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Advent : A Mixed Bag

Sermon by Fr Andrew George
November 16, 2008

For us Orthodox Christians, yesterday marked the 1st day of Advent, our 40 day preparation season for the observance of the Birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is always on December 25 and when you count back 40 days you get November 15.

The Christmas Preparation Season is a "mixed bag." You have the anticipated joy of a great event in history and the accompanying celebrations. But you also have (especially here in the Northeast) more and more cold days and shorter and shorter day light hours.

We can't do anything about the shorter days nor the cold weather. But we can do a lot to soften its affect on people, this year more that usual due of course to the current economic climate, that many will need to choose between heat and food. That is were the traditional Christmas charity makes a big difference. Charity is connected of course to our fasting from various foods; fasting and almsgiving always go hand in hand. This charity can come in many forms. Yes, through money, but also through the giving of our time and our talent.

Advent is also associated (or should be associated) to being a time of gentleness and patience; a time for peace and serenity. Yet, Advent these past 50 years or so has become so corrupted, it is for many, many simply a "hustle and bustle", a wild frenzy, if not direct madness. It has become "shop to you drop" time and "party and dine to no end!"

For far too many people these "sacred days of preparation" have become totally secular, this being an outcome of our academic curriculum in so many school systems. They teach the religious side of Hanukah but only the secular side of Christmas, reindeers, snowmen and the like. No mention is made of Christ or baby Jesus. Yet that is what Christmas is of course, snowmen and reindeer have nothing to do with the real Christmas. Thus our schools are teaching the wrong thing. But because that's what they are teaching two generations have not been raised with this mind set.

All of this is basically the focus of secularism in general-secularism is the denial of the Sacred; as I mentioned in the past-it defies man and denies God. Examples are:
1) Thanksgiving Day becomes "turkey day" (for there is no reason to thank God, for there is no God)
2) Christmas Break is now called "winter break"
3) Easter School Vacation becomes "spring vacation"

Sunday as a day of rest from work and family day becomes a regular working day and a shopping day:
- More and more stores are open for business.
- Sports activities on Sundays are every where and even youth are taken to practices at 6am!!!
- Remember the big Celtics game a few years ago on Western Good Friday. No recognition of even this sacred day, previously highly revered, but now threatened in the mind set of far too many people.

The topic of abortion is a part of the secular/humanist world view...when they say that life does not begin at conception (this denies God as creator).

The fact that there are people who accept this as truth, is an indication how we often "blindly listen" to what the "court" has decreed (i.e. Supreme Court of our Nation).

This is actually another approach of secular humanists, that the "laws of the land" are determined by what a group of people (the members of the court) arbitrarily decide. They ignore the Divine Laws of the Creator, denying that God is the ultimate law giver as we have in our Judeo Christian tradition. Here in Rhode Island we are now facing a new attack (technically) against all religions, not simply Christianity. Just a few weeks ago the Providence Journal discontinued their "religion page" in Saturday's newspaper. Did you notice?

They still have the paid ads that various individual parishes run and they have retained the little one paragraph type of special events of a particular religious group. But the full page-featured articles on a religious topic has disappeared. In its place, we now see more on the misdeeds of various movie stars, singers, and athletes. All to desensitize us to sin. They have an agenda!! The more we read of "famous" people and their sins, the more relaxed people will become in viewing it as a sin

What does that say about the mind set of the ProJo owners? Religion is not important to our community or to people in our state. That, of course, is their view, I don't think it is your view.

Thus, today, I am asking you to call, write or email the newspaper and ask that the religion page be restored. (Not that having a religion page makes us so holy and makes us sin less often but it adds a "balanced dimension" to what is in print as opposed to ignoring its relevance!

If each of you were to do this you would be fulfilling our basic mandate to witness for Christ (in general) but it is also part of the advent spirit in particular, to live the faith renewed and more deeply. These days of Advent call us to assess our Christian lifestyle and our weaknesses and to make improvement to receive the soon to be born King with a purer heart. Thus approaching the Pro Jo can be an opportunity to speak up for the Christian faith at large by seeking that it be displayed in the public area of our state instead of sport page after sport page after movie gossip and more gossip. Do we really need to know who is marrying who in Hollywood?

As I said, this season of serenity is filled with madness much of it associated to party after party and overeating eating. You have heard I am sure of the phrase "Keep Christ in Christmas". I agree totally and have of course preached on this several times in the past in various ways. But let us also "Keep Christmas where it belongs"; on the designated date for it and not on various days ahead of time.

Have you heard of people celebrating July 4 on June 20? Then why do so many celebrate Christmas on December 18 or December 20 and whatnot? I know that at times many of you have "work commitments" to Christmas parties at your place of employment and you pretty much are obligated to attend. I can understand that, but we as Orthodox should certainly not hold such parties in the second period of our Christmas Preparation Season (after Dec 12). Please be sensitive to our own tradition and don't fall to western ways.

I also must say that those of you who are still hosting Christmas gatherings at your home during the time of Christmas Services here at church, that this really must stop. Come for the Vesper/Liturgy first, then have your family gathering with great jubilation. I am not against parties, I am against them being held ahead of the feast however or during the exact time of Christmas EveServices that creates a hindrance for people to attend services. Both can be accomplished. Our Vesper/Liturgy is at 6PM. Send your party announcements for 8PM start time, thereby people can come to Church and then drive directly to the site of the home gathering. It's really easy when you put Christ first (worship in church first) then celebrate socially afterwards.

All the pre-partying that goes on creates exhaustion for the actual observance on December 25. It totally ignores the 12 days of Christmas-meaning the 12 days beginning on December 25 (not what the shopping malls and restaurants have flipped it over to be, the 12 days before December 25). Have plenty of parties if you want, but they should start after December 25 not before it. After the 25th, people have days off from work even....that is the historical root of the working force and the labor unions in fact... a 12 day holiday (or at least a full week off) in this Christian land of America when factories, steel mills, coal mines would close down completely.

There is one more aspect I would like to touch on before I closed today.....

As beautiful as the traditional, sacred carols are of Christmas, I am not convinced that we need to hear them on the radio from November 1st as B101-oldies station started this year-24/7. For several years now Radio FM105 has started Christmas Carols on Thanksgiving Day, a little better but still overkill. Then they stop the Christmas music sharply at 6:00 pm on Christmas Day-Go Figure!! Why 6PM and not midnight at least? Again we see a total misunderstanding of the Twelve-Days of Christmas. Can't they at least play the music till News Years Day, the 8-Day Naming of Christ?

Two years ago, I wrote to 105 about this topic but they didn't even have the courtesy to write back and say I was crazy, or thank you, but no thank you. (Perhaps if you folks would write, it would have a better effect since I wrote as a priest using my title.) To me this early celebration of Christmas music does not elevate the Holy Day but rather creates ultimately a boredom with it. Raise your hand if you agree....thank you! We need in the future to come up with an ad campaign...keep Christmas on Christmas. In time, if we get enough media coverage we may reverse things, but it will cost a lot of money. That's what is happening now....you have become influenced by all the ads and announcements toward the contrary. Let's get a hold of ourselves and think more clearly on this topic and put Advent to better use for its proper purposes.

Thus my beloved- Let us not take Christmas for granted, nor fall for what the secularist and the merchants are trying to do to us.

Christ's mission and message is worth too much to be taken lightly. Use the next 38 days wisely, prepare calmly, be peaceful. Give charity, keep the fasting discipline. Come and worship the newborn King to be re-born in our hearts-either Wednesday evening December 24 or Thursday morning December 25 or both.

Come for services then celebrate exceedingly joyfully with family and friends for 12 days!

Sermon Archive

A Culture Obsessed With Food - Douglas Cramer
Advent - St. Joseph - Fr. Andrew
Advent - A Mixed Bad - Fr. Andrew
Building Bridges - Fr. Andrew
The Importance of Restitution - Fr. Andrew
Declare How Much - Fr. Andrew
Being Truely Thankful - Fr. Andrew
Wheat or Hay - Which are you offering the King? - Jim Petrou