Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City and Deacon Greg Kandra of Brooklyn have recently challenged us to not lose sight of the importance of the Advent season. Bishop Wester even went so far as to make it the subject of his first pastoral letter to the people of Salt Lake City. Titled “Waiting in Joyful Hope,” Bishop Wester suggests several ways to celebrate Advent more fully:
- “Schools should not decorate for Christmas, but can decorate with simple wreaths and greenery.”
- “I encourage each home to display and bless an Advent wreath…”
- “I urge you to hold-off on displaying a decorated Christmas tree until the season of Christmas begins.”
- “You may want to incorporate a Jesse tree in your family’s observance of the season.”
What do you think? Can we as Catholics be counter-cultural, the way some denominations are counter-cultural? Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate in Halloween. Seventh Day Adventists rest on Saturday rather than Sunday. Can we reclaim Advent from secular culture? Is it possible for Catholics to resist the pull of our society and wait until Christmas Eve to celebrate, and then to extend that celebration until the Epiphany?
How far would you be willing to go? Take the poll below and/or leave a comment.
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