The Parish on Penn Magazine - December 2019

Advent
The History of Advent
Advent has a long and rich history full of
depth and meaning, so long in fact is
it’s history, that it is impossible to state with
any certainty when it was first instituted. The
first mention of Advent is found in ancient
writings dating back to the sixth century,
with some anecdotal mentions as early as AD
380.
Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th
centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a
season of preparation for the baptism of new
Christians at the January feast of Epiphany,
the celebration of God’s incarnation
represented by the visit of the Magi to the
baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the
Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29),
and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1). During
this season of preparation, Christians would
spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting
to prepare for this celebration; originally,
there was little connection between Advent
and Christmas.
By the 6th century, however, Roman
Christians had tied Advent to the coming
of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind
was not Christ’s first coming in the manger
in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the
clouds as the judge of the world. It was not
until the Middle Ages that the Advent season
was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at
Christmas.
The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin
word ‘Adventus’, there are many references
to the translation of the word to simply
mean arrival or coming, there are however,
at least two other Latin words that could be
translated in this way. Adventus though,
had a compelling range of meanings; from
of the verb advenio which is defined not
only as arrive, come to, but also as develop,
set in, and arise. Adventus itself also refers
to an invasion, incursion, ripening, and
appearance—all denotations that are rich
with implications for the gospel accounts
of Christ. The relationship between
adventus and military comings is especially
noteworthy. In ancient Rome, Adventus was
a technical term for the ‘glorious entry’ of an
emperor into his capital city.
Advent Today
The beauty of advent is that not only is it a
very old Christian practice, but it is a very
personal one, and churches have adapted it
to suit their local parishes.
The season of Advent lasts for four Sundays
leading up to Christmas. At that time, the
new Christian year begins with the twelveday
celebration of Christmastide, which
lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on
January 6. Advent begins on Sunday that
falls between November 27th and December
3rd each year. Advent 2019 begins on
Sunday, December 1st and ends on Tuesday,
December 24.
The Advent season is a time of preparation
for our hearts and minds for the anniversary
of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.
The four Sundays of Advent, the Advent
wreath & the Advent candles
Week 1: Hope (or promise)
Week 2: Preparation (or waiting or prophecy)
Week 3: Joy (or peace)
Week 4: Love (or adoration)
The Advent wreath, four candles on a wreath
of evergreen, is shaped in a perfect circle to
symbolise the eternity of God and his infinite
love. In some churches, four purple candles,
one for each week in Advent, are used with
10 The Parish of Penn Magazine