November Liturgical Living

November and its Saints.

November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in purgatory. This month, keep your family members and friends who have died in your prayers. Also, all those in purgatory who have no one to pray for them. 

Saint Feast days this month: 

November 1 - All Saints Day

November 2 - All Souls Day

November 3 - St. Martin de Porres

November 4 - St. Charles Borromeo

November 10 - St. Leo the Great

November 11 - St. Martin of Tours

November 12 - St. Josaphat

November 13 - St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

November 15 - St. Albert the Great

November 16 - St. Margaret of Scotland

November 17 - St. Elizabeth of Hungary

November 21 - Presentation of Mary

November 22 - St. Cecilia

November 23 - Crist the King 

November 24 - St. Andrew Dung-Lac & Companions

November 25 - St. Catherine of Alexandria

November 30 - Advent begins (St. Andrew)

Advent is almost upon us!

What is Advent? Did I mean to say Christmas? No, I meant to say Advent.  Yes, Christmas is coming, but that starts on December 25. Advent is the time for preparing for Christmas. You know the Advent Wreath and Calendar and the four candles. Yeah, that’s Advent. But what do those things mean, and why do we have them? 

Advent Ideas: Advent wreath, Candles, Country house Advent Calendar…..xM

Photos: Candles and Advent wreath, Monica Armstrong Photography

Some say Advent is a time to bake and cook and have all those parties with friends. Others say it’s a mini Lent and a time of prayer and fasting. So who is right? Why do we have these two very different ideas on what Advent is? Well, part of the confusion about what Advent is is because of its history. 

Have you ever played the game of telephone? Where one person starts by whispering a sentence into the ear of the person next to them. Then it goes around the circle, with the last person saying the sentence out loud. It’s never the same as the original sentence. Well, that’s kind of what happened to Advent. 

Around 490 AD, the Gallic Advent started when the Bishop of Tours instructed that a fast should be observed 3 days a week between November 11, the feast day of Saint Martin, to Christmas. They would use the Mass readings from Lent during this time. This spread over the years throughout France, Spain, and later Germany, but the fast would start at different times. (September 24, November 1 or 11 or 14, December 1) 

Rome and the Roman Advent began. Map of Gaul in the 6th century.

In the sixth century, this custom came to Rome and the Roman Advent started.  However, with 100 years of time passing by word of month, with the different start times, Advent didn’t look the same in Rome as it did originally in Tours. Rome didn’t have an established fast. Advent in Rome was a festival and a joyful time of preparation, without the penitential aspect that lasted four weeks and had its own liturgical readings for Mass. 

In the eighth century, these two Advents were combined, but clashed with each other. After a few more centuries, a final structure of Advent celebrations emerged, the Roman Advent took on a little of the penitential observance, and the Gallic Advent added some festivities. The four weeks, starting on the Sunday closest to Saint Andrew’s feast day, November 30, and readings for Mass were adopted from the Roman Advent. 

So why go through all this history? Well, because I think it really helps us today to understand why almost no one knows what Advent is. 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gives this definition of Advent: 

“Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ's second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord's birth on Christmas. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36). Like Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple since both are seasons that prepare us for great feast days. Advent also includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.” 

Here you can see that they clearly call Advent its own season and that Christmas is a separate season. 

So what can we do with all this information? I encourage you, this year, to keep the season of Advent during the 4 weeks of Advent and celebrate Christmas starting on December 25th. Don’t skip the preparation needed for the feast of Christmas. Changing everything you do might be difficult, but you can start with small changes. 

Did you know that there is Advent music? There are lots of songs! Maybe instead of going right to the Christmas songs, you listen to only Advent songs. 

Try waiting to decorate your house. Traditionally, houses would get decorated for Christmas on December 24th. 

Don’t do Elf on the Shelf, try Mary on the Mantle. Try a Jesse Tree. Do an Advent Calendar that doesn’t have gifts inside. Don’t have Santa this year, maybe celebrate Saint Nick on December 6th. 

Advent and meaningful traditions.

photo: “Mary on the Mantel” Monica Armstrong Photography

Do you have a tradition of baking? Maybe wait to make those memories during the season of Christmas. 

Try to add some prayer to your day during Advent. There are a lot of great books out there that can help you through Advent. Blessed is She, TAN, Ave Maria Press, Bishop Barron, Magnifícat, In Conversation with God. Or if you want to watch some short videos with reflection, try Dynamic Catholic  

People read Bible stories, pray, and light candles weekly, growing closer to God with hope, love, joy, and peace.

Photo: Monica Armstrong Photography - Bellingham

Don’t want to read, how about listening? Hallow has amazing stuff to listen to and pray with. They do something for Advent each year. You get 3 months free, and after those 3 months, it’s totally worth paying the money! 

Lastly, if you pick one thing to do, slow down this year. We are always busy doing all the Christmas things during Advent. Maybe you don’t need to go to that one work party, but stay home and relax with your family. Don’t get all stressed out buying presents. All the cookies don’t need to be made before December 25. Take time to prepare for Baby Jesus. 

Yours truly, Monica and husband Zak Armstrong at the pumpkin patch. xoxM

In Christ under Mary, 

Monica 

and the Women’s Connect team