11/09/06: Just Around the Corner....

Ahhhh, it's just around the corner ...

I'm not just thinking about the holidays, but the beginning of the liturgical year.

It's been a looooong season of what is known in the church calendar as Ordinary Time, which starts after Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost) and lasts until Advent starts the liturgical cycle over again. It's like the New Year for the Church -- and I just love, love, love it!

According to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, this Sunday will be the 22nd Sunday after Trinity. We'll have the 23rd Sunday after Trinity, then the Sunday before Advent, also known as the Feast of Christ the King.

Then Advent!

Advent is my second favorite Holy Time, after Holy Week. I almost prefer Advent to Christmas itself, even though our family does celebrate Christmas for twelve days until Epiphany. Christmas has so much "stuff" attached that I find I can focus more on Christ's birth as we anticipate it during Advent.

So in a few weeks, we'll be pulling out the Advent wreath, the gorgeous handsewn Advent wall calendar that Keith's sister Karla made us several years ago, and our Advent devotional. I also choose an Advent devotional for my own use to keep my mind and heart focused on Christ. I have a couple to pick from -- will have to think about that!

I'm praying that we'll continue Rollo's traditonal of celebrating Advent at Lake Murray as well. And I hope that we'll have a small Advent wreath at Friday chapel with Father Acker.

Aaaahh, Advent! The beginning of the Liturgical Year! And it's just around the corner!