On the Catholic Observance of Advent

"During the weeks before Christmas, Catholic churches stand out for what they are missing.

"Unlike stores, malls, public buildings and homes that start gearing up for Christmas at least by Thanksgiving, churches appear almost stark save for Advent wreaths and maybe some greenery or white lights.

"'The chance for us to be a little out of sync or a little countercultural is not a bad thing,' said Paulist Father Larry Rice, director of the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
By the same token, he is not about to completely avoid listening to Christmas music until Dec. 24 either. The key is to experience that 'being out of sync feeling in a way that is helpful and teaches us something about our faith,' he told Catholic News Service.

"Others find with the frenetic pace of the Christmas season it is calming to go into an undecorated church and sing more somber hymns like 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.' But that shouldn't be the only draw, noted Jesuit Father Bruce Morrill, who is the Edward A. Malloy professor of Catholic studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee.

"He said the dissonance between how the church and society at large celebrate Christmas is that the church celebration begins, not ends, Dec. 25. The shopping season and Christian church calendar overlap, but don't connect, he added.

"And even though Catholic churches - in liturgies at least - steer clear of Christmas carols during Advent and keep their decorations to a minimum, Morrill said he isn't about to advise Catholic families to do the same. . . ."

 In a recent commentary, writer Carol Zimmermann offered some reflections on the importance of Advent in the liturgical life of the Church and her people.

To access Ms. Zimmermann's complete essay, please visit:

Crux: Catholic liturgies avoid Christmas decorations, carols in Advent (2 DEC 17)

Thank you, Deacon Greg Kandra, for the tip.