Advent

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The Angel Gabriel

 1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came
His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame
"All hail" said he "thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!

2. "For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emanuel, by seers foretold
Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!

3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
"To me be as it pleaseth God," she said,
"My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name."
Most highly favoured lady. Gloria!

4. Of her, Emanuel, the Christ was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
"Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!

Last Sunday was the first in Advent. The season of Advent lasts four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each year, Advent begins on the Sunday between November 27th and December 3rd, and traditionally the first Advent candle, on the Advent wreath, is lit on this day.

When I was young, it was a thrill to open up the tiny doors on our Advent calendar - a rather small, pathetic-looking, cardboard affair, depicting the nativity scene and smothered in silver glitter. There was one door for each day in December leading up to Christmas Day and revealing tiny festive pictures. Nowadays, one is hard-pressed to find an Advent calendar that is even related to the nativity. Most of them seem to be Disney-themed; a chocolate a day is one thing, but a 'Fizz' calendar with 24 miniatures bottles of sparkling wine (price tag £140) is quite another.

Advent is all about the coming of Christ. At school we learnt the lovely carol 'The Angel Gabriel'. Click here to listen. It is based on a Basque carol, collected by Charles Bordes and published in the series Archives de la tradition Basque, 1895. One time local curate Sabine Baring-Gould, who wrote several novels and hymns (including 'Onward Christian soldiers) and who had spent a winter as a boy in Basque lands, translated the carol into English.   

Tomorrow I shall be opening the first door on my on little Advent calendar, and letting my Advent candle burn down for day one. It seems to somehow slow down the pre-Christmas madness, and whether you're a Christian or not, we live in hope and expectation of better and more peaceful times to come. 

Writing prompts:

• Do you have a favourite Advent or Christmas carol? Perhaps there's one that brings back a particular memory? Write about it now for a few minutes.
• Write about the lead-up to Christmas. Is it a time you enjoy and feel excited about, or one that brings stress and anxiety? 
• What things do you hope will be coming soon ? Write about them, or simply make a list.