The last week of Advent is marked by the O Antiphons, the liturgical crossover between Advent and Christmas. The emphasis moves from the expectation of the coming of Christ at the end of time to the expectation of the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. These antiphons have been used differently in different traditions through the ages but are commonly used during Evening Prayer with the Magnificat – the Song of Mary.
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I love Advent and and always one of the first to start whining about how Advent gets lost in the preparation for Christmas. There is something about Advent that reminds us that as Christians we live in-between worlds, the was, the is to come and the now. The secular season of christmas that runs parallel to Advent, and is done pretty much before the Liturgical season of Christmas has begun, is a stark reminder of the bi-cultural world most Christians find themselves inhabiting. One that Advent actually helps us to reflect upon and live out authentically.
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