THE SOUND OF THE FORGOTTEN SEASON
“A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord!”
~Luke 3:5
Last month, I wrote an article for this bulletin entitled “Bending Your Ear: A SOUND Theology,” and here I will continue to talk about the relationship between our sense of hearing and our faith life. But first, let me tell a scary story.
It was a late October morning and I was in the middle of a set of push-ups in an early morning workout when, lo, I heard, a Spotify commercial with “Deck the Halls” playing in the background! Leaving aside any consideration of the Catholic liturgical calendar, I thought: this seems premature even for the Wall Street/American Consumerist calendar. After all, Halloween and Black Friday (which has practically eclipsed Thanksgiving) had not even passed.
Perhaps one of the most countercultural things that Catholics (and other liturgically-minded Christians) do is to observe the season of Advent at a time of year when television, radio, and social media are in full-blown “Christmas Mode.” However, it is a season of integral importance for us, as reflects our current position in the timeline of Salvation History.
There is so much to savor in this season, and it is crucial that we attune our five senses accordingly. Our churches are decked in purple and adorned with Advent wreaths, yet the créche and trees are nowhere to be seen. Similarly, the assigned scriptures for these Sundays speak not of an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, but of a people desperately longing for the coming of their Savior.
During this season of anticipation, we both commemorate the great longing of the Ancient Hebrews as they awaited the birth of the Messiah, and we also reflect on the present moment in Salvation History during which we await Christ’s Second Coming in Glory. We are living at a point which has been dubbed the “already, but not yet” phase of Salvation History. We are sustained by the Christ’s presence in the Sacraments, but our earthly struggles and pains serve as a poignant reminder that we are still sojourning toward our final destination.
Our current place in Salvation History is one of great preparation. St. John the Baptist’s fiery preaching sought not to lull people into complacency at the assurance of our Savior’s birth, but to rouse us to prepare the way of the Lord. If by “way,” we understand a sort of path or route, the analogy is quite fitting. I, for one, know that there is, figuratively speaking, a lot of brush that needs to be cleared from the Lord’s path in my own life. Perhaps the most important Christmas preparations that any of us can make is to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. One of the greatest sounds of Advent comes in these words: “and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The power of these words exceeds any other actions of our own.
Finally, in a world that is “noisy” at this time of year, let us try to flood our sense of hearing instead with scriptures and music that draw us more deeply into the ethos of this season. To that end, I would highly encourage you to attend Advent Lessons and Carols on Saturday, December 14 at 7:00pm at Holy Cross Church. This festive celebration will be followed by a reception in Kolbe Hall hosted by the Holy Cross Polish Committee. May you have a Blessed Advent!
~Samuel Backman, Director of Sacred Music