Posted on 11/30/2005 6:37:08 PM PST by NYer
And More on Funeral Masses, and Confessions
ROME, NOV. 29, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University.
Q: What would you consider an appropriate time during Advent to put up Christmas trees, ornaments, lights and other decorations in churches and Christian homes? -- B.O., Lewistown, Pennsylvania
A: This question is simple only in appearance because customs surrounding the celebration of Christmas vary widely among different cultures.
From a strictly liturgical standpoint the preparations for receiving the Christ Child intensify from Dec. 17 onward and this is probably a good time to set up the parish crib, except for the image of the child, which is often added just before Midnight Mass in more or less solemn fashion.
Other parishes prefer to set up the crib on Christmas Eve. There are no official rites regarding this widespread custom.
In those places that use the Advent wreath, it is placed on the first Sunday of Advent. The Book of Blessings issued by the U.S. bishops' conference contains a simple rite for blessing the Advent wreath which may profitably be used.
Dec. 17 or the nearest Sunday might also be a good date to set up Christmas trees and other decorations in Christian homes, but it really depends on local custom and tradition. It is unnecessary, however, to fall under the spell of commercial enterprises which tend to anticipate the Christmas season, sometimes even before Advent begins.
Because some Christmas decorations have often lost their original religious meaning, churches should be rather circumspect about employing them and should do so with great discretion. If used at all, these decorations are best set up on Christmas Eve so as to respect the integrity of the Advent season.
Christmas trees are preferably located outside the sanctuary and church proper, and are best left in vestibules or church grounds. This has been the practice in St. Peter's Square from the time of Pope John Paul II.
As far as possible, decorations should be religiously themed, leaving plastic reindeer, sugar canes and Santa Clauses in the local shopping mall or at least within the confines of the parish hall for children's events.
Within the church proper, apart from the crib, Christmas may be evoked by using, for example, traditional poinsettias, holly and other traditional elements according to the culture.
As I mentioned, different cultures celebrate Christmas in various ways.
In some countries, such as Venezuela, many people live the novena before Christmas by attending a special "Cockcrow" Mass celebrated at 5 a.m. each day.
In Mexico, during this same period, family and neighbors often take turns in hosting a "posada," a procession in which the group goes from house to house singing a traditional song in which St. Joseph and Mary request, and are refused, hospitality until finally they are festively welcomed at the last home, which has prepared snacks and traditional games for all.
* * *
Follow-up: Funeral Masses
A New Zealand reader asked for clarifications regarding our mention of Canon 1184 that "those who requested cremation for motives contrary to the Christian faith" were not to be given a Church funeral (see Nov. 15).
She asks: "Can you please tell me what motives for cremation might be considered contrary to Christian faith?"
The proviso in this canon is presumably rarely actually invoked. A person would only incur such a prohibition if, before death, he or she requested cremation explicitly and publicly motivated by a denial of some aspect of Christian faith regarding life after death.
Among possible such motivations would be a lack of faith in the survival of the immortal soul and thus requesting cremation to emphasize the definitiveness of death. Another could be the denial of belief in the resurrection of the dead.
More recently, some nominal Catholics who have dabbled in New Age pantheism or believe in doctrines such as reincarnation or migration of souls might request cremation in order to follow these esoteric doctrines or the customs of some Eastern religions.
In all such cases the motivation for seeking cremation is contrary to Catholic doctrine and, if this fact is publicly known, performing a Church funeral could cause scandal or imply that holding to Church doctrine is really not that important.
Since one or two questions arose from our follow-up on confession and Christian initiation (see Nov. 1 and 15) I wish to address the topic one more time.
One reader posed a theological teaser to our statement that "If conditional baptism is foreseen, the confession should be postponed until a suitable time after the celebration, since certainty is required in questions regarding the validity of the sacraments."
He asked: "However, if the conditional baptism is administered at the Easter Vigil [as is often the case], it will immediately be followed by confirmation and first Communion. It would seem that the candidate should receive a conditional absolution before receiving these sacraments."
Our reader has a valid point, but I do not think that such a practice is appropriate. Although hearing confessions is allowed during Mass, there is a general law that the sacrament of penance is never combined with the celebration of Mass in such a way that it forms part of the rite itself.
Cases of conditional baptism are relatively rare, and the doubt regarding the previous "baptism" is usually well founded. There is almost nothing regarding this precise theme in theological manuals. Yet I think that the conditional baptism, either because it is the first true baptism, or in virtue of the Church's intention if the person was already validly baptized, will have the effect of placing the person in the state of grace and able to fruitfully receive the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist.
We could consider it as somewhat analogous to a person who returns to the state of grace though an act of perfect contrition. In normal circumstances this is still insufficient to accede to the sacraments until after receiving sacramental absolution. In certain extraordinary circumstances, however, a person may receive some sacraments before confession if there is no possible alternative and confess later at the earliest opportunity.
A Houston reader requested clarification regarding confessing a member of the Eastern Churches: "With respect to confessions of the Eastern Orthodox, can the priest absolve them for the sin of schism if the priest is not receiving the penitent into the Catholic Church? Does it matter whether the individual was baptized by an Orthodox priest or is a Catholic who has left the Catholic Church for an Orthodox Church? There are many Catholics who leave the Catholic Church for Orthodox Churches, and I am curious to know whether they can receive absolution from a Catholic priest while remaining Orthodox."
We need to consider several points. Sin always involves a personal choice made with full deliberation and knowledge. For this reason it is not reasonable to say that a person who was born and raised in an Eastern Church is personally guilty of the sin of schism.
This is one probable reason why the Church makes no mention of this aspect when granting permission for a Catholic priest to administer the sacraments to them.
The case of a Catholic who has left the Church is in a different position and, except in cases of danger of death, would normally have to be reconciled with the Church before receiving absolution.
For the sake of precision, we would be dealing with a Catholic who has abandoned the Catholic Church, thus breaking communion with the Pope and bishops, and not that of a Latin-rite Catholic who switches rites to one of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Mine are already up. It is a southern tradition that we put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
We're trying something new this year. We have the tree up with only purple lights and no ornaments for Advent. Beginning December 17, right after we start up the "O Antiphons," we will add a few purple and rose ornaments each day. On December 23, we will add the rest of the lights and ornaments, and complete the tree. If all goes well, we will leave the tree up till Candlemas, Febraury 2.
This is mostly a concession to me by my wife. One of the things I have always insisted on was getting the tree up ASAP at the beginning of December, and leaving it up till Ephphany. The last couple of years, though, we've been trying to do a lot more for Advent, in the spirit of Advent. The full-blown tree wasn't cutting it. I *really* needed "my" tree, though, even more than my 11-year-old daughter. So we hit on the idea of an "Advent tree." Works for me! Keeps the spirit of the season, AND I get to keep it up longer, all the way to Candlemas!
I think this will be the start of a new tradition around here... ;-D
I would be interested in knowing what other Catholic Freepers do with regard to this issue.
I usually decorate the weekend before the First Sunday of Advent and I do not take anything down until after Epiphany. I just love the way the house looks all decorated for Christmas, especially because I collect Nativity scenes. Other than my tree and our stockings, pretty much all my secular decorations throughout the house have been replaced by Nativities and lighted greenery.
We also celebrate St. Nicholas' day on December 6. The kids leave out their shoes and some candy and a couple of small gifts appear in the shoes.
That is a wonderful idea. I might do that next year. I'm also trying to incorporate the "Jesus only got three gifts, so should we" idea, but it hasn't caught on around here yet.
Last year, my tree, put up late, stayed up almost until Candelmas, despite protests of others. But it was a mere coincidence, I like you idea better. Here where I am, most people put up the tree shortly after Thanksgiving, usually the weekend after. And take it down before New Year's so they don't have to be bothered on New Years day. This is a new phenomenon as most did keep the tree and decorations up at least until New Years. I found this odd, as it's a town with a large Catholic population so I thought they would keep the season through the Epiphany. I have always kept mine up through the Epiphany to stress the idea of Christmas season, but I like the Candelmas idea even better!
In my house, Advent wreaths come out on the First Sunday of Advent for the front door and the Dining Room table, with candles.
The tree goes up December 17 and stays until January 13.
The wreath went up day after Thanksgiving
The cat prevents us from having a tree.
I always leave my tree up through the Eiphany, the visit of the Three Kings to the Child King, Jesus Christ.
I like your idea about the purple lights and sparse ornaments of the O Antiphons.
Oops.
Eiphany
Epiphany
Gaudate Sunday is the general rule in my family. Well, the weekend anyway. We'll have to get the tree this weekend, though. It'll sit in water in the backyard for a week, but it's the only weekend without commitments. It comes down around Epiphany depending on how hard certain people in the house push for it.
The Christmas tradition handed down in our family is, well, "traditional". We pick a free weekend mid December and ALWAYS purchase a real tree. It is decorated with colored lights and ornaments; some dating back to my childhood. For many years, I collected old world and unusual Santas. (Sorry, Mike, I like the "jolly old man"). These are strategically placed throughout the house.
My Christmas treasure, however, is a Precious Moments Nativity, acquired the year my daughter was born. Several years ago, I was truly fortunate to find a Nativity hand made by women in Peru. The baby Jesus is wearing one of those hand knit caps on His head.
We have an Advent wreath, but haven't used it in past years with a toddler in the house, cause it's too chaotic. I know it's a little late, but I might try it this year.
The tree will probably go up this weekend.
SD
Magisterium,
I like your new custom of an "Advent" tree. It kinda parallels our custom of gradually adding to the Nativity Scene during Advent through to Epiphany. Do you have a real or fake tree? I ask because keeping a real tree up to Feb. 2nd. seems like a bold initiative.
Good suggestion about decorating the tree in conjuction with the Novena of the "O Antiphons." I'll suggest that to Der Prinz. We try to put up our tree as late as possible, partly because (expletives deleted) it's not Christmas yet, and partly because it gives the toddlers (and until this year, the cat) less time for destruction. However, by the last week before Christmas, it can be hard to find a tree at all, so some flexibility is in order. We leave it up until Epiphany, unless it's dangerously dry or I'm ready to stomp the people who won't leave the ornaments alone.
We clear away all our usual decor and clutter after Thanksgiving, and put up the Advent wreath, the Advent calendar, and a few purple or blue candles. That's it until the last few days before Christmas. Well, we have poinsettias, too, because our daughter's Girl Scout troop sells them :-). We avoid Christmas music as long as possible, too.
Now that's a challenge! They began playing Christmas music here, the day after Halloween.
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