Advent Blue, the back story…

Some of you like stories, history, and trivia. Others of you like to cut to the chase. If you are the latter, skip to the second section of this article…

A Thousand Years of Background.
A Map of Sarum/Salisbury Enagland, c. 485 CE
After the great and slow decay of Rome, Europe fell into a time sometimes called the ‘Dark Ages’. Contemporary historians now realize that these were dark times for Europe but not necessarily for the rest of the world, so ‘Middle Ages’ is often used more frequently. Nevertheless, these were dark times for Europe. Infrastructure, learning, technology, economic security, and relative safety had collapsed. Into this collapse the Church stepped in. In particular, monasteries took over the teaching of literacy, scientific study, invention, and publication and preservation of books and manuscripts. To stem the tide of chaos, the Church worked at promoting Latin as a common language for politics, trade, learning, and religion. And the Church also campaigned to create unity in a fragmented society in a particular way: through uniformity. The idea was that if everyone worshiped, spoke, believed, and thought along the same uniform lines societal cohesion and solidarity would be restored.  

An Altar vested in Sarum Blue
By the time of the Protestant Reformation, this campaign had achieved significant regional success. For instance the churches in France/Gaul followed the Gallican Rite*.  Spain had the Mozarabic Rite* and Italy the Ambrosian Rite. In the Brittish Isles there remained a great diversity heavily influenced by various Celtic practices. However the Rite of Salisbury* , called “Sarum” in Latin from which we get the term ‘Sarum Blue’, and the Rite of York were the most popular in England. Although these rites were all in Latin and contained common elements, they still differed in various particulars.

The Roman Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation, a reaction sometimes termed the ‘Catholic’ or ‘Counter’ Reformation, was officially established in the Council of Trent. In addition to enacting moral reforms, this Council strictly called the Catholic observance into more lock-step uniformity. Among its multitude of effects was the codification the colors used for the Liturgical Year as we have them now…   except blue.

Why do we use Sarum Blue at Advent?
[Notice in this depiction where the light emanates from...] 
The use of blue at Advent has many meanings. Like purple it is a royal color reminding us that Jesus is our Lord and King. It is the color of the firmament, the darkened sky. It calls us to remember God’s Creation in the midst of darkness. It bids us look for Christ the Light from Light, who saves us and lightens our darkness. Blue is also the color of Mary, the first Christian. It recalls for us when Mary was overshadowed by God’s divinity, moving over her, dwelling within her, just as God did over the waters of the deep in Creation, just as God does in us through Baptism and God’s Holy Spirit.

Blue is also a color that reminds Anglicans/Episcopalians of our Sarum Catholic roots. Christians are called to unity, but not necessarily uniformity. We were created for both diversity and cohesiveness. Anglicans are at once distinct and also within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are part of God’s family, a family of people so filled with wondrous diversity that only the breadth of God’s loving embrace is able enfold us into Oneness.

As you peer into the deep Blue of Advent, may you recall that the Light is coming into the darkness. God longs for you, to live with you and in you and never be separated from you. God loves you. May you feel the wide and intimate embrace of God’s Love as you prepare for Christmas.

Blessings and prayers,
Fr. James+



*Note: Consequently, our liturgy is heavily influenced by the Sarum and Gallican Rites, both of which are influenced by Celtic liturgies. Protestant influences including some of Martin Luther’s reforms are also present in our liturgies. And the Spanish Mozarabic shows up in a few places, especially in the wild chant of Eucharist Prayer D, which St. Peter’s typically uses at Easter. There is, however, no direct Ambrosian/Italian influence to speak of. 

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