Advent: A Period of Fasting not Feasting.

The name Advent(from the latin word Adventus, which signifies a coming) is applied, in the Latin Church, to that period of the year, during which the church requires the faithful to prepare for the celebration of the feast of Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. The mystery of that great day had every right to the honour of being prepared for by prayer and works of penance. The oldest document in which we find the length and exercises of Advent mentioned by St Gregory of Tours, in “History of the Franks,” where he says that St. Perpetuus, one of his predecessors, who held the see about the year 480, had decreed a fast three times a week; from the feast of St Martin until Christmas (consisting of 40 to 43 days). The first allusion to Advent being reduced to four weeks is to be found in the ninth century, in a letter of Pope St Nicholas I to the Bulgarians. Although its noted that in the 11th century, St Peter Damian speaks of advent fast as still 40 days ; and  St Louis also kept the 40 day advent fast.

This is much certain, that by degrees, the custom of fasting so far fell into disuse, that when, in 1362, Pope Urban V endeavoured to prevent the total decay of the advent penance, all he insisted upon was that all the clerics of his court should keep abstinence during advent, without in any way including others, either by clergy or laity, in this law. St. Charles Borromeo also strove to bring back his people of milan to the spirit, if not to the letter, of the ancient times.  Pope Benedict XIV, when Archbishop of Bologna, fought against the erroneous opinion that Advent concerned the religious only and not the laity. He expressed that such an opinion, unless it be limited to the practices of fasting and abstinence, is strictly speaking, Rash and Scandalous.

The Greek church still continues to observe the fast of advent, though with much less rigour than that of Lent. It consists of forty days, begining with November 14, the day on which this church keeps the feast of St Philip the apostle. During the entire period, the people abstain from flesh-meat, butter, milk, and eggs; Fasting, in its strict sense, is binding only on 7 out of the 40 days and the whole period goes under the name St. Philip’s Lent.                                                                                                                                                                        

The Mystery of Advent of Jesus is at once simple and threefold….He comes at three different times in three different ways. “In the first coming,” says St. Bernard, “He comes in flesh and in weakness; in the second, He comes in spirit and power, in the third, He comes in glory and majesty.” Like the wise virgins in the gospel, lets prepare and be ready to welcome Him.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us.