The Winter 2019-20 edition of Archways, the quarterly magazine of the Archdiocese of New York, is now available online. To view or download it, go to https://www.archny.org/archways.
Why do we have Christmas trees in our church sanctuary? Christmas trees are a central part of Christmas celebrations around the world. Families gather around them to exchange gifts, cities put them up in squares and town halls, you'll find them in nearly every hotel and shopping mall. While several non-Christian cultures brought evergreen plants indoors at the time of the winter solstice, legend holds that St. Boniface was the first to co-opt the Christmas tree tradition for Christianity in the 8th century. He was attempting to convert the Druids who worshipped oak trees as the symbol of their idol. After cutting down their “Thunder Oak” and noticing a small evergreen that was growing next to it, he instead offered to them the balsam fir tree, using its triangular shape to describe the Trinity and the fact that his evergreen boughs pointed to heaven, as a symbol of God. The first use of Christmas trees as they're known today dates back to either Germany or Latvia in the 1500s. Christmas trees, like most Christmas traditions other than Church services, were adopted late in America. The Puritans frowned on all such “pagan” traditions. In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts made any observance of Christmas other than a church service a penal offense. It wasn’t until an influx of German and Irish immigrants came in the 19th century that the Puritan legacy was undermined. In 1846, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (who was German) were pictured in the London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. As a result, the popularity of Christmas trees soared, both in England and America. By 1920, the custom was almost universal. Today we can firmly claim the symbol as a Christian one. Many families bless their Christmas trees and the symbol of a tree has deep roots in our faith. “We are reminded that our first parents were not allowed to eat from one tree and that Christ paid the great price for our redemption by hanging on a tree.” In addition, the evergreen boughs and the lights that decorate them do remind us that Christ is the light of the world and that His light is everlasting. He has come to bring joy and light into our dark world.
The Gospel of John This December, The Sheen Center brings The Gospel of John to the Black Box Theater Stage. Be inspired by the light and hope of this unique theatrical experience that invites audiences of all walks of life to experience the Mystery of the Incarnation in an unexpected context. True to the text and reverently performed in an abbreviated format by acclaimed Broadway actor Ken Jennings, this play brings the Gospel to life through the deeply personal gaze of the Beloved Disciple. For 26 performances, beginning November 30 and concluding on December 29, Ken will proclaim the Gospel as many first-century audiences may have originally experienced it - as a virtuosic and heartfelt retelling of the greatest story ever told. This unique performance of the St. John’s Gospel is a breathtaking account of the life of Jesus, which is as beautiful in verse as it is profound in wisdom. We invite you and your parishes to please come and witness this personal encounter with the Living Word as expressed in this 90-minute theatrical piece. Tickets are available at sheencenter.org/shows/john/2019-11-30/ Use Promo Code: ARCH for a 20% discount on tickets
The Season of Advent Advent begins on the Sunday right after Thanksgiving. Applying the rule from the New General Roman Calendar: Advent begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the Sunday that falls on the closest to November 30, and it ends before First Vespers of Christmas. Advent starts the new Liturgical Year and can be seen as another opportunity to spiritually begin anew. Holy Mother Church knows how many times we need to start again! There are particular themes in the Liturgy throughout Advent: a spirit of waiting, of conversion and joyful hope. These liturgical themes inspire what we do with the family or Domestic Church during Advent. One major theme of Advent is coming. The word "advent" means the arrival or "coming" of a notable person, thing, or event. In Latin, the word "Advent" had an intriguing range of meanings. Adventus is a form of the verb advenio which is defined not only as arrive, come to, but also as develop, set in, and arise. Adventus itself also refers to an invasion, incursion, ripening, and appearance—all denotations that are rich with implications for the gospel accounts of Christ. The relationship between adventus and military comings is especially noteworthy. In ancient Rome, Adventus was a technical term for the ‘glorious entry’ of an emperor into his capital city. Often this happened after a military victory. In addition to celebrating conquest on the battlefield, the birthday of the royal leader was also commemorated in an Adventus. Now it makes sense why the liturgical color of Advent is royal purple. Another major theme of Advent is waiting. It is not idle waiting, but waiting in a spirit of preparation. There are three ways we are waiting for the coming of Christ: in history, in mystery, and in majesty. In History: We recall the Old Testament waiting for the Son of God to be born at Bethlehem. In Mystery: We await Christ’s coming at Mass in the Eucharist and prepare for our reception of Him at Communion. In Majesty: Our true preparation of Advent is preparing our hearts for Christ for our final judgment at Parousia, the end of time “when God will be all in all.” These are the three comings of Christ that we contemplate during Advent. So often the emphasis is placed on Christ at Bethlehem, but if we listen carefully to the Liturgy there are also many eschatological reminders, urging us to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Our waiting involves preparedness, just like the Wise Bridesmaids in the parable. We must keep our eyes on the coming of Christ and not end up without extra lamp oil.