Advent Wreaths

 Hubby and I try to create memorable moments for our grandchildren.  Christmas is the perfect season to do so.

For months up until a few weeks ago, we were deluged with political advertisements.  Now that that’s gone, we get pleas for money.  Our mailboxes are full, with Christmas cards, but rather organizations begging for money.  Oh, and did you know there’s  war going on?  And I’m not necessarily talking about the Ukrainian/Russian War, but about 40 conflicts ongoing in the world, today.  We are bombarded on all sides with politics, begging, and conflicts.  I need a reprieve.

I don’t want to think about the world and its problems.  I want to think of family—my personal world. I want to enjoy my life by enjoying my family and memories.

On this particular day, I put away my phone.  The grandkids and I were going to make Advent wreaths.  Advent wreaths mark the four weeks before Christmas. That’s a month—too early to put up the Christmas tree.  I used to make a wreath with my own children and now I’m continuing the tradition with my two granddaughters.  I plan to make two: one for their house and one for mine.

Off we went to the dollar store, or as my youngest granddaughter reminds me, it’s the $ 1.25 store, now.  A word to the wise, always begin your crafting projects at the dollar store. Most probably you’ll find what you need much cheaper.  We found the foam rings, they were smaller than what I wanted but they would do.  So far $ 2.50.

We needed four candles to mark the 4 weeks before Christmas--$ 1.25 each. I was making two wreaths, so I needed 8 candles.  My total so far was $ 12.50.  All that’s left is to go for a walk in the woods to find evergreen, pine cones, and berries.  Do you know those two little heretics wanted to know why we didn’t just buy the plastic greenery for the wreaths?  Oh, what Philistines I have bred!  Look what our public educational system has wrought!  Lord have mercy, they know not what they do.

Alas, after considerable yet gentle coercion, we managed to gather enough greenery in our basket and head home, to hot cocoa. Now the first step in making an Advent wreath is to soak the ring in water.  We don’t want our green pine to dry out.  You treat the wreath like a live plant.  Much to my surprise, when I dropped our rings in the water, they floated to the top. 

What?!?

They should have soaked up the water.  Oh!  These rings are Styrofoam. That’s not what I wanted.  I need the type of foam florists use. The next day I went to the expensive craft store.  They had the kind of foam I wanted but none of it was shaped like a ring.  BTW, I learned that what I wanted was called a wet florist foam ring.  I went to another craft store; they didn’t have it either.  I also went to two, two mind you, florist shops.  No luck, even they didn’t have it.  I ended up having to use straw wreaths.

Do you believe that these 5 stores didn’t have Advent wreaths?  It’s bad enough that school concerts at this time of year can’t sing Christmas carols, and even call their concerts “Christmas” but rather “Winter Concerts.”  That we can’t wish each other Merry Christmas, without being accused of being a backward, fundamentalist, now people don’t even know what an Advent wreath is.  No wonder my grandchildren balk at traditions. 

Oh, I guess I’m getting old and grouchy.  Back in the good ole days, holidays had names, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, etc.  Back then, celebrations brought families together to make Advent wreaths, decorate Christmas trees, sing Christmas carols, and hunt for Easter eggs.  Traditions change and that may not be for the better.  What replaced the Advent wreath?  The Elf on the Shelf, the mensch on the bench? 

Shall we start a new tradition?  Let’s all sit around the fireplace and play with our cell phones.

How’s that?

There just isn’t any replacement for the Advent wreath.

No Christmas in Schools

If I could remember the details I'd write a letter of complaint to the school committee.  I went to my grandchildren's winter concert and was surprised and dismayed to hear no Christmas carols.  I think they were trying to be politically correct.  But! c'mon!  Being politically correct doesn't mean ignoring Western Civilization.

 Instead of doing nothing, I would have done everything, i.e., Hava Nagilla and appropriate Hannacha songs, and Eid al-Fitr, for Muslims and Diwali, for Hindus.  I would have asked for parental input for other ethnic and/or religious songs. 

What a social studies opportunity! 

So, it's up to us babushkas to teach our grandchildren our history, language, customs, traditions and religions because our public schools won't teach them what we value. 

It's sad.

Traditions are Important

Quite a while ago, a friend made a remark that I have carried with me and wrestled with to find an acceptable response.  She grew up Catholic but left the Church and is now Universalist. She did not bring up her children in any religion because she felt they should choose their own.  The remark she threw out that left me befuddled was "Traditions are bad.  They keep you stuck in the past."

I was silent. Ever since, I have been searching for a good explanation to explain that traditions are important.  This morning I read something in The Bible Companion, that is a help towards my understanding of tradition.  Father Ronald D. Witherup, p.s.s., in quoting Elie Wiesel's The Gates of the Forest says:

When the great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted.  Later, when his disciple, the celebrated Magid of Mezeritch, had occasion, for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say, "Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to recite the prayer."  And again the miracle would be accomplished.  Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sassov, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say, "I do not know how to light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient." It was sufficient, and the miracle was accomplished.  Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhin to overcome misfortune.  Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hand, he spoke to God: "I cannot even find the place in the forest.  All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient." And. it was sufficient.  God created man because he loves stories!

Traditions are carried down through the ages by oral stories, written stories, and edited stories.  But they tell the story recounted generation after generation of what is important, whether in relation to God, as the tale above, or in a family, as in my family's turkey stuffing recipe, or in a community, as the rituals Bostonians go through for their baseball team, the Red Sox.  Traditions are historical records to pass on to succeeding generations.

As Elie Wiesel's story illustrates, traditions are adapted, but the point is the point.  So my friend is correct in saying that traditions hold you back.  They can if they are not adapted. Traditions are important but times change: sometimes the Red Sox win and the traditional removal of the Bambino's curse is not needed.  And my family complaints that the turkey stuffing has too many calories and not edible for the vegans in the family make me look for adaptions to the recipe.  And biblical and church teachings grow in understanding and may have to be interpreted for different times.  But the values that our traditions teach us remain.

Bell at consecration?

Bell at consecration?: Q. I was in a liturgy committee meeting at my parish, and I suggested that we have the altar server ring the bell at the consecration during the Mass on Easter Sunday. (We don't normally use altar bells.)

Pixabay/Public Domain

What do you think?



From reading the article, there never was a rule to ring or not, so it's a pastoral decision.

Passiontide

The word is vaguely familiar.  Although, I admit I can't tell you what it means.  Google-queen that I am, I did google it.

Passiontide (in the Christian liturgical year) is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, long celebrated as Passion Sunday, and ending on Holy Saturday.  Wikipedia

IOW, during the last two weeks of Lent we are to focus on the penitential aspect of  Lent. It's an old custom to cover the statues and crosses in the church. They are covered with purple cloth, since that's the color of Lent.  However, it's an old custom.  No churches around here do this.  And the Stations of the Cross are not covered because we use them during Lent.  Besides, they are a virtual reminder of the passion and death of Jesus--de facto!

Pity.  I love old traditions and it definitely is a literal tangible of what these last Lenten weeks are leading to--crucifixion of Jesus.

And the unveiling is a spectacular reminder of Jesus' death and resurrection.  On Good Friday, just the crosses are unveiled.  Jesus' crucifixion is revealed visibly for us. Then at the Easter Vigil all the other statues are unveiled.  How's that for a reenactment of the paschal mystery.

How much do you want to bet that this tradition comes back in vogue? 

Lucky Toes

John Harvard

Coming from Mass this morning, the lady leaving in front of me, stopped.  She touched the feet of the statue of St. Anthony and I could tell she was praying.

Because I'm me, I immediately thought of the Boston tradition of touching the toe of John Harvard.  Tourists often have their picture taken with the statue.  It's a tradition that if you rub the toe of the statue, you'll have good luck.

St. Anthony of Padua 

We Catholics call "luck", "blessings."  So I imagine devotees of St. Anthony touch his feet to ask for a blessing.

The difference between the two is that the people who rub John Harvard's foot are carrying on a time honored tradition that doesn't really mean anything.  People who touch the toe of a saint are praying.  They are combining a mental prayer with a tactile touch.  The hitting upon two senses help to deepen the prayer.  It's a spiritual aid.  Looking at a picture will deepen your thoughts.  Holding rosary beads not only helps to count, but also to focus.  Hence, the object (the statue) of the toe touch not only makes the difference, but the intention of the touch.

Bostonians also know another difference.  It is also a time honored tradition, for students to urinate on John Harvard's toe, at night.  Tourists touch and rub the toe during the day, and students pee on it, during the night.

These were my thoughts, leaving Mass, on a Sunday morning.

St. Anthony pray for me.