Читать книгу Celebrating the Seasons - Robert Atwell - Страница 11

The season of Advent is above all a time of watching and waiting for the coming of the kingdom of God in power. It shares with Lent a certain spirit of restraint, preparation and penitence, but it is one shot through with confident joy as Christmas approaches. The readings reflect this dual aspect. In the early part of Advent they focus upon the coming of Christ as Judge at the Last Day. As the season progresses, the readings in company with the lectionary look towards the birth of the promised Messiah, and reflect upon the unique roles played by John the Baptist, the Lord’s forerunner, and of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in the plan of salvation.

This change in gear is most obvious around 17 December. By ancient custom the eight days before Christmas are observed as a time of special preparation and vigil. Proper readings for these days are provided. With the exception of the reading set for the Fourth Sunday of Advent which should always be preferred, these readings take precedence over those provided for the third week of Advent.

The cryptic phrase O Sapientia which appears in the calendar of The Book of Common Prayer underscores this liturgical shift. The phrase refers to the custom at Evensong during the final days of Advent, for the Magnificat (The Song of Mary) to have a special antiphon or refrain attached to it, the so-called ‘Great O’ Antiphons. These proclaim the ascriptions or ‘names’ given to God in the Old Testament. Each name develops into a prophecy of the forthcoming and eagerly anticipated Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God. The Biblical readings both at the Eucharist and at the Office, and those offered here, resonate with these ancient refrains which have therefore been printed here in full as a further stimulus to reflection.

Note In the old Sarum rite, the ‘Great O’ Antiphons were sung one day earlier beginning on 16 December, requiring an additional ascription for 23 December, this being O Virgin of Virgins. However, since this was clearly apposite to the Blessed Virgin Mary and not a title of God, this liturgical custom was not adopted much beyond Sarum and, with the revision of the Calendar, the Church of England has adopted the more widely-used formulae and dating.