LIVING OUT THE FAITH IN FAMILY LIFE

 

Advent- A time of waiting for Our Lord.

Advent is a time of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. It starts next Sunday. It is a mini Lent. In our culture it can be difficult to hold back Christmas celebrations until Christmas time when we are surrounded by Christmas carol music in the shops and a near endless succession of Christmas breakup parties.

 

Do what you can to keep Advent as a time of waiting. Within your home hold off putting up Christmas decorations  until Christmas Eve or at least the last week of Advent. The Christmas season doesn’t begin until the vigil Mass on Christmas eve. This waiting and preparation symbolises the Israelites awaiting the promised Messiah.

 

This is a time to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ by prayer, some penance, alms giving and striving for personal holiness. We prepare our souls for the threefold coming of Christ. The first, the celebration of his birth in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. The second being Christ present in the blessed sacrament and the third the hoped for meeting in Heaven which is possible because of the coming of the saviour. Plan some extra family prayers and penances during this season. In our family we choose a person to be kind to, to be their “Advent Angel”. They then do small loving things for their chosen person such as making their bed without being noticed or give small gifts or be patient with some of their less endearing habits. Plan to make this a time of spiritual preparation.

 

The Advent Wreath is a beautiful symbol associated with the waiting of Advent. In a wreath of evergreens are placed four blessed candles – the three purple candles symbolising penance. A rose candle is for the third week symbolising the hope that the coming of Our Lord is close. The candles are lit each night during the family rosary or other family prayers. There are special prayers that go with the ritual of lighting of the candles. It is a daily reminder of the season of Advent.

 

Prayers to go with the Advent Wreath.(From: Religious Customs in the Home, Fr F.X. Weiser)

Day 1: Sprinkle the wreath with holy water.

Father or Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord. All: Who made Heaven and Earth.

Father: Let us pray. O God, who by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it, may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord.  All: Amen.

 

Week 1: The first purple candle is lit each night and left burning during prayer time or dinner time.

Father: O Lord, stir up thy power, we beg thee, and come that thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and be saved by thy deliverance. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

 

Week 2 :The first and second candles are lit each night.

Father: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare the ways of thine only begotten son, that through his coming we may be made worthy to serve thee with purified minds. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen

 

 

Virtue for the Month of November- Reverence

“I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9-10)