Salt Lake City Bishop John C.
Wester has urged Catholics to hold off celebrating the Christmas season
until it officially begins on the church calendar Dec. 24.
In his first pastoral letter as Salt Lake City's bishop, he urged the
state's Catholics to keep true to the spirit of Advent -- a season of
preparation which he said has been "neglected in many places" and often
"overshadowed by the holiday season."
The bishop, who was installed in 2007 as shepherd of the statewide
Catholic diocese, noted that in the rush and busyness of the Christmas
season, many miss out on its true meaning.
"By the time that the actual solemnity of Christmas arrives, many of us are burned out. We are already tired of all the 'Christmas hype.' Christmas has become anticlimactic," he wrote.
"By the time that the actual solemnity of Christmas arrives, many of us are burned out. We are already tired of all the 'Christmas hype.' Christmas has become anticlimactic," he wrote.
Issued Nov. 24, the letter is titled "Waiting in Joyful Hope." It was
published in the diocesan newspaper, Intermountain Catholic, which is
online at www.icatholic.org.
Some priests read the letter or referred to it in homilies during the
weekend of Nov. 27-28, the first Sunday of Advent, which this year
coincidentally fell between Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- customary
shopping starts of the Christmas season.
In the letter, Bishop Wester described the Christmas holiday season as
one where many "rush from one thing to the next," stirring momentum "to
get all the decorations up, celebrate the event and quickly dismantle
all the decorations" to move to the next event.
In contrast, he said, the church's liturgical season of Advent enables
people to "witness God's profound love and mercy to the world" and can
refocus Catholics and remind them that "Christ has changed the world."
He described the season as a time of preparation for Christ's coming
into the world and a time to reflect on Christ's second coming.
"It is thus a season of joyful and spiritual expectation," he said
noting that it is "not a penitential season" but a time to "gather and
quietly wait in hope for the coming of Christ."
Bishop Wester urged Catholics to tap into this liturgical season noting
that they should "celebrate Advent differently" and be less consumed
with decorating and shopping than with prayer. He said the spiritual
preparation should also be an "example of patience, silence, and joy to
our hurried and anxious society."
"I know it is an enormous challenge to remain faithful to the Advent
season when we are surrounded by a society which, while claiming to be
Christian, does not take the time to reflect and prepare as the church
calls us to do," he wrote.
The bishop offered some alternatives to typical decorations saying
schools and parishes could decorate with just wreaths and greenery and
families could highlight Advent wreaths and hold off on decorating
Christmas trees.
Postponed Christmas celebrations need not be short-lived though. He said
the season continues until Jan. 9, the feast of the Baptism of the
Lord, and should be marked during that time with parish gatherings and
events with family and friends.
"We should leave the decorations which are testimonies to our joy up for
the entire season. There is plenty of time for us to celebrate our joy
at Christ's birth and we should make the most of it," he added.
SIC: CNA/INT'L
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