Summary of comments of this office by Dom Schuster, in his work L'année liturgique.

Introduction: The Liturgy From Advent to the Epiphany

The current Roman missal begins the liturgical cycle with the first Sunday of Advent. This differs from the ancient sacramentaries, where the year opened with the solemnity of Christmas. The reason for this is that the Incarnation of the Word of God is the true center point, the millennial marker which divides the long series of centuries traversed by mankind.

It was towards the fifth century that the commemoration of the Savior's birth acquired great celebrity, and that at Ravenna, in Gaul and in Spain, there began to appear in the liturgy a special cycle of preparation for Christmas.

The holy liturgy during this period gathers from the Scriptures the most energetic passages best capable of expressing the intense desire and joy with which the holy patriarchs, the prophets and all the just of the Old Testament hastened by their desires the descent of the Son of God.

Commentaire des pièces de cette messe par Dom Baron.

Summary of comments of this office by Dom Schuster, in his work L'année liturgique.

Commentaire des pièces de cette messe par Dom Baron.