What I Wore Sunday - Lessons and Carols

Sweater: Kohl's

Dress: H and M

Belt and boots: Target

Necklace: Mortar and pestle pendant, a gift from my internship at a colonial apothecary shop

I'm back in New Jersey again, this time for the annual Lessons and Carols concert at The Betrothed's parish. He sings bass in the choir, and I am always impressed by how great they sound. I was very proud listening to him intone the first notes of Alma Redemptoris Mater. While he was in rehearsal, I snapped this picture in the newly renovated Catholic Student Center next door, a former convent. My campus ministry center in undergrad was a basement room called "The Catacombs," so I hope these kids know realize how good they have it.

Lessons and Carols is a lovely Advent tradition that I only discovered in the past few years. It combines hymns with scripture readings (the lessons), focusing on prophetic readings about the Messiah. I love how it gives me time to reflect on how long-awaited Jesus' coming really was. 

I also appreciate that The Betrothed's choir director picks lots of great Advent hymns that pack some theological heft. Celebrating the Incarnation should not reduce Christians to Ricky Bobby, cooing over "sweet little 8 pound 5 ounce baby Jesus in your crib with your Baby Einstein videos" and his pretty mommy.  As our priests were so good at explaining yesterday, Christ's arrival for a suffering world means so much more than that. 

For more outfits, visit Fine Linen and Purple!

Last Quick Takes of 2011

--- 1 ---

Soo, that Advent wreath photo project was not as prolific as I had hoped. This year for some reason I am more timid about whipping out my camera to document a church after Mass. Still,  I did take some fun touristy field trips - here are installments 1, 2, and 3.

--- 2 ---

Last weekend I got to hear The Beau sing in his parish's Advent Lessons and Carols. It definitely got me in the Yuletide spirit. Advent carols should always have timpani accompaniment.

--- 3 ---

It looks like the fresh, cheap British takeaway chain Pret A Manger has made the leap across the pond! There's one in Manhattan, and lately I've seen two in DC. I just had to stop at the one in Union Station on my way to catch my train to The Beau's Lesson and Carols in New Jersey.
Me: "OMG how long have ya'll been here?!?!?!"
Bemused cashier in reindeer headband: "Since Tuesday. I know, people keep freaking out and saying they recognize us from London. Honestly, this time of year Pret is the last thing on my mind."

Via IamDCDG

Seriously, though, you should check them out. They win my allegiance for listing allergen information and for personally responding to customer emails. Pret got me though my two week frigid museum death march/London trip of a lifetime.

--- 4 ---

My sister and I were victorious in our bridesmaid dress mission for Brother #1's June wedding. This was our  inspiration

but this is what I ended up choosing. The best part? The dress has POCKETS. Thank you, fashion designers, for allowing me to carry Lactaid pills and tissues.

--- 5 ---

Speaking of blue, that is also the color scheme for our family portrait today. I'm excited to actually be in it this time. The last parish directory photo was great, except for the fact that I was out of town....

--- 6 ---

Reasons #467 - 469 why I love my job: The VP of Finance made festive earrings for all the ladies in the office, there was gluten free pizza for lunch, and my new Russian boss is teaching us the Cyrillic alphabet one letter a day.

--- 7 ---

I might schedule some posts for the Christmas Octave, but otherwise this is my last big installment until after I return from ringing in the new year in New Orleans with The Beau's family, Have a blessed, joyous Yuletide everyone!

The Christmas wreath at St. Mark, the parish where I grew up

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Advent Wreaths Take 3

Last weekend The Beau and I took a field trip to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. It was worth the 45 minute drive. The fifth largest basilica in the United States, it was by far one of the most magnificent churches I've seen in this country. I haven't been this bowled over since I spent a year exploring the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Planned in 1859, the cathedral was the brainchild of Newark's first bishop, Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley. He was a nephew of St. Elizabeth Seton and a Roosevelt on his mother's side. Like his aunt, he converted from the Episcopal and was subsequently cut out of his parents' will. Bayley grew the fledgling Newark diocese into a flourishing Catholic community, introducing religious orders and encouraging education. He was also history buff who organized church archives and wrote some histories of early American Catholicism. My kind of guy.

Construction began in 1899, and the French Gothic style cathedral hosted its first mass in 1928. It wasn't until the 1950s that the final interior decorations of stained glass windows and carved oak screens appeared.

In 1995 Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral and elevated it to a minor basilica. While he was in town he presided over evening prayer, with President Clinton in attendance.

It's the attention to detail that makes this cathedral so incredible. Every time I turned around I found something new to marvel at. Why yes, that is Judith holding the head of Holofernes in the center of that pediment over a side door.

The myriads of stained glass windows depict more saints than you can count, giving the impression that you are surrounded by the "great cloud of witnesses." I was excited to find one of my patrons in an apse side chapel.

So if you ever find yourself flying into the Newark airport, see if you can make your way to this American Gothic gem. It's not in the greatest neighborhood, but that makes its splendor all the more astonishing. The product of generations of hard work, it stands as a testament to the Communion of Saints we all hope to join in eternity.

Advent Wreaths Take 2

Here's a peek at the family dinner table advent wreath, complete with Gaudete joy and hypo-allergenic LED candles.

I've been avoiding the 24/7 Christmas music radio stations with their round-the-clock emotional manipulation. Instead, I like to find Yuletide references in unusual places. Lately I've been hooked on the Goo Goo Dolls' (I know, I know) 2005 song "Better Days". This isn't your usual pop mash-up of "Presents/Christmas/Yeah Yeah/Snow, baby snow/Saaanta/Presents/Yeah Yeah" Or yet another skanky cover of the date-rape special "Baby It's Cold Outside."

Instead, the lyrics make oblique yet authentic references to what Christmas is all about: sin, redemption, and the possibility that the world can improve.

'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings

And designer love and empty things

Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days....

So take these words and sing out loud

'cause everyone is forgiven now

'cause tonight's the night the world begins again

Advent Wreaths Take 1

I'm continuing the tradition I started last year of photographing Advent wreaths at different parishes. My first wreath of the season was at the Cathedral of St. Matthew near Dupont Circle.

St. Matthew's building on Rhode Island Avenue was completed in 1911. It has hosted President John F. Kennedy's funeral as well as many other services with political connections.

The last time I visited St. Matthew's was before the March For Life in 2002 or so. Back then the church was in the middle of a restoration project, and the murals were covered in scaffolding. On my visit last weekend, the beautiful early 20th Century paintings were in full view. 

Gaudete!

Today is Gaudete Sunday, when we light the pink candle and rejoice that Christmas is near. I for one am really excited to give some special people their presents! They are pretty great, if I do say so myself. I can't wait to see everyone's reactions.I'm also rejoicing because tonight my Dad helped me fix my computer after it had been attacked by spyware.

Another local parish, St. Mary Magdalene, has a tiered Advent wreath. (They are unfortunately also fond of banners, the art form that 1970s and 80s Catholics worshiped instead of statues.) 

I'm also warming up to listening to Christmas music. Here's The Cherry Tree Carol, a quirky Christmas ballad that I grew up hearing on the Peter, Paul, and Mary Christmas album. It's a 15th century tune that gets quite poignant about Joseph's confusion at Mary's pregnancy. I always thought asking for some fruit was a slightly awkward way to announce there's a baby on the way, but I hear snacks are pretty crucial when you are preggers. Either way, it's a sweet and lovely song.

A Kiss from God

Happy Second Sunday of Advent! My local church, St. Joseph on the Brandywine,  is doing a nifty banner/candle wreath thing this year.

Of course, now that I'm about to leave Delaware in 6 months, I'm finally getting connected to the parish. I've introduced myself to the pastor, and on Saturday I attended a morning advent retreat.  It was just what I needed. Not only did I get to meet some very nice parishioners, I learned about Salesian spirituality.  I have a more Vincentian background, thanks to my service year, and I've never really understood what all the fuss was about St. Francis de Sales. Turns out he's kind of awesome and not stodgy at all. In fact, he combated the Jansenist heresy and its hatred of human nature.

I especially liked one St. Francis de Sales quote that the priest shared:

The Incarnation is God's kiss to the world. 

It's a lovely thought, but that statement's implications are deeper than just sentimentality. A kiss implies love and spontaneous affection.   A kiss can also signify forgiveness and reconciliation. Between parents and children, it's a sign of trust and protection. It also means wordless communication, and a strong physical connection, and that's exactly what Jesus' incarnation was. God loved us so much, he wanted to physically, tangibly show us, and so He took on our image and likeness. St. Francis de Sales believed that this would have happened even if Christ didn't need to save us from original sin.

You don't even know

So yesterday a professor had us over to her house for an end-of-semester shindig. Not only did she not make us talk about syllabus additions, she also provided tons of food - ham salad, cookies, tea in adorable tea pots, even GF biscuits and chocolate cake. A+, Professor H. I'm always touched when professors act like they want to spend time with their students and are interested in their lives. Prof. H especially wanted to hear all about us girls' love lives, which was fun. 

Everyone hung around for hours, long enough to quit talking about next year's courses and start telling interesting stories. Since my volunteer year was the last time I did anything uniquely exciting, I kept referring to that. When I started out "So my house in St. Louis was a former convent next to a school..." I saw Prof. H's religious-historian eyes get wide. Oh, Prof. H, you don't even know. 

You don't even know what hard, fun work it is for 8 strangers to live in a former convent and try to create a modern spiritual community together. You have no idea how it was the most adventurous, challenging, weird, random year of my life, and how I am still figuring out what it all meant. In fact, yesterday was the first time I've been able to talk about one my negative experiences that year and not relive its emotional impact. I miss the service focus my life had then, and I'm still not sure how to stay connected to that as a grad student.

What's really crazy about living in a former convent with 7 strangers-turned-friends is that you are just one year of the house's life. Other groups will keep making new histories after you're gone, and you'll never really know how their community functioned. The groups that came before you have left all sorts of random stuff lying around and you have no idea what it means. At your moment in the house, you just make the best of what you can find. 

Like making an Advent wreath out of plastic greens and candles stuck in sand-filled shot glasses. I don't think God minded.

Happy New Year!

or, Happy First Sunday of Advent.

Inspired by The Crescat's month of rosaries feature, I've decided to look at different styles of Advent wreaths during the season. Let's consider it a survey of religious material culture, and thus a totally legit distraction from thesis work. So please email or comment about what kind of Advent wreath you've used!

When I was a kid, we had a brown ceramic one my parents bought when they were newlyweds living in Arizona. Here's the dorm-and-apartment sized, votive-candle-powered wreath I have now.


This photo marks a renewed attempt at Photoshop Elements. I used ideas from this tutorial by The Pioneer Woman.