A Pray Tell Reader writes:
How did people handle the blessing of the Advent Wreath last week? There’s a rather nice rite in the Book of Blessings for this, but it places it after the intercessions, which means the wreath is unlit during the Liturgy of the Word, which seems a little strange. I’ve seen a lot of places do it during the opening rites. I did it at the beginning, but before Mass ‘technically’ began. Do people do it at all their Masses, or just the first one?
We followed the rite in the Book of Blessings and blessed the Advent Wreath after the intercessions at all four liturgies last weekend. However, beginning next weekend, we will have a family light the wreath immediately before the opening song at each liturgy.
At our church we blessed the wreath at all masses for the 1st Sunday of Advent. We did so as part of the Opening Rites, between the greeting and the Penitential Rite. We used the blessing from the Book of Blessings. Interestingly, this is the time indicated in the Spanish Book of Blessings. For that mass I followed the rite exactly as written as it includes a nice introduction explaining the symbolism of the wreath.
We did and will do as Mr. Ryan did at St. Patrick, with the exception that we haven’t used a family doing the lighting for several years.
@Richard Alwood – comment #3:
In our campus ministry chapel, the opening procession usually has the second lector leading with the cross and then the first lector carrying the Book (it is a lectionary rather than Book of the Gospels, because our ambo can only hold one book), followed by the presider. During Advent we bless the wreath in the place suggested by the Book of Blessings, and the presider lights the first candle as part of the blessing ritual. On subsequent Sundays, we have the psalmist process with a lit taper and do the lightning of that week’s candles as part of that opening procession, to help underscore that the psalm is indeed part of the Liturgy of the Word, not just a song we happen to sing at that point in the Mass.
We use the rite from the book of blessings just before the gathering song. A family or individuals read a little blurb about Advent while one of them lights the candles. The prayer takes place during the lighting of the candle(s). Simple and straightforward.
“There’s a rather nice rite in the Book of Blessings for this, but it places it after the intercessions, which means the wreath is unlit during the Liturgy of the Word, which seems a little strange.”
Yes, I agree. What is the reason that the rite in the Book of Blessings places it after the intercessions?
@Jim Pauwels – comment #5:
I suspect that the Blessing of the Wreath (which is not in the Latin de Benedictionibus) was modeled on other blessings found in the Book of Blessings, in which the blessing following a proclamation of the word and intercessions. I admit that the Missal uses a different format for the blessing of candles (Feb 2), palms, and fire (Easter Vigil), all of which occur at the beginning of liturgy (but all of which are followed by a procession)!
We have individuals or family members carry the lit candles in the entrance procession and place them in the wreath during the gathering song. We bless the wreath after the intercessions (at all of our Masses) as given in the Book of Blessings.
We did it after the Intercessions as indicated in the Book of Blessings, although I do think it would be better to have the candle(s) before Mass begins. We did it at each Mass last Sunday because the prayer of blessing in the Book of Blessings seems to bless people rather than the object at hand. If it were the latter, I would say it should be done only once. Anyone care to shed light on the tradition of blessing objects? And why this doesn’t seem to happen in the Book of Blessings?
Our associate pastor lit the Advent wreath unceremoniously about a half an hour before the Vigil Mass of the weekend, after which the candle was never extinguished. The wreath hangs from the ceiling, and one must use a ladder to light it. The wreath was blessed after the intercessions at the Saturday Mass as well.
Like others, our parish finds the placement per Book of Blessings to be problematic. We use that prayer of blessing, but it takes place at the beginning of all Masses for the First Sunday of Advent because – as mentioned already – the text asks for God’s blessing upon the people as much as the wreath itself.
We sing Bernadette Farrell’s “Christ Be Our Light” during the entrance procession. After placing the Book of the Gospels on the altar and venerating it, the priest and deacon go to the wreath – which is near the chair – and between verses of the song, we pause to do the wreath blessing. After the blessing text, the deacon lights the first candle.
On subsequent Sundays, there is no ceremony – the wreath is simply lit before Mass.
I confess: we skipped the blessing. Processed with a lit candle.
We had the annual hanging wreath candle lighting challenges. Maybe some year, we’ll just give up.
But, like others, we do it after the greeting and before the Kyrie. If it were to happen outside of Mass, maybe the Book of Blessing version would make sense.
Honestly, we move almost all of our blessings pre-penitential rite (items seen at Mass, such as wreath, crèche, new icon, etc.), or pre-dismissal (people). I can’t think of a single one we do after the general intercessions. To do so seems to single out or over-emphasize something smack-dab in the middle of Mass that doesn’t need singling out or over-emphasizing.
4 purple?
3 purple 1 pink/rose?
4 blue?
3 blue 1 pink/rose?
3 blue 1 light blue?
The priest where I worshiped on Sunday said he will “reluctantly” wear “rose, not pink” on the day it is “required”
Regarding the placement, the 1998 Canadian Sacramentary placed the blessing, after the greeting and before the litany of praise.
Extracts from diocesan notes on the wreath:
…
In its Christianised form, the Advent Wreath originated in the homes of German Protestants in the 16th century. For many years it was a domestic image that was not used in church. Only after World War II did the wreath start to find its way into Roman Catholic churches, and gradually spread across the world. In many places, the wreath is still hung on the front door of the house. Placing it horizontally and adding candles is a much later development. Until very recently, natural white candles were used; other colours date only from the 1960s.
The following options are specified in the Roman Book of Blessings for the colour of the candles in the wreath:
(a) three violet and one rose-coloured (for the 3rd Sunday); or
(b) four violet candles; or
(c) four white candles.
However, some churches have four bright red candles, or three red and one white (for the 3rd Sunday).Many churches now have the custom of using a fifth candle (normally white, in which case none of the others will be white), symbolising the incarnate Christ, lit late on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. In some churches this fifth candle is lit before or during Midnight Mass and carried in procession to the crib for the blessing of the crib, if the blessing is done at this time, and then carried back and placed in its position in the centre of the wreath or wherever.
…
In churches where it is difficult to find a satisfactory place for the wreath, a candle can be placed on a greenery-bedecked stand in each of the four corners of the church; and swags of greenery or green ribbon or other fabrics are hung round the church between the corners or even between the candle-stands via walls, pillars, etc. In this way, the whole congregation is encircled by the “wreath” and becomes a part of it. If it is difficult to include the sanctuary area in this arrangement, two of the candles should at least be at the front edges of the sanctuary area, rather than at the front of the nave, so that it is clear that those on the sanctuary are also included within the wreath.
…
I just don’t understand why would the wreath be (seemingly redundantly) blessed at all masses instead of simply once, at the first mass of Advent. What’s Fr. Ruff’s opinion about this issue?
It shouldn’t be blessed more than once. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not as if it loses it’s blessing after the 5:00p Mass on Saturday and you have to do it again multiple times on Sunday. The only reason why I think this is done (and I don’t think it’s a good reason), is so that no one “misses out” on the blessing.
Once the wreath is blessed, it’s blessed.
I bless the wreath using the form in the Book of Blessings for blessing the wreath during a word service. I adapt the petitions to conclude with “Lord, have mercy.” Thus it is the introductory rite of the first mass and then to the readings of the Ist Sunday of Advent,
Fr. Julian Nix, OSB
I tend to think that, if the advent wreath is going to be blessed at all, it should be done privately, perhaps the Saturday before. The Book of Blessing is a mess, liturgically and aesthetically, but even beyond that I don’t really see a liturgical role for the Advent wreath. Put it in the vestibule, if you must, and focus on the readings and chant.
Dennis Smolarski, SJ : @Jim Pauwels – comment #5: I suspect that the Blessing of the Wreath (which is not in the Latin de Benedictionibus) was modeled on other blessings found in the Book of Blessings, in which the blessing following a proclamation of the word and intercessions.
Indeed, the standard format within or without Mass is for blessing to follow proclamation of the word, “to ensure that the blessing is a genuine sacred sign, deriving its meaning and effectiveness from God’s word that is proclaimed” (General Introduction to the BB, 21). This makes me question the liceity of bumping blessings to the beginning of Mass (before the Prayer of the Faithful), since this would violate the obligation that the minister “is to maintain the structure of the celebration and is not to mix up the order of the principal parts” (ibid. 32). Still, I suspect that a large number of parishes push blessings in general, if not to the beginning, then at least to the period after Communion, so we may be dealing with a fairly broadly recognized ~failure of the law~ in this regard.
This makes me wonder if anyone knows why we now have blessings inserted within Mass, anyway. As noted, traditionally blessings appended to Mass were done so before Mass began – Mass was one rite, the blessing (and perhaps also procession) another, but they didn’t get fused together. This held not just for blessings but also for sacraments – think Confirmation and Matrimony. What was behind the push to move this things into the confines of Mass, and do people think the reasoning has proven solid?
We light the Advent wreath at 1st Vespers of the 1st Sunday of Advent…cuts out all of the consternation.
@james rossey, opraem – comment #20:
If there’s gonna be an Advent wreath in the church, that’s the best time to do it. Once. Mostly, though, the wreath makes most sense over or on the table for the domestic church.
Personally, I look upon the Advent wreath as primarily a home devotion and try not to give it more importance than is due at the liturgy. The Mass texts, hymns and homily, vesture and environment ‘make’ Advent.
If, however, the wreath is blessed at the first Mass, is it proper to bless it at subsequent Masses as well? If it’s blessed, it’s blessed…. right? Do we bless merely “for show”? This happens on Ash Wednesday as well when the same container of ash is blessed repeatedly during the day.
Personally, I look upon the Advent wreath as primarily a home devotion and try not to give it more importance than is due at the liturgy. The Mass texts, hymns and homily, vesture and environment ‘make’ Advent.
If, however, the wreath is blessed at the first Mass, is it proper to bless it at subsequent Masses as well? If it’s blessed, it’s blessed…. right? Do we bless merely “for show”? This happens on Ash Wednesday as well when the same contained of ash is blessed repeatedly during the day.
I think people are catching on to the theological evolution present in the book of blessings in regard to the advent wreath (and other devotional objects as well). In the old Rituale, when used with an rosary or, in this case an advent wreath, the blessing applied to things, thus it would be redundant to bless the wreath at all Sunday Masses (or any year subsequent to its first blessing). The new book of blessings has a different approach praying that those who make use of the object will be blessed, thus it makes sense to have a blessing at each Mass. It gets away from the danger of treating blessed objects like talismans, but also can move towards sense of dualism.
We use the Order for the Blessing of an Advent Wreath within Mass from the Book of Blessings as is, and we only use it at the Saturday night anticipatory Mass. We did briefly discuss using the Shorter Rite before Mass begins, but opted instead for our usual practice. At the Sunday Masses we just lit the candle before Mass begins.
In our seminary community we blessed the wreath with the prayer in the book of blessings after the reading at Lauds.
By the book here – part of the Universal Prayer on the Saturday Vigil. We do not bless it multiple times. Sadly, we have the overtly purple look in our sanctuary. I stand firm in my conviction that blue needs to be approved for use in the Advent Season. It’s downright crazy to have the same colors for two very different seasons.
We have purple for both Advent and Lent because purple has two meanings associated with it, and thus it’s appropriate for both Seasons. Purple is the color of royalty, hence it’s used in Advent, as we await the coming of the King. Purple is also a sign of penance, which is why it’s used during Lent – a very penitential season.
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