The advent of Advent...

Inspired by the posts on constructing the Advent Wreath by Andrew of Unam Sanctam and Mark of Exurge Domine, I have decided to post on something similar here in Dublin.

At RCSI, we are privileged enough to have mass celebrated every day at 1.05pm a the oratory by 2 Nigerian priests who are currently studying in Dublin. The crowd is not great, sometimes it's just me and the priest, sometimes there are 5 of us, and on Ash Wednesday, we get a full house. This is by no means bad, because when it is only me and the priest, I am able to encourage him to celebrate the Mass in Latin.

Anyways, the masses here follow the academic year and so I decided that the oratory did not warrant an Advent wreath this year as we would be breaking for Christmas holidays soon and would not return until January. Nonetheless, I decided that something had to be done to the oratory to bring in the Advent spirit.

This is what the oratory usually looks like, and has been in this state since I arrived at the college and my guess is that it has been this way since time in memorial.

The main altar, with the antependium, depicting a tree with the various religions represented by the student body (which is hideous in my opinion).

This is a stain glass on the right panel of the oratory depicting the virgin and child

This is the right panel, with a stain glass of the crucifixion. It is where the sacred vessels used for mass and the books are kept. Note the stand.

Notice where it is now. No, it is not magically floating next to the altar, but I found a stand that was sitting idle somewhere around the oratory and used it to support the stand, making it into a lectern. Note also the nice set of cruets and chalice on the altar. unfortunately, I was not able to find 6 candles and had to settle with 2.

Notice how beautifully embroidered the cover of the sacramentary is. Also the corporal unfolded on the altar, and inspired by recent changes adopted at St. Peter's Basilica, the crucifix at the centre facing the celebrant instead of the congregation.

With a simple purple antependium, I must say that the oratory was transformed into the mood for Advent. Now, recall how the oratory looked like in the first picture:

This is how it looks like now:

I even found a cloth to cover the makeshift lectern eventually...

As for the Advent wreath, here is the one I built by my window in my room. My bible and breviary lie beside it.

Veni veni Emmanuel... Gaude Gaude Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel!