Altar and Home - Liturgical Review for the Laity - December, 1955 - Volume XXIII, No. 1

Sep 21, 2026

Altar and Home (Liturgical Review for the Laity), December 1955 issue, presents liturgical reflections for the Advent season with an editorial urging that Christ be put back into Christmas through deeper participation in the Advent liturgy. It outlines Advent’s meaning as preparation for Christmas centered on Christ, and includes articles and sections such as “The Meaning of Advent,” “Advent in the Home,” “Advent in the School,” and reflections on Advent in the world, along with book reviews, contributor information, and subscription details.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

CHRIST IN ADVENT

Editorial

The Meaning of Advent

Advent in the Home

Advent in the School

Advent in the World

Book Reviews

Other Items

Contributors

ALTAR &HOME Luurgical revlew for the latyDecember 1955,Volume XXIIINumber I Coming.... In the next issue.... The growing use of the ritual in English has already done muchto acquaint Catholics with the beauty and power of theChurch's sacraments and sacramentals. The January issue of ALTAR G HOME will supplement thenew ritual for Baptism.It will provide a practical commentaryon the sacrament along with the text of the rite for fullestparticipation in the administration of Baptism. | Altar and Home
Liturgical Review for the Laity | | --- | | December,1955
Volume XXIII,No.1 | | Altar and Home is published monthly except during June,
July,and August by the monks of Conception Abbey.With
ecclesiastical approbation.Contents copyrighted
STAFF
Rev.Maur Burbach,0.S.B...
.. ...Editor
Rev.Norbert Schappler,0.S.B..
....Art Director
..Book Reviews
Rev.Ralph Sturm,O.S.B..……·
Rev.Daniel Schuster,0.S.B.…
Business Manager
SUBSCRIPTION PRICES
Single:$1.00 ennually.
Bulk:twenty-five or more,six cents per copy.
Foreign:$1.50 annually;or seven cents a copy for twenty-flve or more.
CORRESPONDENCE
Two weeks should be allowed for all change of address notices.The
notice should include both the NEW and the OLD address--both clear-
ly marked.
Address all business eommunications to
Conception Abbey Press,
Conceptlon,Missouri.
Address manuscripts and editorial communlcations to: Rev.Maur
Burbach,0.S.B.,Conception,Missouri.
Entered aB second class matter,August 27,1935,at_the Post Office
at Conception,Missouri,under act of March 3,1897.Printed in U.S.A. | CHRIST IN ADVENT CONTENTS ●Editorial . ●The Meaning of Advent Fr. Damian Parker, O.S.B. 3 ●Advent in the Home Fr. Regis Probstfield, O.S.B.10 ●Advent in the School Fr. Roderick Hindery, 0.S.B. 16 ●Advent in the World……Fr.HughTasch,0.S.B.22 ……28 ● Book Reviews 31 Other Items .. . 32 Contributors In the period of Advent, the Church arouses in us the consciousness of the sins we have had the misfortune to commit, and urges us, by restraining our desires and practicing voluntary mortification of the body,to recollect ourselves in meditation, and experience a longing desire to return to God who alone can free us by His grace from the stain of sin and from its evil consequences. —Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei Christmas today is a strangemixture of pagan commercial-ism and Christian good will.On the one hand it must beadmitted that at no other timeof the year does the Christianmessage of love manifest itselfmore universally than duringthe Christmas season.On theother hand no one with good sense and good taste can deny that much of the meaningand beauty of the season are lost in an avalanche of gim-micks and gadgets born of greed and designed to pervertthe Christmas feast. Thoughtful men and women have been raising theirvoices more and more insistently that Christ be put backinto Christmas.Their pleas have been met with somemeasure of response.But this apostolic effort must notslacken.It must be intensified in every area. And it will find its authentic inspiration in the liturgyof the Church,in the liturgy of Advent.Without suchguidance and such inspiration it could even become acounter-campaign little less sentimental than the abusewhich it attacks. Mother Church has long seen the need of a preparationfor Christmas not unlike the lenten preparation for Eas-ter.In contrast to the blustering,feverish pre-Christmasrush which characterizes modern Decembers,she invitesus to fill our hearts with the overwhelming grandeur ofthe mystery of the Incarnation by a peaceful,humble,loving penetration into the Advent liturgy. Altar and Home presents in this issue some ideas andpractices which should help you to prepare for Christmas. THE MEANING OF ADVENT By Damian Parker,O.S.B. Advent is the time to

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this Advent issue of Altar and Home?

It guides the laity to prepare for Christmas by drawing authentic inspiration from the Church’s Advent liturgy, urging that Christ be put back into Christmas.

How does the issue define Advent?

Advent is described as the time to prepare for Christmas, directing energy toward the truth that Christmas belongs to Christ and is rooted in a hopeful longing for Christmas.

What does the issue suggest is necessary for a genuine reformation?

It emphasizes that the first step is a reformation of self, and that Christ can be put back into Christmas only by putting Christ back into Advent.

Sep 21, 2026

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