Advent (which means "to come" in Latin) is the beginning of the Church's liturgical year and the season leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent is a season of preparation and penance that reminds us of Christ's birth as well as His second coming at the end of time. There are many resources to help you prepare your hearts and minds as a community, as a family, and as an individual. Check with your local parish for penance services or other special events.
The final days of Advent, from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas). It is during those days that the Church sings the "O Antiphons," the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer. Sung since the eighth century, they use imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ.
**This year, the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls on December 24, raising the “two-for-one” question: Can attendance at a Sunday Christmas Vigil Mass fulfill the obligation for both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas? The prevailing answer of canonists is “No,” each obligation must be fulfilled with a separate Mass. You should make every effort to attend a Fourth Sunday of Advent Mass (Saturday evening or Sunday morning) and a Christmas Mass (Sunday evening or Monday).**
Chattanooga Deanery
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga
Tuesday, Dec. 5: St. Jude, Chattanooga, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 6: Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga
Wednesday, Dec. 6: Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 7: St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill, all day
Thursday, Dec. 7: St. Bridget, Dayton, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 11: St. Mary, Athens, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 13: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 14: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 16: St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful, Chattanooga
Monday, Dec. 18: St. Stephen, Chattanooga, 6 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 18: St. Augustine, Signal Mountain, 7 p.m.
Five Rivers Deanery
Thursday, Nov. 30: St. Mary, Johnson City, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 2: St. Michael the Archangel, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: St. Dominic, Kingsport, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 14: Holy Trinity, Jefferson City, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 19: Notre Dame, Greeneville, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 20: St. Henry, Rogersville, 7 p.m.
Smoky Mountain Deanery
Thursday, Dec. 14: St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville, 7 p.m.