
1. A 6-week Advent was attested to by the so-called "Old Gelasian" Sacramentary (GeV), likely used by the presbyters of Rome, and 
2. A 4-week Advent appears in the so-called "Greogiran" or "Hadrianum" Sacramentary (GrH), used by the Bishops of Rome.
• Eventually the 4-week Advent won out throughout the City of Rome and the broader use of the Roman Rite, though a 6-week Advent still survives in the City of Milan and its liturgical Use.

Liturgical Texts related to Advent in the Roman Missal, 3rd Edition

The Season of Advent begins with the celebration of the Second Coming of Christ at the End of Time. Two prayers from the collect (or opening prayer) at Mass will illustrate its theme.

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. (Sunday, Advent I)

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,
as we await the advent of Christ your Son,
so that, when he comes and knocks,
he may find us watchful in prayer
and exultant in his praise. (Monday, Advent I)

In the first collect, the use of the words "meet your Christ," "at his coming," and "gathered at his right hand" indicate the time both at the end of our lives (at our death) and at the End of Time (during the General Resurrection and the Last Judgment). The phrase "resolve to run forth" alludes to the Pauline enjoiner (1 Cor 9:24) to discipline in the Christian life.

The second prayer references the parables of Jesus and his actions in the Book of Revelation. "Keep us alert ... as we await the advent," alludes to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25). "When he comes and knocks" is a reference to the Lord, in the Book of Revelation (3:20), who comes unexpectedly, though to dwell with us and dine with us (a Eucharistic reference).

The last days of Advent (from December 17-24) constitute an intensification of the expectation of the Coming of the Lord, particularly at his Nativity. Two additional collects will highlight this intensity.

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who are weighed down from of old
by slavery beneath the yoke of sin,
may be set free by the newness
of the long-awaited Nativity
of your Only Begotten Son. (December 18)

Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus,
and do not delay,
that those who trust in your compassion
may find solace and relief in your coming. (December 24)

Notice the shift in tone. The collect for December 18 references the refreshment and forgiveness brought by the Birth of Jesus. Note also the direct reference to the "Nativity" of Christ. Lastly, the collect on the morning of December 24 before the vigil of Christmas begins is quite poignant: "Come quickly... and do not delay!" Its call sums up the entire Season of Advent: on the threshhold of the celebration of Christmas, it is also a call to the Second Coming of Christ, echoed by the last verse of the Bible in the Book of Revelation (22:20).

As we pray the collects of the Mass throughout the entire Season of Advent, we can clearly hear the Church calling the Faithful to prepare for both Comings of Christ, starting with the Second Coming and ending with the First.

Pray and prepare well during this Season of Advent, so that when the Lord Himself appears at his Coming, we might be ready and watchful.


Liturgical Resources and References

Augé, Matias. L'anno Liturgico: E' Christo stesso presente nelle sua Chiesa. Città del Vaticano, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2011.

Nocent, Adrien, ed. "Natale e epifania," in Anamnesis, Vol 6: L'anno Liturgico. Genova: Casa Editrice Marietti, 2015.

Regan, Patrick. Advent to Pentecost: Comparing the Seasons in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2012.

Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company, 1986.