ST. GEORGE — For the “From Figures of Faith” series, St. George News reached out to the Interfaith Council of St. George and asked if they had a message about the holiday season they would like to share with our readers.
The following was submitted by Carole J. Drake, pastoral assistant, Saint George Catholic Church. Drake also currently serves as the St. George Interfaith Council president.
The Catholic community begins preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas with the season of Advent.
Advent is our four-week preparation for the birth of our Savior, and also the beginning of our new liturgical church year. The previous church year ends during the week preceding Advent when we celebrate the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is also a time of preparation, directing our hearts and minds to the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The priests’ vestments during Advent are violet, a more penitent color. The celebrations are subdued with more of a penitential atmosphere present in our liturgies. Several of our Mass parts may be sung in Latin: the Penitential Act (Lord, have mercy/Kyrie, eleison); the Holy, Holy, Holy sung between the two-part Eucharistic Prayer may be Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, and the Lamb of God/Agnus Dei is sung during the Breaking of the Bread. The Gloria, usually sung following the Penitential rite is eliminated until Christmas Eve when we begin our glorious celebrations of our Savior’s birth.
During this Advent season, we also celebrate a feast day identified as The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.
Following this feast day, another is celebrated during Advent by the Church on December 12, and in a special way by the Hispanic community. This is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, another of the titles of our Blessed Mother. A Vigil Mass takes place the evening prior and several others throughout the day and evening of Dec. 12. Mexican folk music and food are also part of the celebration. Then, the remaining Advent season continues.
The Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 is when the baby Jesus is placed in the creche. Poinsettia plants adorn the Sanctuary. The children are usually “actively” present and invited to sit at the foot of the altar during the presider’s homily as his attention and message may be primarily directed to them.
Questions about the nativity may be asked and their responses invited. Another Vigil Mass at 7 p.m. is celebrated in Spanish.
A bilingual Mass at midnight follows, and then three daytime Masses, two in English and one in Spanish are celebrated on Christmas Day. A concert of Christmas carols may be sung prior to the Mass celebrations. The music of the Mass once again takes on a joyous air of faith, hope and love.
The Christmas season, with the priests wearing white vestments, does not conclude until the Baptism of Our Lord, which this year is Jan. 9.
We invite all to come share with us the birth of our Savior, the joy of the Christmas season, the hope for peace throughout the world and love that bridges all differences that may exist among us.
May the peace of Christ which surpasses all else dwell within each of us this Christmas season.
St. George News will continue to add new messages to the “From Figures of Faith” series over the weekend leading up to Christmas Day. For all faith messages, click here.
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