Liturgical time- Advent, Christmas and Epiphany2016-2017 “Year A”

What is liturgical time?Holy (Sanctified)Time

Church Calendar

Where does the Modern Liturgical Calendar Come from?• Jewish tradition

• Daily, Weekly, Seasonal Prayer• Observations of Feast and Fasts• Day from Sundown to Sundown

• Roman tradition• Midnight to Midnight

• Christian tradition• Focus on incarnation and resurrection

Advent4 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 WreathRelatively new liturgical practice-

Which started as a home devotional and was adopted into liturgical use in the mid-twentieth century.

Purple or Blue Truth is – in the Book of Common Prayer there are no rubrics which determine color. The Great Advent Debate

About Liturgical Colors

Latin Rite in the 13th Century

White – for all feasts except martyrs

Red- for martyrs

Black – for penitential days

Green- for all other occasions

Tridentine pattern in 1570 Council of Trent

Remains the same as Latin Rite but allows for Blue or Violet to be used instead of Black

Purple or Blue are both Liturgically appropriateTradition says to use your best vestments and paraments for the Feasts of Incarnation and Resurrection (Christmas and Easter)

Genesis 2: 4b-9, 15-25God creates man and woman to live in obedience to him in the Garden of Eden.Genesis 3: 1-22 or 3: 1-15Adam and Eve rebel against God and are cast out of the Garden of Eden.Isaiah 40: 1-11God comforts his people and calls on them to prepare for redemption.Jeremiah 31: 31-34A new covenant is promised which will be written in our hearts.Isaiah 64: 1-9aGod is called upon to act and to come among us.Isaiah 6: 1-11God reveals his glory to the prophet and calls him to be his messenger.Isaiah 35: 1-10The prophet proclaims that God will come and save us.Baruch 4: 36--5: 9The Scribe Baruch urges the people to look East because salvation is at hand.

Isaiah 7: 10-15God promises that a child shall be conceived who will be known as "God with us."Micah 5: 2-4The one who is to rule Israel will be born in the village of Bethlehem.Isaiah 11: 1-9The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Holy One.Zephaniah 3: 14-18The Lord will be among us; we are summoned to rejoice and sing.Isaiah 65: 17-25God promises a new heaven and a new earth.Luke 1: 5-25An angel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son.Luke 1: 26-38 or 1: 26-56The Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of the Most High.

AdventLessons and Carols

Do you see any themes in these readings?

ChristmasThe Feast of the Incarnation

Celebrating the Word made FleshBeing 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; 17–19God 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: 15–18God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Third Lesson from Isaiah 9: 2; 6–7The prophet foretells the coming of the Saviour.

Fourth Lesson from Isaiah 11: 1–3a; 4a; 6–9The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.

Fifth Lesson from the Gospel of Luke 1: 26–35; 38The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sixth Lesson from Luke 2: 1; 3–7St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.

Seventh Lesson from Luke 2: 8–16The shepherds go to the manger.

Eighth Lesson from the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1–12The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

Ninth Lesson from the Gospel of John 1: 1–14St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

Christmas is not Jesus’ Birthday

Celebration of Christmas was not established until the late 4th

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)

Contrary to what you may have learned in Sunday School.

The Feast of Christmas celebrates two themes

Incarnation

God made Man in Christ

The Gospel of John

Nativity

Jesus born in a manger

The Gospel of Luke

Roots of Christmas CelebrationsRome and Jerusalem

Blended Customs Lead to our modern observance

In Rome

Three Services for the Feast of the Incarnation

Daily Papal Mass- at 9 am (Missa in die)

Sunrise service (Missa aurora)

Midnight mass (Missanochte)

In Jerursalem

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

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birthof your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfullyreceive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidencebehold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives andreigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now andfor ever. Amen. (Christmas Eve Early Service)

Combines Advent and Christmas Themes

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with thebrightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have knownthe mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy himperfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit helives 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 purevirgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewedby your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whomwith you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now andfor 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 4th century pilgrimage to Jerusalem

which highlight the themes of the season

12 Days of Christmas

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 8th day after Christmas)

Why does this include Feasts of St Stephen, St John and the Holy Innocents?

EpiphanyA 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 1st 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.

Trans-figurationReadings 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.