Advent in the Convent ~ Joyful Anticipation

Christmas preparations begin for Franciscans on November 2^nd. Not with putting up a tree or decking the halls, but rather with fasting. Fasting? Yes. In the world, the Christmas feasting begins early, with office parties, get-togethers with friends, Starbucks mochas and festive street food. It is easy to forget that Advent is a penitential season, a season of joyful preparation, yes, but also penitential. It is a time to fill the valleys of our weakness and level the mountains of our pride, to prepare the way for the Lord to come again to us. So, Franciscans follow St. Francis’ directive (given in his Rule) to keep a fast from All Souls’ Day until the Nativity of the Lord.

Though penitential, the character of Advent is different from Lent. There is a sense of eager anticipation as we approach Christmas. And, although we do not exchange Christmas gifts in our community (because of our Franciscan poverty and simplicity) we do have a delightful Secret Santa alternative through which we give the gift of prayer to one another. On Thanksgiving Day, all the Sisters’ names are put into a bowl. Each of us then draws a name from the bowl and becomes the “Advent Angel” for that Sister, offering prayers and sacrifices for her throughout Advent. We also make her a beautiful handmade card, which is given at dinner on Christmas Day, as we all reveal our Advent Angel identities, amid many guesses and much laughter.

The last week of Ordinary Time also sees our Sister sacristans busily collecting greens, for the Advent wreath must be prepared in time for First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent (on Saturday evening). The sacristan also pulls out the manger, which is placed, empty, in the chapel or the refectory (dining room) along with a basket of straw. As we go through Advent, each time we make a sacrifice we then place some straw in the manger, preparing a welcome dwelling for the Baby Jesus through our prayers and sacrifices. Following the Christmas Vigil Mass, we will place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, and we, of course, want to make sure His crib is full to overflowing!

While the Advent wreath and empty manger remind us inside the convent that Advent is here, we also like to give a visible reminder to our neighbors of Jesus’ coming to us as a little child. Each convent does this differently: by putting up an outdoor Nativity scene, perhaps, or by placing a statue of Mary and an empty manger in a prominent window visible from the street. Some convents place candles in the windows. Our decorations vary, but the aim is the same: to add to the festivity of the neighborhood decorations while reminding those around us of the meaning of the season. We wait until Christmas to place the infant Jesus in the crib, and this inevitably sparks conversation—people want to know why the Babe is not in the manger. It’s a great way to evangelize! We do also have neighbors who know the Christmas story, and you can often spot these devout souls stopping to say a prayer in front of our Nativity.

Finally, as Christmas draws near, and the anticipation for Jesus’ coming to us anew grows, the convent itself must be made ready for the celebration. Greens, red bows and candles are placed on windowsills, the manger full of straw is placed in front of the altar, smaller nativity scenes are put up in the refectory or library. Our decorations are simple, but beautiful. And, most important of all, our hearts are made ready like the empty manger, through our prayers, sacrifices and interior preparation, to welcome Jesus once again on the joyous celebration of His birth.

Sr. Cecilia, CFR