By Msgr Michael de Verteuil,
Chair of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission
Mary is an important companion in our lives. In Advent, she has a special role in three ways: the Marian feasts of Advent, the liturgical celebrations of December 17 to 24, and in the overall spirit of Advent of waiting in joyful hope.
There are two major Marian days in Advent: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12).
The first celebrates the fact of Mary’s birth without original sin— Mary, the Ark of the covenant had to be pure to receive the King.
As we thank God for this privilege granted Mary, we reflect on the reason for this privilege—the Incarnation of Jesus which we celebrate when Advent ends.
The second feast is that of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady appeared to an indigenous Mexican in 1531. She appeared pregnant in Mexican dress and with Mexican facial features and spoke in the language of the indigenous people. Her appearances were followed by hundreds of thousands of conversions to Christianity.
Her best-known words spoken during the apparitions are, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?”, words spoken to Juan Diego the visionary but addressed to all of us.
From December 17 to 24 Advent takes a different turn. From focusing on the Second Coming of Jesus the focus now becomes preparing to celebrate the first coming in Bethlehem.
Mary plays an important part in the readings and the prayers. Let me give some examples. The Gospel of the 4th Sunday of Advent (December 19 this year) is that of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. That of December 18, is that of the angel telling Joseph in a dream to take Mary home as his wife “because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus ….”
The Gospel of December 20 is of the Annunciation to Mary; on December 21 the Visitation is read again and on the next day, December 22, we have Mary proclaiming the Magnificat.
The prayers of the Mass also mention Mary a number of times. For example, the ‘Prayer over the Gifts’ on Sunday 19 calls on the Holy Spirit to sanctify the gifts of bread and wine “just as he filled with his power the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
The collect on December 19 speaks of the child-bearing of the Holy Virgin and that of December 20 of the “the ineffable Word the Immaculate Virgin received through the message of an angel”.
The ‘Preface’ (the prayer that ends with “Holy, holy, Lord God of hosts”) for the last week of Advent mentions “the Virgin Mother longed for him with love beyond all telling”.
That last quote tells us something of the Spirit which should permeate us during Advent— a longing for the coming of Christ. Mary, like many mothers, longed for her baby’s birth— a longing and a waiting.
Advent calls for this spirit in us as we too long and wait for the coming again of our Saviour. Mary must have had an intense experience of closeness with Jesus while He was in the womb— can we seek to cultivate this closeness by finding quiet times of reflection during this last week of Advent?
Mary pondered on Gabriel’s message but did not know the fullness of what was being asked, yet she could say yes to the Lord, trusting and leaving everything to God.
As we journey through this last week of Advent, let us ask Mary to accompany us and to teach us the wonderful virtues she showed as she waited on the birth in Bethlehem.
Did you know
Catholic churches today feature a large box called a tabernacle, where consecrated hosts are kept after Mass. This custom took many centuries to be established, as early Christians did not have their own permanent churches. Instead, they were constantly on the move, celebrating Mass in people’s homes or in hiding.
Consequently, it should come as no surprise that there were no fixed tabernacles to house consecrated hosts, but only portable boxes. Early Christians would carry the Eucharist back home in a small box called an arca.
This was a way for Christians to protect the Eucharist from desecration by the pagans of Rome, and also to provide the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound.
Eventually, when Christians were able to build permanent structures for the liturgy, they also created different kinds of tabernacles to house the consecrated hosts. (Adapted from Aleteia.org)