How Should We Best Prepare For Our Lord's Nativity?!

The Nativity Fast (+ St. Martin's Lent) I St. Basil's Coins & Almsgiving I The Second Coming (Advent) of Christ

Dear Friends,

This time of year is filled with stories of saints who thought of the poor, the orphaned, and the grieving. Both St. Basil and St. Nicholas, two beloved Orthodox bishops, gave golden coins to those who found themselves in desperate situations. Here is a quick story of St. Basil as it relates to the tradition of ‘St. Basil’s bread:’

“The tradition of Saint Basil’s Bread dates to the fourth century, when St. Basil the Great, the father of philanthropy, wanted to distribute money to the poor in his diocese. He commissioned some women to bake sweetened bread, in which he placed gold coins. Thus the poor families in cutting the bread to nourish themselves were pleasantly surprised to find the coins. This custom is kept to this day among Orthodox Christians, who on Saint Basil’s Day, January 1st, place gold coins inside a loaf of sweetened bread in honor of the Saint’s care for the poor. The one who finds the coin in his or her piece is considered commissioned by St. Basil to carry on his work for the poor, and in exchange he will ask the Lord for whatever is needful for the New Year.”¹

‘Advent Almsgiving’

Like St. Basil, we have plenty of opportunities to help those in great need around us. Recently I have been flooded with tears over two situations.

1. The first is close to my own family where some of my cousins experienced a great tragedy last week when their car was hit ‘head on’ by someone recklessly driving. Their 5 year old daughter, Amelia, was killed. Her mother, Amanda, was in critical condition and is now going through multiple surgeries. She has a long road of recovery and healing which means her husband needs to be home to care for their other two children as well as support his wife. You can read about their story in the news and prayerfully consider donating to their Go Fund Me page to help cover both funeral expenses as well as medical bills.

2. The second story involves the Vincent family who have 6 children. Their mother, Karen, is battling cancer and is need of specific treatments. Because of this, she is temporarily being treated on the West coast many states away from the family while Raymond cares for their children. Because of this situation, it is very difficult for him to work full time as an Orthodox iconographer who also composes chant (among many other talents that bless the Church). Please consider giving this Nativity/Advent Fast to their Go Fund Me to help with Karen’s treatment.

An Icon of Christ by Raymond Vincent (See his Facebook or Instagram)

I do not often share charitable giving opportunities through my newsletter, because there are millions of opportunities out there. But I prayed about these two specific ones, and I feel peace to share them with you all during this Nativity Fast as an opportunity for prayer and almsgiving. There is no pressure to give to these specific ones, but it is important during our fasting seasons (particularly the Great Fast/Lent & Nativity Fast/Advent) to unite our fasting with praying for others and giving those in need.

Sacred Music for Advent

I love listening to popular Christmas songs on the radio, but I have also found a particular love of two albums that help me better approach this season. Below is the Advent & Christmas album composed by St. Patrick’s Orthodox Choir.

The second album is from the folk singer, Josh Garrels. During college, I knew him as a devout Christian musician who was also a pastor. In many ways, he better helped me look at my faith more like the church fathers— sacramentally and symbolically— while at the same time still holding on to its world-shaping truths. (Much like C.S. Lewis… the true myth).

The Advent/Nativity Fast

Now let’s talk about fasting! In the Christian East, the Nativity Fast begins with St. Philip’s Day and lasts until Christmas Eve. In the Christian West, the Advent Fast historically began the day after St. Martin’s Day (also called Martinmas) in many places until Christmas Eve. When you compare the two, it is amazing how similar (though not identical) the West was fasting like the East in ancient times. Author Matthew Plese writes,

"The most common, and almost universal, harvest and thanksgiving celebration in medieval times was held on the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours (Martinmas) on November 11. It was a holiday in Germany, France, Holland, England and in central Europe… the main feature of the meal being the traditional roast goose (Martin's goose). With the goose dinner they drank "Saint Martin's wine," which was the first lot of wine made from the grapes of the recent harvest. ***Martin's Day was more than just Thanksgiving as it also served as the "Mardi Gras" of Advent by ushering in the pre-Christmas fasting period known as St. Martin's Lent. St. Martin's Lent, a fasting period leading up to Christmas, originated as early as 480 AD. [St. Martin’s Lent] was formerly observed, even by the Laity, with Abstinence from Flesh, and with a rigorous Fast, in some Places, by Precept, in others of Devotion, and without any positive Obligation, though universal. The first Council of Maçon, in 581, ordered Advent from St. Martin’s to Christmas-day three Fasting Days a Week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; but the whole Term of forty Days, was observed with a strict Abstinence from Flesh Meat."²

It is important to note that intense times of fasting also led to intense times of feasting when the Christmas season finally did arrive! The 12 Days of Christmas were originally the big time to celebrate the coming of our Lord from December 25th to Jan 6th. In the West, the Christmas season kept going until Candlemas (The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple) on February 2nd.

Of course, this comes with certain challenges in the United States where Christmas celebrations shifted back a month through secular influences (and perhaps even some Protestant ones) that forgot the purpose of Advent/the Nativity Fast. When I was a child, the American Christmas season began right after Thanksgiving, but today many people begin decorating on November 1st right after Halloween! Ironically, December 25th marks the end of the Christmas season for many instead of the beginning. Christmas trees come down, and people trade in feasting for fasting (or dieting) once the New Year of Jan 1st arrives.

So where does that leave traditionally and liturgically minded Christians?

It is critical that we remember that both of these fasts (the Nativity Fast or Advent fast) involve purifying our hearts and minds so that our own lives can become a nativity for the Lord. We do not want to be careless nor neglectful when it comes to fasting, but nor do we want it to be overly legalistic where our own spirits are crushed along with others around us. This is why it is so important that you consult your spiritual father on how to best approach this fasting season as well as find support, accountability, and lots of wonderful recipes from friends (or Facebook pages!)

It is my hope that as more and more of the next generation of Christians value the ancient liturgical calendars and the nature of sacramental worship that we might see a renewal of these traditional fasting and feasting seasons on a much bigger scale a few decades from now. Not only would this be a great source of stability for our own families, but also for our churches and country as a whole if Christ is kept the center of it all. This is certainly my daily prayer.

The Second Coming of Christ (In Light of His First)

Lastly, we fast because the Bridegroom is coming again! We do not want to be like the neglectful virgins in the Gospel who were not prepared for His Coming and were left out of the Great Wedding Banquet. Those who were prepared (through prayer and fasting), were ready for the Great Feast, but those who were unprepared and preoccupied with themselves (trying to feast prematurely) were surprised by the hour of His Coming and found themselves in exile. Fr. Patrick’s homily below reminds us that Advent not only points to Christ’s First Coming at Christmas in the Incarnation, but also His Second Coming when He will come to “judge the living and dead” as well as make all things new for those who await Him.

Come Lord Jesus, Come! Maranatha!

Be entirely His until the Day,

Kyle

1. https://orthodoxdelmarva.org/st_basils_bread

2. https://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2020/10/st-martins-lent-fast-of-advent.html