One of my favorite aspects of Advent is the unique liturgical music which is sung only once a year during this short season. I am not referring to the Christmas carols which are appropriate (for liturgy) after Advent; indeed there are many marvelous Christmas carols, but for the liturgy they are out of place until the Christmas Vigil on December 24. This is because carols are about the birth of Jesus, and Advent songs are about that which leads up to it. Our waiting for Christmas music is actually heightened by singing Advent hymns which contain different messages for us to ponder. Like all things Advent, they must be savored with attentiveness, both to the lyrics and the melodies that are bursting with meaning and invitation. Of these, a favorite is “People, Look East,” which is set to the tune of an old French carol with a text written for the Advent season.* The melody is lively, combined with lyrics that are filled with anticipation, even excitement, at the coming of Christ. Each verse pairs symbolic ‘titles’ for Jesus, who is Love. I would like to highlight the first verse in which Jesus is referred to as “the Guest.” This image is reflective of how we anticipate the arrival of a beloved guest to our homes. Everything about the occasion is going to be intentionally festive because we are so delighted that our guest will be with us. We set out our best and we prepare to make the guest feel our sincere, warm welcome. We are excited that this guest will bless our home with his or her presence. It is like this with Advent also; we prepare for the coming of Jesus by being attentive with heightened awareness for the time of His arrival. We want Him to find ‘hearth and home’ within our hearts, a place in which He is welcomed. Therefore, we must be ready: "Love, the Guest" will arrive soon.

When we meditate upon Jesus as Guest we must also consider that a guest is with us for a comparatively short time, leaving us all a bit different after the visit. Our hearts warm with the memory of the encounter, and thus, something of the guest remains with us, shaping our lives. Therefore, as we prepare for the Guest’s arrival it is important to make our hearts as hospitable as possible. This is no ordinary guest who is coming: this is the Son of the Most High, Jesus Christ, at whose name every knee in Heaven bends. As the time approached for His coming, everything and everyone in Heaven and on the earth needed to prepare. The Creator of the stars of night readied all to send His Son; the angels made announcements, the Holy Spirit overshadowed the immaculate mother, Mary, who humbly continued to ponder everything once pregnant; Joseph opened his mind and heart, praying about his role as guardian and foster father of such a Son; Magi began a trek to ‘they knew not where’ but went with anticipation nonetheless; independent of one another, an elderly prophet and prophetess, Simeon and Anna, were preparing their hearts for the Messiah. And the faithful children of Israel (even the shepherds) prayed with hopeful expectation that the day would arrive soon. Come, O Lord, come!

Advent invites us to enter into that same anticipatory preparation, filled with building excitement and hopeful expectation. It is important to remember that while He will enter our hearts and be welcomed into our homes, the focus is never upon ourselves alone. Rather, our preparation must always include a focus on what and who is around us. Thus, we prepare Jesus a place by feeding the poor  and visiting the lonely, especially those who are infirm or advanced in years who may not be able to get out or who have little or no family to visit them. We prepare a place for Jesus when we reconcile with our brother or sister, neighbor, or friend from whom we have become estranged or have suffered a hurt. We prepare when we offer our time, talent, or treasure to the lowly, the prisoner, and the stranger in our midst. We prepare a place, in other words, when we offer a welcome to Jesus in one of His most distressing disguises, as St. Teresa of Calcutta used to say.

Advent is a time of hopeful expectation even amidst our own ‘bleak midwinter’ because it is the Lord of Love for whom we wait. During Advent we are presented with remembrance of a time in which all seemed desolate and yet the fulfillment of God’s promise was nearing. The faithful retained hope, and indeed, unseen, much was transpiring: Mary was visited by the archangel Gabriel who greeted her with an invitation from the Most High, to which she humbly responded, “Be it done to me;” Elizabeth prayed in wondrous expectation at her ‘impossible’ pregnancy, mute Zechariah, rendered speechless so as to better listen to God’s voice, discovered that nothing was impossible with God, and Joseph prepared to guide the way for Love’s arrival. Equally mysterious, much continues to be possible for us, too, as we long for His return. In this, Advent offers hope: we never give up since Love, the Guest is on the way. So let’s ‘look east,’ preparing with hopeful expectation mingled with joy, and yes, excitement, as we enter into the mysteries of Advent that we might welcome Jesus our Lord into the world anew! 

May we embrace 'Advent waiting' patiently, with open doors, open hands, and open hearts! May we welcome Jesus, the Guest by extending our time, talent, and treasure to His people, especially those most in need! May we find the Guest in the midst of our worship, our personal prayer, and our song! And may we imitate Mary as we wait in pregnant, joyful expectation for Jesus to transform our hearts! Let us meet in Advent prayer! Peace! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

​                                                                                   ©Michele L. Catanese

* What is most interesting about Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965), the author of the text of People Look East, is that she also penned the lyrics of Morning Has Broken. I learned this when reading the notes which accompany the song, People Look East (in the original songbook), arranged by Marty Haugen. You can find all of the lyrics and a bit more information at https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/people_look_east.htm

Final note: Astute musicians and lovers of modern Advent hymns will find a few hymn titles embedded in this entry, all intentional, of course. 

Images:
1. My photo, mountains in Colorado. Where east is, is relative to where we are; but I chose this because of the golden glow of the sun. 
2.   Icon, Mother of God Waiting in Adoration, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can see that Mary is pregnant in this icon. She is pondering, praying, reflecting, adoring.  You can find this icon in one of many mediums if you are interested in purchasing it.  It can be found at at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-waiting-in-adoration-248-william-hart-mcnichols.html 
(They make wonderful Advent cards, though you can find other images that are suitable for Christmas if you prefer. And remember, I get no remuneration from suggesting these for purchase except the joy of sharing beauty.)
3. Fresco painting, Institution of the Eucharist by Bl. Fra Angelico (1441-42), Basilica di San Marco, Florence, Italy. What better meal than this to depict Jesus at table?
4. Icon, The Mother of God Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Those who have read my blog for a while will notice that I feature this icon every Advent. It is one of my all-time favorite icons written by Fr. Bill. You can find it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-mother-of-god-overshadowed-by-the-holy-spirit-118-william-hart-mcnichols.html
5. Clip Art, Advent Wreath, Week 1. Happy Advent!

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

I have always loved St. Teresa of Avila, especially because she had a quick wit and was nobody’s fool. She was a mystic who possessed an array of spiritual gifts, yet was still a practical, down-to-earth woman who led the Discalced Carmelites for many years. In the 16th century women were not allowed much influence and yet Teresa obtained land and built multiple convents as she reformed the Carmelites from a lax lifestyle to one which was far more rigorous and true to the original intent of their founders. She skillfully governed the order, taught her sisters about prayer through her many writings, and simultaneously expanded the Carmelites all over Spain. One of my favorite vignettes from her life concerns a feast at the conclusion of a penitential season, which at that time meant fasting from all meat.* A gift of partridges had been offered for their holiday feast and St. Teresa accepted them gratefully. During the meal a visitor observed the expensive partridges being served and chided her for such behavior given the Carmelites commitment to simple living. In true Teresa fashion she quipped, “When we fast, we fast. When we eat partridge, we eat partridge!” As humorous as this scene was, she had in fact responded with great wisdom, implying that we should give our full focus to what is at hand in the present, attending to both the toil of work and the joy of celebration whole-heartedly. When we fast, we do not long for celebration or we will miss the gifts that are to be found in the midst of our efforts, and when we celebrate we are not to ‘feel guilty’ about it lest we lose the joy that we are meant to have; rather, we do both with gusto.

​As we prepare for the upcoming holiday season let us be attentive to the gift of each day and beware of getting sucked into all the commercialism which can become burdensome. The spirit of festivity, creativity, family, friends, and neighbors is indeed a good thing, but it is important to keep our holidays in the perspective and order in which they come. It seems more and more like Thanksgiving is relegated to the status of a mere stepping stone, accentuating a huge meal and the shopping frenzy to follow. And worse, there is no thought or mention of Advent at all: the focus goes straight to Christmas, emphasizing the material and not the spiritual. Perhaps this is because gratitude and the Advent virtue of waiting patiently are not as highly prized in our society as they should be. Festivity is always attractive, but it has much deeper meaning and brings far greater joy when it is infused with gratitude and when each moment is slowly savored. That means that we must be attentive to each day, recognizing our call to keep things in perspective, not omitting the end of one season for the sake of the one to come. We can ‘eat partridge,’ but not without first placing our gratitude before the Lord and patiently toiling in preparation until the time is nigh for feasting. And remember, while the Thanksgiving holiday is not a liturgical celebration, giving thanks is at the heart of our Christian spirituality: our entire liturgy is imbued with giving thanks to God for His redeeming Love.

There is no reason that we should enter into the holiday season without enjoying the process. If decorating with gusto is fun, do it! If you enjoy lots of lights, gatherings, and cooking up a storm; if gift-giving with all the preparing, wrapping, and exchanging makes you and everyone around you happy, by all means do it. However, our preparation should not outweigh the feast for which we are getting ready: there must be a balance between our merrymaking and the richness of Advent followed by Christmas. The Scriptures for Mass in these last weeks of the liturgical year shed light on the importance of preparation, as does a passage near the end of Matthew’s gospel. In it, Jesus said that generously serving others is how we must make our preparation for His return. He told a parable of virgins preparing for the groom’s arrival to his wedding, a joyous occasion that included a banquet, but only the wise, prepared ones were given entry. A few verses later Jesus made it clear what we must do when He concluded “What you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you do for me.” (Matthew 25) Therefore, if we keep Jesus central as we enjoy the season, remembering both the family and friends we have and the least among us, (that is, the poor, lonely, ill, or stranger), then we are celebrating the season exactly as it is intended. 

​The holiday season should be a time of joy and making merry, something especially needed during these times in which things seem out of kilter. Preparing, feasting, and sharing the ‘partridge’ we have been given is something we should enjoy, made all the more rich when done with gratitude and a spirit of love, rather than as obligatory or burdensome.** To keep everything in perspective, it would be good to pray with Matthew 25 or with the Scripture for the liturgy of each day, incorporating whatever stands out into our efforts to prepare. No matter how we handle our tasks, no matter what we have or do not have, or what we can or cannot do, we can offer each day of our preparation and celebration to the Lord so that He remains in the center of everything. 

​May we ask the intercession of St. Teresa of Avila to inspire us in keeping balance and perspective! May we take the time of preparation to wait upon the Lord, listening for His presence in our prayer! And may we give thanks, accepting the ‘gift of partridge’ given by the Lord, enjoying it with gusto! Let us meet around the banquet table of the Lord! Peace!

                                                                   ©Michele L. Catanese

* Until relatively recently, Advent and Lent were both penitential seasons. Thus, fasting and abstinence were undertaken in preparation for Christmas and not just before Easter. This is why in an Italian household like the one in which I grew up, we always ate seafood on Christmas Eve. It was symbolic of the fasting before Christmas festivities. Many strict religious orders like the Discalced Carmelites fasted from meat every day of the entire penitential season, and so on Christmas and Easter it was not uncommon to have meat.
** St. Teresa was most practical when teaching her Sisters to pray, saying that they should strive for contemplation, but that if this was not something they could do, rather than being discouraged, they should pray in whatever way brought them close to God. She said, “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.” Therefore, I think she would agree with a paraphrase of that when it comes to our holiday preparation; we should ‘do what we can, not what we can’t’… and enjoy it all without any worry or regret.

Images:
1. Icon, St. Teresa of Avila by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can purchase this icon in one of a variety of mediums at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-teresa-of-avila-177-william-hart-mcnichols.html
2. Print of a painting, Cornucopia.
3.  Russian icon of The Wise Virgins and the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 25.
4. My photo of antipasto taken during the first course of a meal we had while at an "agriturismo" farmhouse near Noto, Sicily, Italy. (Talk about a feast: there were four equally generous courses after this one, too!)
5. Clip Art print, Partridge in a Pear Tree. I could not resist.
​
Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

Early in my teaching career I learned that stories usually made more of an impact than the ‘bones’ of a lesson. For example, I offered my students a parable-like (fictional) story to explain one of Jesus’ main points in the Sermon on the Mount and days later quizzed them on this point. Almost all of them re-told the entire fictional story rather than providing the actual, much shorter Scripture passage I sought. I was disappointed until realizing that my students had gotten the intended point of the Scripture. This experience highlights the reason Jesus used parables in His preaching: ‘story’ is more memorable because it brings to life the heart of a message. Stories that involve people like us or which come from situations that are similar to our own, speak to our hearts. This is why we can best connect with people we meet by learning a part of their story, something from their lived experience. We all have a story; rather, we all are a story which needs to be shared because all story is sacred, holy ground, created as such by God. 

Because our stories are so important, it is essential that we do not assume anything when we meet a stranger; in fact, it is an act of love to let the person reveal themselves as they wish. Think of how annoying and even alienating it is when we meet someone and they begin to talk at us rather than to us. The person is so wrapped in themselves that they don’t stop to think that we have something to offer also; or they might ‘educate’ us about something we know quite well, assuming that we are totally ignorant about it. It becomes demeaning and invalidating given that the person has inadvertently, (or perhaps advertently), set themselves above us, implying that we are somehow not worthy of our own experience. There is no connection, and we might even be repelled, feeling empty or disappointed. People generally don’t intend to be repellent, but it seems that in our ‘me-centered’ culture the art of listening to one another is waning. Perhaps there is good intention, but without allowing the other to reveal what they know, or to share a bit of their own story, we have an encounter, but not a connection. Such encounters are fleeting, but connection is lasting and can change a heart, even if just a little. When we invite the other to share, when we listen to the story they desire to tell in some way, and mutually share a bit or ours, we go away enriched, more blessed than we were before… and so do they. Mutually sharing our stories is a type of intimacy; even if we met ‘randomly,’ never to see each other again, it provides a moment of grace and blessing which can move our hearts. The listening that comes from an open heart is a form of love, and love is always  holy ground.

Jesus was fully God, so He already knew the story of every person He met. He was also fully human, desiring to hear a person’s story from them, thus providing an opportunity for Him to offer mercy, love, and whatever healing they needed. We all want to be heard, to be acknowledged, to be validated, to be loved as we are, something Jesus does without exception. We see this, for example, when He met the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4) Through dialogue with her, (not a monologue or sermon), Jesus allowed the woman to reveal who she was, that is, to tell her story, and thus enabled her to enter into His. Story does not necessarily mean a narrative about our lives; its only ‘requirement’ is that we are authentic and honest in our sharing. When the woman responded to Jesus, she truthfully and freely expressed what was in her heart, including her spirituality and her current lifestyle. She seemed to enjoy the dialogue with Jesus, perhaps because He was the first person to be interested in her in a way that was not superficial or judgmental. Their dialogue was mutually inclusive of both of their stories, so therefore it changed her life. Jesus treated her as the holy ground she was, as she simultaneously experienced holy ground in Him.

Each person is a living, breathing, beautiful story that reveals a complex tapestry of experiences, emotions, knowledge, and events that have been woven together over time. The story of some people, however, has become encrusted with rejection, suffering, and loss so that they might be reluctant to connect with another in fear that more burdens might be added. But once we invite their story to slowly and safely unfold, we can be an instrument of God’s healing. Others may present a story which they may deem ordinary and uneventful, but within it wisdom and experience are waiting to be shared. And still others may have a story which is obviously exceptional in some way. No matter which it is, regardless of how much healing is needed, or how ordinary or extraordinary the person, every story within every person is precious to Jesus. All stories will reveal extraordinary beauty if we treat people with reverence and love, asking for eyes to see and ears to hear just as He does. God sees us as ‘sparks darting through stubble’ (Wisdom 3:7)* and so our story gives Him glory no matter how it is ‘written.’ It is love alone that can reveal what is at first hidden, and it is love alone that will let our light shine through. 

May we revere each person as holy ground, willing to listen intently as we mutually share our stories! May we recognize the beauty of our own story, precious in God's eyes! And may we imitate the patience, mercy, and care of Jesus when we connect with stranger and friend alike! Let us continue to meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                  ©Michele L. Catanese

* This is the week of All Soul's Day which inspired the usage of Wisdom 3, often chosen as the first reading of the Liturgy for this day.

Images:
1. Fresco painting, Sermon on the Mount by Blessed Fra Angelico.
2. My photo, taken in the little village of Anaktuvuk Pass, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska, in 2003. It is so small that this photo almost captures the entire town. (At the time the town was 5 blocks by 6 blocks.) The population was 315 in the 2019 census, up from the 282 when we were there. I chose this photo because there are great stories attached to our visit there; also because we heard wonderful stories from the Nunamiut Inupiat people who we met during our brief visit. For more go to https://www.travelalaska.com/Destinations/Communities/Anaktuvuk-Pass.aspx
3. Painting, The Woman at the Well by Duccio di Buoninsegna.
4. Painting, The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh.
5. Painting, Lazarus' Tomb by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Our stories, when shared, often allow people to come out of darkness, and sometimes bring renewed life. If you would like to obtain a copy of this painting in any of a variety of mediums, you can find it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lazarus-tomb-william-hart-mcnichols.html

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. ​