Advent Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. O God, you are great indeed. Look upon us and reveal your glory, promised to Abraham
and sent to us through David and his lineage. Send us the warmth of your love, the light of your Word, the
vision of your wisdom, and the comfort of your people. Open our hearts in welcome and grant us your salvation.
Fill our minds with watchful hope and let us see your kindness. Give us new life, the promise and joy of
salvation. May the glory of your Son dwell in our land forever. We pray: Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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OUR FASCINATING FAITH
The Season of Advent
What are we really waiting for
during Advent? The longstanding
tradition of the Church is that the
Advent season really marks not one
but three comings of Christ: his
coming into history two thousand
years ago, his coming in glory at
the end of time, and his coming
into our hearts here and now.
Advent starts with a focus on the
future coming of Christ so that we
might see the big picture.
If Christmas is to make any
sense at all, we have to ask the
question, “What are you doing to
get ready for the (final) coming of
Christ?” This perspective opens us
up to the sense of anticipation
experienced by the Jewish people
on the eve of the first coming of
Christ. This Advent, we will hear
John the Baptist tell them (and us)
how best to prepare. He urges
repentance and an examination
and reform of our way of life.
Then on the Fourth Sunday, we
are drawn in to the history of
Jesus’ arrival as the child of Joseph
and Mary. Our work of spiritual
preparation brings us to the point
of the whole season. What good is
it that Christ comes into my heart if
I don’t then carry that presence out
into the world, just as Mary did?
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.
PEOPLE OF THE LIGHT
We are called to reflect the
light of God’s love through the
ways in which we live our lives.
Imagine the impact if each of us
took this call to heart, every day,
at home, work, or school, in our
parish, in the world. “All nations
shall stream toward it,” toward
the love that only comes from
God. Yet, we must admit that
much of the time we fail to be
beacons of God’s light. We fall
asleep, complacent, preferring
to go the easy route, which often
leads to darkness rather than
the radiance of Christ’s light. As
we begin the season of Advent,
Saint Paul admonishes us to
throw off the works of darkness,
to awaken to the call of light and
love. In today’s Gospel, Jesus
too tells us to stay awake, to be
prepared to greet the Lord of
light as people of the light .
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., I