The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-12-02
BY FIR. HUBERT ouNPHY.
o.E.M., Cow.

Sy Fk. HO6Ekf 0QNFHH u
o.F.M., Cow.
From The new book Christ.
mas Every Christmas" Bruce
Publishing Coz
Hubert Dvnphy received his
Masters degree from Ford
ham University. Christmas
Every Christmas" is his third
book. The others are 1.-THE vir-
tues Revisited N95sl and I'm
Blood Burnt Footsteps"
1850. His articles have ap-
peared in several magazines
and he was recently appointed
Editor of "Friars Fields"
The liturgy of the Cath
Ollie Church is the working
out Of the virtue of relig-
ion on the social level. Lit
urgy is the official prayer
and worship that the Church
offers to God. 1t centers
around the Mass and the
sacraments. All things being
equal, praying and worship
ing through the liturgy is
much more efficacious than
private prayer because Christ
is present at every l%iturgical
function.
ALTHOUGH OUR LORD
said, "Where there are two
or three gathered together
in my name, there am | in the
midst of them," the liturgy is
more than simply getting to-
gether with six other people
to recite some prayers; it takes
its dignity and supreme eff
ficacy from the fact that, as
members of the Mystical Body
of Christ, We should do our
worshiping in conscious as
ISOLATION with that Body and
in union with its Head.
RECENTLY THERE HAS
been a drive to restore in
telligent participation of the
laity in the liturgy as the
principal and ordinary way Of
prayer for the faithful. This
movement is based on the
concept that Christianity is
essentially the religion Of the
worship of Jesus Christ and
that the Church provides the
sacraments for our use and
sanctification.
Everything in the liturgy
pivots around Christ, the In
carnate Word. In the course
of the years cycle, all the mys-
teries of Christ - the Incar-
nation, Redemption, Resur-
rection, Ascension - and all
the virtues of which He is the
most excellent Exemplar are
set out for our inspiration
and emulation. Now that we
are in Advent, the beginning
of the liturgical year, we have
a perfect opportunity to in
tensify and enliven the pro-
cess of our sanctification by
taking an active part in the
liturgy.
NOBODY KNOWS EXACTLY
how Advent started, but the
custom is very ancient. In his
HISTORY OF THE FRANKS,
st. Gregory of Tours wrote
that one of his predecessors,
st. Perpetuus. who held the
See around 480, decreed a fast
three times 4 eek from the
feast of st. Martin, November
II, until Christmas.
In SGT, the second Council
of Tours enjoined monks to
fast from the beginning of
December until Christmas.
This penance was soon ex-
tended TO the laity and was
nicknamed "St. Martins Lent"
FROM FRANCE THE prac-
tice of doing penance during
Advent spread to England as
is noted in Venerable Bede's
history. Today, the fast is not
binding on the laity although
it is on most religious Or
ders), and the duration or Adj
vent has been reduced from 40
days to four weeks.
Greek Catholics still OBJ
serve the fast of Advent al
though it is less rigorous
than the Lenten fast. 1t con-
sists of 40 days, beginning
with November IA, the day on
which the Eastern Church
keeps the feast of st. Philip
the Apostle.
FOR US, ADVENT BEGINS
on the Sunday nearest st.
Andrews Day, November 30.
Although the Church does not
insist on formal fasting, it
does everything it can to pro-
mote the spirit Of penance.
The TIE Deum, the traditional
hymn of rejoicing, is omitted
from all hut ract,ua nff;car