Vol. 2, Issue 2: Midwinter Expectations
Aligning ourselves to Christmas through Advent
From the Editor
It’s so wonderful to connect with you this Advent!
Swimming in the online liturgical living waters, you’ve probably been well-steeped in the role of Advent as preparation…as a season of expectation, a prelude that readies us for the Christmas season. More than likely, you’ve already thought/read a lot about the way our culture has infused Advent with the celebrations typical of Christmas, thus doing away with the truly expectant nature of this formerly penitential season. We rush headlong into Christmas (often before Advent has even begun), and we lose the wise practice of a preparatory lead-up to Christmas.
And yet…this is the time and the place in which we indeed find ourselves. And our incarnational faith would lead us to hold that our placement in this historical context truly means something. The liturgical calendar has never been static: it’s a dynamic conversation between formal liturgical practice and the popular traditions that arise in different places and times.
Honesty time: in our home, Advent tends to split the difference between our family’s ever-deepening understanding of the history & theology infused in this season, and our local & familial Christmas celebrations that are so beloved this time of year. We’ve been visiting local Christmas market pop-ups, our tree and lights are up, Christmas music is on the record player, I’m snacking on See’s Candies…yet our nativity scene only houses sheep at the moment, we slowly light candles one by one, and we focus on Advent reading and journaling. Our Advent is a blended experience: it’s not a picture-perfect liturgical vision of Advent as a season purely of expectation, devoid of Christmas trappings.
Sometimes, liturgical calendar nut that I am, I feel a pang of shame for not doing Advent “right”…I find myself thinking that I’m failing my perceived expectations (!) of the season of expectancy (!)… So I scramble and put up boundaries, try to get strict about doing things just right…and turn my own Advent expectations into an idol.
Yikes.
My expectations of expectancy chase after an experience more than they chase after God. This season of Advent expectation is a tool designed to align us toward Jesus; as soon as I begin crafting unattainable visions of my “correct” Advent and hold them too tightly, I find myself focused on the expectation-experience itself, not the miracle toward which it points.
Disciplining myself to wait, to pause, to let time breathe…these are crucial habits for my family’s formation. Setting Advent apart to practice the art of waiting and penitence is unfathomably helpful & meaningful. But, all too easily, I can make an idol even of habit formation, however well-intentioned it is or however fruitful the habits could be.
In this midwinter issue of Signs + Seasons, we’re exploring the many ways in which our brothers & sisters in Christ across the world are wrestling with the question of what Advent expectation truly is, and how we can practice it within the context of our real lives - and how to keep it tethered, always, to its Christmas fulfillment, not our own idealistic visions.
We’ll also look at how expectation informs our Christmastide remembrance - re-living, even - of the miracle of the incarnate Alpha & Omega, the already and not-yet, borne into our very midst in the person of Jesus while also promising a fulfillment not yet experienced by us.
I hope that the many & varied reflections from these thoughtful authors serve as inspiring, comforting, meaningful accompaniments to your own journey toward Christmas.
Pax et bonum,
Kristin Haakenson
EXPECTATIONS IN ADVENT
Mundane Liturgies
by
Student-scholar & Medievalist
invites all of us to breathe and take a step back from all of the liturgical living expectations that tend to accumulate on our shoulders.Friends, this piece needed to be written: it’s a call to temper the unrealistic expectations we bear, exposing our tendency to place a sharp division between the (overtly) sacred and the (apparently) secular. It’s easy to forget the incarnational waters in which we swim.
For my own part, a beloved piece of my childhood’s sacred Advent involved a box of See’s Candies from my mom, every chocolate lovingly chosen by her. After she passed away, I realized how this annual box of candy had become a paraliturgical tradition: it had grown organically, one family’s response to this holy season.1 So, when I read Carolyn’s piece - and saw that she, too, enjoys Adventide See’s Candies as part of her liturgical experience - my heart lept.
“One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is my Grandma’s gift to every family: a box of See’s Candies. My Grandma is a deeply religious woman and was a daily communicant as long as her health allowed her to drive to Mass. She knew, without thinking hard about it, that a box of candy could go a long way toward solemnifying the occasion of Christ’s birth.
“I can’t look at the See’s kiosk at the airport without thinking of Christmas at my Grandma’s, the giant plaster nativity set, Midnight Mass, her love for the Faith and our family. And that is the fruit of intentional paraliturgy.”
Leisure: Antidote to the Busy Murder of Christmas
by &
This is one I’ll be printing out to put into my Advent binder for future re-reading. Jessica & Elise walk us through the paradoxical Mary/Martha aspects of our time in Advent, beautifully contrasting acedia (apathy, spiritual listlessness) with true, lifegiving leisure…all through the lens of classic literature.
(I’m reminded of my own tendency to be possessive with “my” quiet time - how easily I tend to see interruption as a barrier rather than a holy invitation! True leisure, though, is not possessive - it’s generous).
“Acedia has two opposing sides: lackluster dreary-weariness like the pout pout fish, and harried, frenzied, strict-fisted busyness like pre-ghost Scrooge.
“But Leisure, my friends, has a deeply unified dual nature, like our Lord Himself. It is a state of deeply abiding rest, and a shout of exuberant joy. It is the willingness to submit oneself (body and soul) to the liturgical forms of the rite of worship, and the spontaneous acceptance of a game of tag with one’s nieces and nephews.”
| S+S EDITOR |
Saint Thomas divine, / brewing, baking...
and
All we ses is please we’ve come a-Thomasing
by
The feast of St. Thomas (Thomasmas), in the old calendar, is placed within the context of Advent, and, in particular, is tied to the winter solstice. In these articles from last December, I share some of my reflections on the timing of this feast…the theological implications, the history, the legend…as well as a fun recipe for Medieval gingerbread. Let’s go a-Thomasing this solstice, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ!
“Now, I do believe that our personal internal & external ways of preparing for Christmas have profound ripples in our community as a whole…but it’s very easy to become so drawn to contemplation, so spellbound by curating our own Advent experience, that we lose sight of the struggles of our neighbors’ Christmas preparations.
“Whether they even celebrate Advent/Christmas or not, we can find ways to bring Thomasing to them in the form of tangible blessings that help to soften their needs this time of year.”
Sankta Lucia
by
When our family started exploring the liturgical calendar years ago, St. Lucy’s Day was one of our first celebrations - and it continues to be a beloved Advent tradition in our home, giving me the opportunity to familiarize myself with Lucy and her feast more and more each year. And yet:
has written a piece that has helped me to see this now-familiar tradition with renewed vision, refreshing the bits of miraculous story that had, strangely, become stale through familiarity.“I do not take legends lightly. They are, after all, stories, and like stories, they communicate complex, transcendental truths to human beings, who make sense of the world around them through symbols. Eyes are the organs by which we see light. Lucy means ‘light.’ There are no coincidences.”
Almost Winter, Almost Christmas
by
If you know me, you know I love esoteric facts and rabbit-holes…so you can imagine my delight when reading through Erin’s new article, covering everything from the origins of Christmas cards to the winter life of a beehive.
“While I have not been decorating the house nor putting up the Christmas tree as yet, I have been going down rabbit holes on the history of some of our most beloved Christmas traditions. If you enjoy esoteric facts to throw into conversation at your next family get-together, and have the strength to suffer the ensuing eyerolls, then you’re in the right place. I got your back, friends.”
Advent by Candlelight
by
Author
is so graciously sharing four liturgies for the lighting of Advent candles, inviting us to deepen our own family traditions as we light candles at home. She’s sharing these liturgies each Friday during Advent: the first three are published, and the final one will publish this week! Keep an eye on her Substack for all of them.“For me, the nightly lighting of the candles in the Advent wreath during the weeks of December has always been such a moment—a little pause after the hustle and hurry of the day, a space of stillness in which I can quiet my thoughts and intentionally wait for the Lord.”
Whatever You're Expecting, Expect a Surprise
by
Ya’ll, this piece - brilliantly connecting the Ascension with the Nativity - is a gem…one I’m going to hold onto and chew on for awhile. I often find that limits in my own imagination likewise put limits on Jesus…boxing him into my expectations. Pairing the disciples’ shock over the resurrection of Christ/
“So, whether you’re expecting resurrection and rapture or kingdom dominion, whether your views about the end of the world are dispensational or allegorical—whatever your theology, you should leave plenty of room for the very real, very distinct possibility that you are wrong about some things, that we all are, and that the Holy Spirit would say to all of the churches that our hope is firmly rooted in the mercy and grace of God through Christ Jesus, and not, in any way, dependent on our finite minds being able to wrap themselves around the secret future planned for us by an infinitely loving Creator.”
| S+S EDITOR |
Book gifts for kids for this Christmas season
by
It’s easy for the number of gifts to escalate when trying to adopt traditions for the feast of St. Nicholas - but
has some helpful suggestions for ways to simplify & de-stress the process by leaning on a list of great books. Dixie also has a beautiful review of a new book by (perfect for giftgiving this season!)“In our family, we’ve sidestepped this threat of treat-and-present overload by making St. Nick’s Day about books.”
Mother, Midwife, and Saint
by
I went into
’s article knowing absolutely nothing about St. Olga - and yet, somehow, Olga feels like an old friend by the end of this beautiful piece. The first North American woman to be canonized as an Orthodox saint, this Native Alaskan’s feast day in the Orthodox calendar is now fixed just at the cusp of Advent…and, given her connection with the Northern Lights, this timing is so poignant.“Icons of Saint Olga often show the northern lights in the background. This is not only because she lived in Alaska but also because, in a vision, she once told a woman that, ‘God gave us the moving curtain of lights to show us that God can create beauty from complete desolation.’”
Favorite Advent Reads
by , , and
Do you sense a bookish theme in our Advent selections? This fantastic podcast (with handy-dandy reference list of books) is a lovely discussion about the authors’ favorite Advent reads, ranging from devotionals to fiction. Some of my favorites are here, as well as new-to-me reads that I’m adding to my list!
“…keep revisiting the good books that enrich your life and nourish your soul.”
Advent: Waiting to Open Happiness
by
Though our family’s tree may be up, and we find ourselves personally in an Advent resembling something between the modern zeitgeist and historical tradition, I find small ways of embracing this penitential season of waiting - and Roseanne has a lovely reflection on her own Advent traditions and an invitation to lean more into the penance once inherent in this season.
“In this and many other areas of life, it seems to me, waiting and self control only makes the satisfaction deeper and more meaningful. And that alone, after all, might be a very good reason for keeping Advent.”
The O Antiphons and the Stammheim Missal
by
As we enter into this final week before Christmas,
brings us into the 11th century Stammheim Missal. She shares stunning illuminations that can serve as helpful tools in praying the O Antiphons, walking us through each Antiphon as well as unpacking the symbolism within the artwork.“It’s not surprising that the O Antiphons should share a thematic emphasis with illuminations designed for a missal, the book of readings and prayers for the mass. The O Antiphons are a summary of themes that appear repeatedly in the readings and prayers of the liturgical year. In these antiphons, we look back to see Christ in the Old Testament and forward to his return.”
CHRISTMAS
A Case for Midnight Mass
by
This thoughtful piece by Maria is an absolute treat: she provides us with the context of the Christmas Midnight Mass, tying in the many reminders we receive from Jesus to practice attentive waiting. Always a voice for doable, integrated liturgical living, Maria helps to normalize the idea of attending Midnight Mass with children - even providing some helpful tips that she’s garnered along the way.
“To me, there is no greater culmination for Advent and no greater beginning for the Christmas season than to find myself at the altar, awake and rejoicing that Our Lord has come.”
The Innkeeper's Daughter
by
In this beautifully lyrical piece,
weaves the classic Nativity story through the imagined lens of the innkeeper’s daughter - how would it have felt to receive Mary & Joseph that fateful night? Alli explores traditions of midwifery in both the ancient Jewish context and historical Christian writings about the birth of Christ.“This piece was crafted late one night when I couldn’t sleep and imagined a different angle of the nativity. There are many different beliefs around Christ’s birth and how that fateful night occurred. Some traditions question whether Mary felt pain with childbirth, others note that the wording in Luke could indicate that Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem for some time before the birth. Like so many aspects of scripture, the fact that details of the narrative are wrapped in mystery shouldn’t dissuade us from encountering the miraculous with openness and wonder.”
Jesus
by
Last Advent & Christmas, we were treated to one of Sakari’s beautiful poems reflecting on the mystery of the incarnation - and I’m thrilled to get to continue this tradition and share more of her beautiful poetry in this lovely offering on the Nativity.
[…]
The eternally infinite Creator of space
Has bound Himself to time and place.
[…]
‘Tis the season to live liturgically
by
In this beautiful piece by
(you can find an excerpt on her Substack and the full piece at the Catholic Herald), we’re reminded of the crux of liturgical living - and gently invited to consider ways that we might deepen our own family traditions, without giving way to overwhelm.“All that said, readers shouldn’t let the idea of liturgical living overwhelm them. The market forces behind the secularisation or Christmas heap undue stress on too many at this time of year. A Christmas lived liturgically isn’t about keeping up with the Catholic instagrammers; it’s a concerted effort to live the joy of the season more fully.”
Wherever you find yourself in these complex seasons, I hope that glimmers of Christ’s peace illuminate your path.
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Next Publication Date: Spring 2025
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Themes/Recommended Prompts: Lent, Eastertide, Late winter & early spring saints
Blessings to you, friends, as we all imperfectly weave our way toward the Nativity.
In Christ,
Kristin, Sara, & Dixie
One of my biggest points of focus is on the liturgical calendar’s blending of popular/folk piety & tradition with formal religious practice: see Now you all can find / the holy times that man must hold onto
Thanks for this reflection, and thanks for mentioning my article on Advent: Waiting to Open Happiness!
https://roseannetsullivan.substack.com/p/advent-waiting-to-open-happiness