How blessed we are as Catholics to live the ebbs and flows of
the liturgical year. After a long period of ordinary time, we as a church move
into the expectant time of waiting; a time of preparing our hearts for the one
who is to come. The readings for this season give us hints of the prophets,
those who listened to the voice of God and shared His message with the people.
They speak to us today, illuminating our lives and our faith. The youngest
children in the atrium hear five short prophecies proclaimed during their three
years in the atrium. The six to nine year old children revisit those five
prophecies while beginning to synthesize their messages and add two more
prophecies from Isaiah to the list. By the time the children are in 4th grade,
they are ready to study four of the prophets more deeply, learning about the
prophets' call and their struggles, along with the contents of the prophecies.
As for me, I'm happy to count these Old Testament heroes among my friends -
they inspire me and give me hope as I ask myself "Am I ready for the coming of Christ?"
I do love this quiet time of waiting – the build up of anticipation
for the coming of of our Lord. It reminds me of my own pregnancies, joyfully
anticipating a new sweet babe. It also mirrors watching those children grow and seeing glimpses of the life that is yet to come.
Below are some notes I compiled for the first Sunday of
Advent:
CCC 524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she
makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the
long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent
desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth
and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: “He must increase, but
I must decrease.”
Simple Advent Wreath Blessing:
Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Leader: O God, by whose Word all things are sanctified, pour
forth Your blessing upon this wreath and grant that we who use it may prepare
our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from You abundant graces.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
The wreath would then be sprinkled with Holy water,if you have
some at home.
Leader: Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent, give light to
our eyes and peace to our hearts. May the Lord find us watching and waiting in
joy when He comes. We pray in Jesus' name.
All: Amen.
Some links to peruse:
Prayers for each day of Advent
Last year's post on the First Sunday of Advent
"The one true God, ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,’ is not a God who is there in Heaven, unconcerned with us and our history, but he is the-God-who-comes. He is a Father who never stops thinking of us and, in the extreme respect of our freedom, desires to meet us and visit us; he wants to come, to dwell among us, to stay with us. His ‘coming’ is motivated by the desire to free us from evil and death, from all that prevents our true happiness. God comes to save us." ~ Pope Benedict XVI Dec. 2006
