for starters

I guess a good thing to start with is the idea of Advent versus Christmas music.

Many people have their Christmas trees up already and are listening to Chrismas music. As exciting as that is, by the time Dec. 25th rolls around, they will be pretty tired of Christmas music and lights.

We should take the beautiful example set by the Church of celebrating and preparing for Christmas through the Advent Season. This year, we begin Advent on Nov.29. We light the first purple candle in the Advent wreath and no longer sing the Gloria (Glory to God) at Sunday Mass. The purple vestments and candle call to mind a more somber time of preparation and waiting for the Birth of the Lord.

We can meditate on the hundreds of years spent waiting for the Messiah by the Jews. We hear in the readings prophecies announcing His coming, and we begin to prepare our hearts in joyful anticipation for Christmas!

In music, besides no longer singing the Gloria, we are to no longer have instrumental music before and after Mass and to cut back on accompaniment as well. At my parish and many others, we take this opportunity to sing the parts of the Mass in a simple chant setting. Father offers Mass "ad orientem" (towards the East--facing the altar) in order to call to mind how it is that we are all waiting for the coming of the Lord--in His birth at Christmas and in the Second Coming.

Let us prepare our hearts in silence and awe.