▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁today , ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁spiritual ▁and ▁symbol ic ▁significance ▁within ▁the ▁church . ▁Follow ers , ▁following ▁the ▁rules ▁govern ed ▁by ▁the ▁church , ▁would ▁often ▁fast ▁during ▁these ▁times . ▁St . ▁Gregory ▁the ▁Great ▁( 5 9 0 - 6 0 4 CE ) ▁wrote ▁a ▁ser mon ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁Sunday ▁of ▁Advent ▁in ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁his ▁hom il ies . ▁With ▁this ▁evidence , ▁it ▁is ▁understood ▁that ▁the ▁Advent ▁was ▁celebrated ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Christ ▁I ’ s ▁composition ▁and ▁celebrated ▁within ▁the ▁church . ▁The ▁lyr ics , ▁playing ▁off ▁the ▁Latin ▁anti ph ons , ▁are ▁poetry ▁comment ing ▁on ▁this ▁period ▁of ▁symbol ic ▁prepar ation . ▁ ▁Classification ▁ ▁The ▁selection ▁known ▁as ▁Christ ▁I ▁is ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁being ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁work ▁known ▁as ▁“ the ▁Cy new ulf ▁group ”. ▁ ▁This ▁set ▁of ▁po ems ▁compr ises ▁four ▁works ▁by ▁the ▁author ▁Cy new ulf ▁( El ene , ▁Jul iana , ▁Christ ▁II , ▁and ▁F ata ▁Apost ol orum ) ▁ ▁and ▁eight ▁by ▁other ▁authors ▁( And reas ▁and ▁The ▁Dream ▁of ▁the ▁Ro od ▁from ▁the ▁Ver cel li ▁Book , ▁and ▁Christ ▁I , ▁Christ ▁III , ▁G uth lac ▁A ▁and ▁B , ▁The ▁Phoenix , ▁and ▁Phys i olog us ▁from ▁the ▁Ex eter ▁Book ). ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁Christ ▁I ▁poem ▁is ▁generally