Advent-Christmas Liturgy Planning Guide

...Because we don't often celebrate the sacrament, our understanding of the theology that underpins it has diminished. What a pity! ...
"...Advent has three distinct stages: the first focuses on the end of time when Christ will come again in glory; the second on John the Baptist heralding Jesus’ public ministry; the last (the Christmas novena) on Jesus’ birth and the role of Mary in salvation history..."
About the Season of Advent:
  • The word ‘advent’ means ‘waiting’. Advent is a time of preparing for Christmas, not celebrating Christmas (as the shops do).
  • The season has three aspects – thanksgiving, Christ with us now, hope in future.
  • The season encompasses three time dimensions – past, present, future.
  • The season features three key figures – the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary.
  • Advent has three distinct stages: the first focuses on the end of time when Christ will come again in glory; the second on John the Baptist heralding Jesus’ public ministry; the last (the Christmas novena) on Jesus’ birth and the role of Mary in salvation history.
  • Schedule additional periods of silent reflection within the liturgy to wait in expectation on the promise of the Lord.
  • Use the visual environment to assist in building a climax of joyous expectation.
  • The Advent wreath and Christmas crib are not ritual necessities. No prayer or ritual is required for lighting candles, nor should a wreath interfere with altar, ambo or presider’s chair.
  • When the Christmas crib is set up, the figure of the infant should be included. Leaving the crib empty till the first
  • Christmas Mass makes the whole scene pointless.
Planning:
  • When planning each part, keep the big picture in mind: it includes Advent, plus the feast of the Nativity itself, plus the rest of the Christmas Season.
  • The purpose of liturgy is not merely to commemorate historical events but to enable our participation in the
  • paschal mystery through sacramental signs. Do not ‘pretend’ during Advent that Christ has not yet been born!
  • The key to good liturgy is to respect the rites and let the ritual moments and central symbols speak for themselves.
  • Advent wreaths, giving trees and hampers for the poor are secondary.
  • Do not reinvent the seasons each year. Start with the liturgy as set out in the ritual books and consult comments, made at the previous years’ meeting to review the ceremonies.
  • Common cues/responses and seasonal psalms throughout Advent or Christmas will help unify the seseasons – for example, in Advent, Lord, come and save us. R Come, Lord Jesus.

Advance Preparation Checklists:
6 weeks before Advent
  • Finalise and distribute music selection for Advent to give musicians sufficient time to practice.
    ​
4 weeks before Advent
Liturgy committee finalises planning for Advent:
  • missal and lectionary texts,
  • environment and symbol,
  • gestures and movement,
  • times of silence,
  • worship aids.

2 weeks before Advent
  • ​Schedule times of Christmas ceremonies and communal reconciliation.
  • Finalise and distribute music schedule for Christmas to give musicians sufficient time to practice.
  • Prepare wreath or other Advent symbols.
  • As the school year ends, consider scheduling a blessing of all those who will be travelling over the Christmas holidays (see Book of Blessings, Pt 1, Ch 9).
  • Consider the implications of summer holidays for ministry rosters. Find out who will be available.
  • One week before Advent
  • Clear everything superfluous from the sanctuary, nave and entrance of the church.
  • Invite contributions for Christmas hampers and prepare baskets for food donations and gifts for poor.
  • Explore the possibilities for outdoor Christmas decorations – banners, lights, decorations in trees, etc.

Advent
First week of Advent
  • Publicise the schedule of Christmas Masses on the parish bulletin, website, church door, outdoor signs.
  • Recruit replacement ministers where necessary, especially greeters and hospitality ministers for
  • Christmas Masses.
 
Second Week of Advent
  • Prepare and distribute ministry rosters for the Christmas-New Year period.
  • Liturgy committee finalises planning for Christmas Masses and the Christmas season:
  • missal and lectionary texts,
  • leaders’ orders of service
  • environment and symbol,
  • gestures and movement,
  • worship aids.
  • Prepare for Communal Reconciliation– texts, leaders, readers, musicians
 
Third Week of Advent
  • Set up the crib for next Sunday.
 
Fourth Week of Advent
  • Rehearse Christmas liturgies where necessary
Checklists:
First Sunday of Advent Checklist
  • purple vestments and hangings.
  • blessing of Advent wreath and lighting the first candle.
  • consider sprinkling assembly as well as wreath.
  • Advent Preface 1.
  • solemn blessing.

Second Sunday of Advent Checklist
  • purple vestments and hangings.
  • lighting of the second candle.
  • Advent Preface I.
  • blessing of travellers.

Third Sunday of Advent Checklist
  • purple vestments and hangings.
  • lighting of the third candle.
  • Advent Preface I.
  • Communal Reconciliation in the following week.

Fourth Sunday of Advent Checklist
  • purple vestments and hangings.
  • lighting of the fourth candle.
  • Advent Preface II.
  • include Christmas carols in music for Mass.
  • inaugurate the nativity scene in the church – blessing, prayer cards, lights.
  • erect outdoor decorations for Christmas.

The Nativity of the Lord Checklist
  • The ritual books provide sets of Missal texts and Scripture readings for Christmas Masses at four different
  • times – vigil, during the night, at dawn, during the day.
  • Masses at night on Christmas Eve would normally us the texts for ‘during the night’, since the vigil texts still look
  • forward to the feast.                 
  • Study the Prefaces provided and make considered choices.
  • The Gloria is sung for first time since Christ the King – add bells, other instruments for effect.
  • To invite the assembly’s participation, introduce the Creed with words such as, As we profess our faith together,
  • we genuflect as we profess our belief in the Word of God who has become flesh and dwells among us.
  • Many ‘occasional Catholics’ come to church on Christmas Day, so it is important that the celebration be
  • vibrant, inclusive and engaging.
  • Consider strategies for including non-regular Mass attendees, for example, providing leaflets with Mass outline
  • and all responses, and reminding ushers and greeters to assist visitors.
  • Consider ways of incorporating the Advent wreath and candles into the Christmas environment.
 
Christmas Masses Checklist
  • white vestments and hangings.
  • order of service and cue sheet in folder for presider.
  • order of service and cue sheet for MC, coordinator,
  • organist, choir director and choir members.
  • people’s orders of service with all responses and
  • directions to assist non-regular Mass attendees.
  • newsletter information about parish activities directed
  • to non-regular Mass attendees.
  • bells rung during Gloria.
  • use incense.

Christmas Season Checklists
  • Christmas Day and the Epiphany of the Lord are the two key days of the season. Between them and next in
  • importance is the ancient feast of Mary Mother of God on New Year’s Day. The Sunday after Christmas, devoted to
  • the Holy Family, is quiet day to appropriate the Christmas mystery; the season tapers off towards the feast of the
  • Baptism of the Lord which marks the transition to Ordinary Time.
  • Throughout the twelve days of Christmas until Epiphany, retain Christmas decorations, schedule Christmas carols,
  • and encourage prayer before the crib. 
  • Look at using a seasonal psalm (for example, one of the psalms from Christmas Day).
  • Be realistic: it is holiday time and people are away.

Christmas Feasts Checklist
  • white vestments and hangings.
  • Solemn Blessing for the Virgin Mary, the Epiphany and the Baptism of Lord.
  • encourage people’s participation in Mass on New Year’s Day to invoke God’s blessings on the New Year and to pray for peace. on January 1, decorate the shrine of the Virgin Mary and sing a Marian carol or two.
  • use incense again to highlight the importance of Epiphany. Can other links be made to your Christmas celebration?
  • use the blessing and sprinkling of water as the introductory rite for the Baptism of the Lord.
 
Elizabeth Harrington is the author of Liturgy Lines and previous Education Officer with Liturgy Brisbane
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