Timer expired
Day 1 – Start with scripture
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
On the first Sunday of Advent we light the first Advent candle, known as the the Prophecy Candle. It represent looking forward with hope.
Read this Gospel passage. Think about the images.
V/. Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke
R/. Glory to You O Lord
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke 21:25-28
R/. Praise to you, O Lord Jesus Christ.
Spend some time in pairs or threes and talk about the question below. When you’re finished share them with the whole form and see where the dialogue takes you.
Listening to the Gospel, we might not see any reason to hope. The images and ideas can be upsetting. So where is the hope?
Click below to “Add Comment” and capture some of what has been said in your form for others to see.
Lord, as Advent begins, open our hearts to Your promises. Help us to live with hope, not only for the future but for the ways You are working in our lives today.
May we always remain faithful and vigilant for Your coming.
Amen.
We make our prayer in the name Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sts Peter and Paul: Pray for us.
Day 2 – The Angelus
We invite you to make the sign of the cross.
This prayer devotion is a specific reminder of the Incarnation, when God became man to save us. Feel free to either follow along with the clip or use the text below it. We will pray the Angelus every week during Advent.
V/. is for the teacher/leader. R/. is everyone else.
V/. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
Blessed are you amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
V/. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R/. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
Hail Mary…
V/. And the Word was made flesh, (Pause. Bow or genuflect)
R/. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
V/. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day 3 – Uncle David tells the same story….again
Class task: You will be given a knotted rope. You have 15 seconds to untie it. Pass the rope to the person next to you, their task is to tie as many knots in it as possible, again in 15 seconds. Repeat. (several times)
Christmas is a time for being sorry for our failures. Like Lent, the liturgical colour is purple, but it is also a time of great hope and joy. The realities of spending Christmas with each of our families can be dramatically different, and not always in a good way. Difficult relationships, frustration and the same events happening over and over again. Eating too much and arguing. Maybe ‘hiding’ in the digital world of TikTok and X. It can seem like a pointless exercise.
If, however, we focus on the real meaning of Christmas, and hope in the real person of Christmas, things can be wonderfully different. Instead of anger, frustration and boredom, we can experience love and friendship with God Himself. If we keep Christ in Christmas, it will be a happy one.
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
19 comments