November 29, 2010

  • An open letter to "them" or "they" or whoever it is that is trying to control lives

    Dear Big Brother,

    Every year about this time the New Liturgical Year starts for Catholics.  For the next few weeks Catholics everywhere will wait with anticipation the coming of Christ at his birth in Bethlehem.  While the whole world shops, hurls profanities at each other, camps out on the doorsteps of department stores, and spends money they can ill afford on that "one more gift" all in the spirit of a Christmas that they cannot understand, Catholics will be prayerfully anticipating and preparing their hearts for the coming of the King of Kings.

    Part of that anticipaiton is a little know tradition called the Advent Wreath.  All we need are some purple and pink candles and some greens.  Each night a candle is lit and prayers are said reminding us who we are waiting for and begging Him for his help in preparing our hearts, minds, and souls so that we may be worthy of his presence when he comes.

    In years past the candles necessary to observe this humble custom were readily available, in some stores they were even marketed as Advent candles.  Now I find that just as the words "Merry Christmas" are slowly and methodically being removed from all things retail, so to is the ability to readily find such mundane things as purple and pink taper candles.  Why should this be so?  I asked myself if I had just waited until it was too late to buy my candles, but after querying the clerks in several stores I find that I didn't wait until too late, they weren't there to be found.  Red cancles abound, as do green, white and cream.  Some stores even carried the dregs of fall colors that had no doubt been put out long before summer had even begun to wain.  But purple and pink were not to be found.  I finally found the tapers I bought in a candle store in the mall at a very dear price.

    My question to whoever is, "Why?"  What has anyone got against my being able to practice my faith?  Was this country not founded on the basic principle of freedom of worship?  Does my practice of my faith in the sanctuary of my home somehow threaten the functioning of the government of the United States?  And to those who are in control of retail in this country with your eye on the bottom line, I would think that making sure that each and every person in this country had the means necessary to practice these "silly" little customs, afterall it is the Christmas season every year that makes you salivate knowing that shoppers during that season can make or break you.

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    Now that my bit of angst over having to be dragged out of my home to shop is over.  I would like to wish everyone out there (even those I will offend by my prayers and wishes) a very Happy and Holy Advent season and a very Merry Christmas at the end of that season.

     

Comments (12)

  • It's probably just a matter of demand. If they don't see enough of them moving off the shelves every year, they won't stock them because they don't want to have to dispose of them after they sit on the shelf too long.

  • Love your advent wreath.  The practice of advent is dwindling.  Our church finally has recognized the value of advent and has started observing it (very thought provoking for life long baptists or those new to faith who had not grown up in the liturgical persuasion -- it took me years to convince my husband of the value of advent). 
    Praying for you as we commemorate the advent of our Lord as he first appeared in human form. Blessings to you and yours during this advent and Christmas season. (and next year check on line and see if you can get them shipped or buy white ones and dip them in melted crayons)

  • Why are the candles pink and purple?  I like to buy a special candle and start burning it in the evenings Dec.1 until Christmas Day.

  • I am not Catholic, and I am ignorant of this ritual.

    I did work in my families store that sold candles for years, never heard of this...it's all supply and demand.

    I guarentee you this...you will NEVER hear me say anything but "Merry Christmas".

    "Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays" ...I'll leave for the politcially correct. ha!

  • @ata_grandma - The purple signifies penitence which is what we are doing to purge worldly cares and desires from our heart making room for the Savior.  It also stands for royalty to welcome the "Advent of Christ the King."  Purple is the color that decorates the sanctuary and what the priest wears on the altar.  It reminds us that along with the Incarnation of Christ comes his Crucifixion; the two cannot be separated from each other.

    The pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday.  This means rejoice.  The colors are lightened for this week to remind us that we are halfway through Advent.  It also gives us a gentle reminder that whatever penances that we have chosen to undertake to prepare for the coming of Christ, if we have become slack or have failed altogether, there is still time to pick ourselves up and begin again.

    During the last week the purple candle is lit again and the penances are intensified as it is our final week of preparation to root out affection for sin.  The "stable" of our heart must be mucked out and the fresh "hay" of prayer must be laid down to make a suitable place for the Savior to dwell when he comes on Christmas.

    That is Advent in a nutshell.

  • @Bricker59 - My dear friend, you don't have to be Catholic to know what is important.  God bless you.

  • @spinner_mom - They don't necessarily have to be pink and purple but in the Catholic church that is the tradition. If you read my reply to atagrandma you will see why those colors are chosen.  In the Catholic church there is a reason for everything it is one of the reasons that our faith is so beautiful.

  • Thank you.  I'm glad to know that.  I knew that purple signified royalty and Jesus as King, but I didn't know the rest.  It is truly a wonderful season when we remember Him.  ( We should always remember Him, of course.)

  • @spinner_mom - You are right of course but the point is that the tradition is important to some consumers, that there are those out there who are going to buy those colors. 

    The point to me is that the tradition is sort of the "glue" that holds together the believers' practice from one generation to the next.  As long as the previous generation passes along the explanation along with the practice there is a continuity to the tradition.  It is not much different than those traditions that any family passes from one generation to another.

  • Christianity is being driven out of the civilization that it created.

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