You are our eternal salvation,
The unfailing light of the world.
Light everlasting,
You are truly our redemption.
Grieving that the human race was perishing
through the tempter’s power,
without leaving the heights
You came to the depths
in Your loving kindness.
Readily taking our humanity
by Your gracious will,
You saved all earthly creatures,
long since lost,
Restoring joy to the world.
Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ,
and so possess us as Your shining dwellings.
By Your first coming, make us righteous;
At Your second coming, set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light
and You judge all things,
We may be clad in spotless robes
and follow in Your steps, O King,
Into the heavenly hall. Amen
Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Three – 18 December
Day Three The Life Of Poverty Which Jesus Led From His Birth.
Reflection: God so ordained that, at the time when His Son was to be born on this earth, the Roman emperor should issue a decree ordering everyone to go to the place of his origin and there be registered in the census. Thus it came about that, in obedience to this decree, Joseph went to Bethlehem together with his virgin wife when she was soon to have her Child. Finding no lodging either in the poor inn or in the other houses of the town, they were forced to spend the night in a cave that was used as a stable for animals and it was here that Mary gave birth to the King of heaven. If Jesus had been born in Nazareth, He would also, it is true, have been born in poverty but there He would at least have had a dry room, a little fire, warm clothes and a more comfortable cradle. Yet He chose to be born in this cold, damp cave and to have a manger for a cradle, with prickly straw for a mattress, in order that He might suffer for us.
Let us enter in spirit into this cave of Bethlehem but let us enter in a spirit of lively faith. If we go there without faith, we shall see nothing but a poor infant and the sight of this lovely child shivering and crying on his rough bed of straw may indeed move us to pity. But if we enter with faith and consider that this Babe is the very Son, God, who for love of us has come down on earth and suffers so much to pay the penalty for our sins, how can we help thanking and loving Him in return?
Prayer: O Dear Infant Jesus, how could I be so ungrateful and offend You so often, if I realised how much You have suffered for me? But these tears which You shed, this poverty which you embraced for love of me, make me hope for the pardon of all the offences I have committed against You. My Jesus, I am sorry for having so often turned my back on You. But now I love You above all else. “My God and my all!” From now on You, O my God, shall be my only treasure and my only good. With Saint Ignatius of Loyola I will say to You, “Give me the grace to love You; that is enough for me.” I long for nothing else; I want nothing else. You alone are enough for me, my Jesus, my life, my love. O Mary, my Mother, obtain for me the grace that I may always love Jesus and always be loved by Him. Amen
Thought for the Day – 18 December – The Memorial of Our Lady of Expectation
The Gospel message on this feast relates the story of the Annunciation. God asks a woman, His creature for a favour to be Mother of His Son and at the same time, He respects her freedom. She is free to say “yes” or “no.” There is a moment of waiting in heaven and on earth – God waits for her answer, the heavenly messenger waits for her answer, the first parents Adam and Eve wait for her answer, all confined in hell wait for her answer. With grateful heart, we thank Mary, the Wise and Prudent Virgin, for saying “yes” to God on our behalf. Her simple words: “Let what you have said be done to me” (Lk 1:38) brought down to us the Saviour and has changed the world forever . She obeyed the Angel, not the Devil and thus she pleased God – “Blessed are you because of your belief that the promise made to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45).
At the offertory, the Church blesses “Our Lady of Expectation” with the Angel’s greeting “Rejoice, so highly favoured. The Lord is with you” (Lk 1:29); “Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42). Mary is doubly blessed – in her virginity and motherhood and thus stands as an ideal and inspiration for every woman single or married. Her virginal womb is blessed with the Divine Life. She is the Mother of every child ever conceived under the mother’s heart. What an example she offers to all expectant mothers to welcome, to nurture life and to bring it to the full maturity of Christ’s humanity. At the same time, we must pray for the end of abortion, the greatest evil in our days and to promote the civilisation of love and family life.
The Holy Virgin Mary, “Our Lady of Expectation”, is a great educator of the Christian family. Christmas is a family celebration. We all want to be home for Christmas. She teaches us how to love and enjoy our own humanity and the humanity of her Son, we celebrate on Christmas Day.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787))
18 December
Jesus made Himself a child to gain our confidence and our love.
“Consider that the Son of God has made Himself little in order to make us great. He has given Himself to us, that we might give ourselves to Him. He has come to show us His love, that we may respond to it by giving Him ours. Let us, therefore, receive Him with affection, let us love Him and call upon Him with all our needs.
“A child gives easily” says St Bernard. Children readily give whatever is asked of them. Jesus came into the world as a child to demonstrate that He was ready and willing to give all. If we wish for light, Jesus has come to enlighten us. If we desire strength, He will strengthen us. If we wish for pardon, He has come to pardon us. In short, He has come to give us all that we need.
O my Jesus, You have descended from heaven to give Yourself entirely to us. How can we turn our backs on You? I have been loved by You and I have also been ungrateful. O my Redeemer, forgive the injuries that I have committed against You.”
Scripture
“It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep….Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.”
Romans 13:11,12
Prayer
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arms.
Advent Action
Are we in the core group of Christians who embody and live the purest form of the Gospel? Or do we find ourselves among the masses that acknowledge Jesus, enjoy being Christian but don’t pursue it at any deep level? The two requirements in the Gospel are that we repent and believe. If we repent, we do no wrong and speak no lies. If we believe with all our hearts, we follow the Star to the Manger. Let these last few days be a time when we begin the journey to the Christmas core – to the Christ Child. “Let us make ourselves ready to celebrate Christmas by contemplating Mary and Joseph- Mary, the woman full of grace who had the courage to entrust herself totally to the Word of God; Joseph, the faithful and just man who chose to believe the Lord rather than listen to the voices of doubt and human pride. With them, let us walk together toward Bethlehem.” ...Pope Francis – Angelus, 22 December 2013
Our Morning Offering – 18 December – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation
Maiden yet a Mother By Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) Tr Msgr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)
Maiden yet a mother,
daughter of thy Son,
high beyond all other,
lowlier is none;
thou the consummation
planned by God’s decree,
when our lost creation
nobler rose in thee!
Thus His place prepared,
he who all things made
‘mid his creatures tarried,
in thy bosom laid;
there His love He nourished,
warmth that gave increase
to the root whence flourished
our eternal peace.
Nor alone thou hearest
When thy name we hail;
Often thou art nearest
When our voices fail;
Mirrored in thy fashion
All creation’s gird,
Mercy, might compassion
Grace thy womanhood.
Lady, let our vision
Striving heavenward, fail,
Still let thy petition
With thy Son prevail,
Unto whom all merit,
prayer and majesty,
With the Holy Spirit
And the Father be.
Maiden Yet A Mother is a translation of a poem by Durante (Dante) degli Alighieri (c 1265–1321). It is based upon the opening verses of Canto 33 of the Paradiso from his Divine Comedy in which St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) praises and prays to the Virgin Mother on behalf of Dante. It was translated from the original Italian into English by the Catholic convert, Monsignior Ronald A Knox (1888-1957).
The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation – 18 December
Like a secret told by angels, getting known upon the earth, is the Mother’s expectation of Messiah’s speedy birth.
Fr F W Faber (1814-1863) “Our Lady’s Expectations”
One of the most inspiring days preceding Christmas is the feast of “Our Lady of Expectation,” unknown to many today but still kept alive in many countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland as well as in a few religious orders. In older editions of missals, this feast is still listed as a votive Mass. The feast is celebrated on the 18 December, a week before Christmas Day.
Our Blessed Lady, well advanced in pregnancy, is portrayed in the highest dignity of her Divine Motherhood. Dressed in royal apparel as daughter of David the King, she awaits with joy the arrival of her divine Son, the Prince of Peace. Her whole posture suggests how she remains wholly consumed in contemplation of her Son under her heart. Her immaculate womb has become a living portable sanctuary of divinity. There are special prayers and novenas to “Our Lady of Expectation” available for women who cannot conceive or bear a child.
We can try to imagine what those nine months were like for The Blessed Virgin, knowing that the Lord grew within her, was one with her. We can only begin to understand the patience she had to possess, looking forward to both the glory and joy of the divine birth. We experience these same feelings—albeit to a lesser extent, no doubt—during this Advent season of preparation. We examine our lives and look forward to the saving grace of our Lord, as mediated by Our Blessed Mother. While the Lord’s plan was first enacted at the moment Mary was conceived without sin and made manifest to the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation, it was made evident to the world at the moment of the Nativity. Prior to that, Mary had seen and heard what others had not and she had only one more week to anticipate the arrival of her son, Our Lord, the Redeemer of the World!
James Tissot – The Magnificat
Our Blessed Mother was the original tabernacle, in which the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Saint Augustine wrote that Mary conceived the Word in her heart before she conceived the Word in her flesh—that as she anticipated the birth of Jesus, her faith grew simultaneously. The second Vatican Council declared that during the time of her pregnancy, the heart of the Incarnate Word beat gently below her immaculate heart – two immaculate hearts, beating silently and prayerfully as one.
We can imagine Mary’s nine-month journey as one of wonder and anticipation but given the circumstances she found herself in, we also know of her difficult journey, the doubts of Saint Joseph, the anxiety that she must have experienced during that time. But Our Blessed Mother demonstrated not only patience but also forbearance and deep trust in the Lord. She knew the road would not be easy—in fact, that her joy would almost certainly be linked to suffering throughout her life—but in hope and confidence placed her life in the Lord’s hands. As she prepared for the birth of Jesus, Mary emptied herself, allowing her body and soul to be filled with the grace and spirit of the Lord. During Advent, we pray for a similar experience, that we might approach the birth of Our Saviour with hope and confidence.
The votive Mass of “Our Lady of Expectation” is theologically enlightening and spiritually enriching for the time of Advent and Christmas. With the entrance antiphon, the Church prays with the prophet for the coming of the Just One from heaven that the earth may be ready to welcome the Saviour: “Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the just. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up” (Is 45:8).
In the opening prayer, the Church offers the prayer to God through Mary’s intercession: “O God who wished that your Word would take the flesh from the womb of the Virgin as announced by the Angel and whom we confess to be the true Mother of God, may we be helped by her intercession.”
Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Two – 17 December
Day Two God’s Love Revealed In His Being Born An Infant.
Reflection:
When the Son of God became man for our sake, He could have come to earth as an adult man from the first moment of of His human existence, as Adam did when he was created. But since the sight of little children draws us with a special attraction to love them, Jesus chose to make His first appearance on earth as a little infant and indeed as the poorest and most pitiful infant that was ever born. “God wished to be born as a little babe,” wrote Saint Peter Chrysologus, “in order that He might teach us to love and not to fear Him.” The prophet Isaiah had long before foretold that the Son of God was to be born as an infant and thus give Himself to us on account of the love He bore us: “A child is born to us, a son is given to us.”
My Jesus, supreme and true God! What has drawn You from heaven to be born in a cold stable, if not the love which You bear for us men? What has allured You from the bosom of Your Father, to place You in a hard manger? What has brought You from Your throne above the stars, to lay You down on a little straw? What has led You from the midst of the nine choirs of angels, to set You between two animals? You, who inflames the seraphim with holy fire, are now shivering with cold in this stable! You, who sets the stars in the sky in motion, cannot now move unless others carry You in their arms! You, who give men and beasts their food, has need now a little milk to sustain Your life! You, who are the joy of heaven, do now whimper and cry in suffering! Tell me, who has reduced You to such misery? “Love has done it,” says Saint Bernard. The love which You bear us men has brought all this on You!
Prayer:
O Dearest Infant! Tell me, what have You come on earth to do? Tell me, whom do You seek? Yes, I already know. You have come to die for me, in order to save me from hell. You have come to seek me, the lost sheep, so that, instead of fleeing from You, I may rest in Your loving arms. Ah my Jesus, my treasure, my life, my love and my all! Whom will I love, if not You? Where can I find a brother, a friend, a spouse more loving and lovable than You are?
I love You, my dear God; I love You, my only good. I regret the many years when I have not loved You but rather spurned and offended You. Forgive me, O my beloved Redeemer; for I am sorry that I have treated You thus and I regret it with all my heart. Pardon me and give me the grace never more to withdraw from You but constantly to love You in all the years that still lie before me in this life. My love, I give myself entirely to You; accept me and do not reject me as I deserve. O Mary, you are my advocate. By your prayers you obtain whatever you wish from your Son. Pray to Him then to forgive me and to grant me holy perseverance until death. Amen
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787))
17 December
The Heart of Jesus in the womb of His Mother
“Consider that whatever Jesus suffered in His life and in His Passion was all placed before Him while He was in the womb of Mary. He accepted everything that was proposed to Him with delight but in accepting all things and in overcoming the natural repugnance of sense, O my God, what anguish and oppression did the innocent heart of Jesus suffer. Our Redeemer accepted each moment even though He continually had before His eyes that confusion which He would one day feel at seeing Himself stripped naked, scourged and suspended by three iron nails, ending His life in the midst of insults and curses. And for what? To save us miserable and ungrateful sinners.
My beloved Redeemer, how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin, which I brought on myself through my sins? What can I do without Your grace? I can do nothing but pray that You will help me but even this prayer comes from the merits of Your suffering and death! O my Jesus, help me!”
Scripture
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1
Prayer
O WISDOM You came forth from the mouth of the Most High and reaching from beginning to end, You ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come and teach us the way of prudence
Advent Action
Time is fast approaching for Eternity to break into time. And today we begin our special preparations to celebrate Your birthday. Your Evangelist, Matthew, begins his Gospel by tracing Your origin as a human being. You did not come to us as bolt from the blue. You fully belong to our human stock. Matthew’s list of Your genealogy is disturbing, if not shocking. Of course, Your ancestors include great patriarchs of the chosen people. But it also includes some of ill repute! It begins with Abraham begetting Isaac. Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, is not in the picture. The story continues with Isaac begetting Jacob and not the elder son Esau. Again, Jacob begets Judah, ignoring Joseph who was obviously the best of the brothers. With these unreasonable choices, Matthew seems to impress on us that often God does not choose the best or the noblest or the saintly. Thank You, Lord, for it is only Your unpredictable graciousness that made You choose me and employ me in Your service! Only by my prayer, ‘O my Jesus, help me’ can I live up to this choice. And so I increase my prayer this week. (Fr Joseph Thena SSP)
Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day One – 16 December
DAY ONE God’s Love Revealed In His Becoming Man.
Reflection:
Because our first parent Adam, had rebelled against God, he was driven out of paradise and brought on himself and all his descendants the punishment of eternal death. But the son of God, seeing man thus lost and wishing to save him from death, offered to take upon Himself our human nature and to suffer death Himself, condemned as a criminal on a cross.
“But, My Son,” we may imagine the eternal Father saying to Him, “think of what a life of humiliations and sufferings You wilt have to lead on earth. You will have to be born in a cold stable and laid in a manger, the feeding trough of beasts.
While still an infant, You will have to flee into Egypt, to escape the hands of Herod.
After Your return from Egypt, You will have to live and work in a shop as a lowly servant,
poor and despised.
And finally, worn out with sufferings, You will have to give up Your life on a cross, put to shame and abandoned by everyone.”
“Father,” replies the Son, “all this matters not. I will gladly bear it all, if only I can save man.”
What should we say if a prince, out of compassion for a dead worm, were to choose to become a worm himself and give his own life blood in order to restore the worm to life? But the eternal Word has done infinitely more than this for us. Though He is the sovereign Lord of the world, He chose to become like us, who are immeasurably more beneath Him than a worm is beneath a prince and He was willing to die for us, in order to win back for us the life of divine grace that we had lost by sin.
When He saw that all the other gifts which He had bestowed on us were not sufficient to induce us to repay His love with love, He became man Himself and gave all of Himself to us.
“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us;” “He loved us and delivered Himself up for us.”
O Great Son of God,
You became man in order to make Yourself loved by men.
But where is the love that men give You in return?
You gave Your life blood to save our souls.
Why then are we so unappreciative that,
instead of repaying You with love,
we spurn You with ingratitude?
And I, Lord, I myself more than others have ill treated You.
But Your Passion is my hope.
For the sake of that love which led You to take upon Yourself
human nature and to die for me on the cross,
forgive me all the offences I have committed against You.
I love You, O Word Incarnate;
I love You, O infinite goodness.
Out of love for You, that I could die of grief for these offences.
Give me, O Jesus, Your love.
Let me no longer live in ungrateful
forgetfulness of the love You bear me.
I wish to love You always.
Grant that I may always preserve in this holy desire.
O Mary, Mother of God and my Mother,
pray for me that Your Son, may give me,
the grace to love Him always, unto death.
Amen.
Sunday Reflections – Gaudete Sunday – The Third Sunday of Advent – 16 December 2018
What is special about the Third Sunday of Advent? For much of the Church’s history, this Sunday had a special name: “Gaudete” Sunday. The traditions surrounding this Sunday go back as far as the fourth or fifth century, as does the season of Advent itself. Advent, our preparation for Christmas, was originally a forty-day penitential season like Lent. In fact, since it used to begin on 12 November (just after the Memorial of St. Martin of Tours), it was called “St Martin’s Lent.” “Gaudete Sunday” was the Advent counterpart to “Laetare Sunday,” which marks the mid-point in Lent.
On Gaudete Sunday, the season of Advent shifts its focus. For the first two weeks of Advent, the focus can be summed up in the phrase, “The Lord is coming.” But beginning with Gaudete Sunday, the summary might be, “The Lord is near.” This shift is marked by a lighter mood and a heightened sense of joyous anticipation.
Liturgically, the colours lighten as well. The priest usually wears rose-coloured vestments, a hue seen only on Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday. On this day, we light the third candle of the Advent wreath, which is also rose-coloured, or if you prefer, pink.
The word “Gaudete” is Latin for “Rejoice.” This celebration is a reminder that God who loves us is still in charge and that we await His coming not with fear but with tremendous joy. Today’s Second Reading, from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians, reflects this joy: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The one exception to the audio barrage of so-called ‘Christmas Hymns’ we hear during Advent, is the simple chant “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This song, with its longing for the coming of the Saviour, genuinely belongs to Advent and not to Christmas.
Its melody is based on Gregorian chant and its verses are all taken from the Church’s “O antiphons.” These antiphons introduce the Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary, in the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours from 17 December through 23 December.
Each antiphon begins with a traditional title for Christ.
They are: “O Wisdom,” “O Leader of the House of Israel
[Adonai],” “O Root of Jesse’s Stem,” “O Key of David,” “O Radiant Dawn,” “O King of all the nations,” and finally, “O Emmanuel” which means “God with us.” Each of these traditional titles for the Messiah connects the coming of Christ with the prophetic writings of the Old Testament.
On the last days of Advent, you may wish to add these “O Antiphons” to your
evening prayer, your prayer at table, or your bedtime prayer.
17 DECEMBER O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge! 18 DECEMBER O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power! 19 DECEMBER O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay! 20 DECEMBER O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness! 21 DECEMBER O Radiant Dawn,
splendour of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. 22 DECEMBER O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! 23 DECEMBER O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
Gaudete Sunday – The Blessing of the Christ Child Figurine
Pope Benedict XVI St Peter’s Square
Third Sunday of Advent, 14 December 2008
This Sunday, the Third Sunday in the Season of Advent, is called “Gaudete Sunday”: “rejoice”, because the Entrance Antiphon of Holy Mass takes up St Paul’s words in the Letter to the Philippians where it says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice”. And immediately after he explains the reason, because “The Lord is at hand” (Phil 4: 4-5). This is the reason for joy. But what does “the Lord is at hand” mean? In what sense must we understand this “closeness” of God? The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians of Philippi, is evidently thinking of Christ’s return and invites them to rejoice because it is certain. Yet, St Paul in his Letter to the Thessalonians, warns that no one can know the moment of the Lord’s coming (cf. 1 Thes 5: 1-2) and puts people on guard against any kind of alarmism, as if Christ’s return were imminent (cf. 2 Thes 2: 1-2).
Thus the Church, illumined by the Holy Spirit, already at that time understood increasingly better that God’s “closeness” is not a question of space and time but rather of love: love brings people together!
This coming Christmas will remind us of this fundamental truth of our faith and in front of the manger we shall be able to savour Christian joy contemplating in the newborn Jesus the Face of God who made Himself close to us out of love.
In this light, it gives me real pleasure to renew the beautiful tradition of the Blessing of the Christ Child figurines, the miniature statues of the Baby Jesus to be placed in the manger. I address you in particular, dear boys and girls of Rome, who have come this morning with your Baby Jesus figurines that I now bless. I invite you to join me, following attentively this prayer:
God, our Father
You so loved humankind
that You sent us Your only Son Jesus,
born of the Virgin Mary,
to save us and lead us back to You.
We pray that with Your Blessing
these images of Jesus,
who is about to come among us,
may be a sign of Your presence and
love in our homes.
Good Father,
give Your Blessing to us too,
to our parents, to our families and
to our friends.
Open our hearts,
so that we may be able to
receive Jesus in joy,
always do what He asks
and see Him in all those
who are in need of our love.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus,
Your beloved Son
who comes to give the world peace.
Thought for the Day – 16 December 2018 – The Third ‘Gaudete’ Sunday of Advent
Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from his Sermon 293
John is the voice but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is the voice that lasts for a time, from the beginning, Christ is the Word who lives forever.
Take away the word, the meaning and what is the voice? Where there is no understanding, there is only a meaningless sound. The voice without the word strikes the ear but does not build up the heart.
However, let us observe what happens when we first seek to build up our hearts. When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart. When I want to speak to you, I look for a way to share with your heart what is already in mine.
In my search for a way to let this message reach you, so that the word already in my heart may find a place also in yours, I use my voice to speak to you. The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then passes away. The word which the sound has brought to you is now in your heart and yet it is still also in mine.
When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say – the word ought to grow and I should diminish? The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word and has gone away, as though it were saying – my joy is complete. Let us hold on to the word; we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.
Do you need proof that the voice passes away but the divine Word remains? Where is John’s baptism today? It served its purpose and it went away. Now it is Christ’s baptism that we celebrate. It is in Christ that we all believe, we hope for salvation in Him. This is the message the voice cried out.
Because it is hard to distinguish word from voice, even John himself was thought to be the Christ. The voice was thought to be the word. But the voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offence to the word. I am not the Christ, he said, nor Elijah, nor the prophet. And the question came: Who are you, then? He replied: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness – Prepare the way for the Lord!
The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence. Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying: “I speak out in order to lead Him into your hearts but He does not choose to come where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him.”
To prepare the way means to pray well – it means thinking humbly of oneself. We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ, he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.
If he had said, “I am the Christ,” you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke. But he did not say it, he acknowledged what he was. He pointed out clearly who he was; he humbled himself.
He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp and his fear was that it might be blown out, by the wind of pride.”
“The very Son of God, older than the ages, the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal, the beginning of beginning, the light of light, the fountain of life and immortality, the image of the archetype, the immovable seal, the perfect likeness, the definition and word of the Father: He it is who comes to His own image and takes our nature for the good of our nature and unites Himself to an intelligent soul for the good of my soul, to purify like by like.”
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Church
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
16 December – Gaudete Sunday
God has given His only Son to save us
“Consider, that the eternal Father has given His Son to the world, for the light and life of all people, in order that He might win salvation. Consider also, that the Father, in sending His Son to be our Redeemer and Mediator has, in a certain sense, bound Himself to forgive us and love us. On the other hand, the divien Word, having accepted the invitation of His Father, has also bound Himself to love us – not for our own merits but rather, to fulfil the merciful will of His Father.”
Scripture
Have no anxiety about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
O infinite God
and only love of my soul,
I thank You,
for having given me Your Son.
For the sake of this same Son,
accept me
and bind me with chains of love
to my Redeemer.
Amen
Advent Action
We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy that comes from knowing our Lord’s coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping in the background of our everyday lives.
His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives. His mission is for us. It is “good news,” full of healing, liberty and release. We can smile today as we imagine the freedom He has won for us and how liberating it will be to live it, with Him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise and to follow His mission in our lives.
Jesus will come again, very soon!
St Adelard of Cysoing
St Ado of Vienne
Bl Adolphus of Tunis
Bl Arnaldo of Tunis
St Albina of Caesarea
St Ananias
St Azarias
St Bean of Lough Derg
St Beoc
Bl Clemente Marchisio
St Dominic Dosso
Bl Elizabeth of Saint Francis
Bl Filip Siphong Onphithakt
St Irenion
Bl James of Tunis
Bl Jaume Mases Boncompte
St Jean Wauthier
St Macarius of Collesano
Bl Mary Fontanella
St Misael
St Nicholas Chrysoberges
Bl Raynald de Bar
Bl Sebastian Maggi OP (1414–1496)
—
Martyred Women of North-West Africa: A large group of women martyred in the persecutions of Hunneric, Arian King of the Vandals. 482 in North-West Africa.
Martyrs of Ravenna – (4 saints): A group of Christians martyred together. Four names and no other information has survived – Agricola, Concordius, Navalis and Valentine. c 305 at Ravenna, Italy.
Thought for the Day – 15 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent
The Word of the Lord will come to us – The Threefold Coming of the Lord
St Bernard Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
We know that the coming of the Lord is threefold – the third coming is between the other two and it is not visible in the way they are. At His first coming the Lord was seen on earth and lived among men, who saw Him and hated Him. At His last coming All flesh shall see the salvation of our God and They shall look on Him whom they have pierced. In the middle, the hidden coming, only the chosen see Him and they see Him within themselves and so their souls are saved. The first coming was in flesh and weakness, the middle coming is in spirit and power and the final coming will be in glory and majesty.
This middle coming is like a road that leads from the first coming to the last. At the first, Christ was our redemption, at the last, He will become manifest as our life but in this middle way He is our rest and our consolation.
If you think that I am inventing what I am saying about the middle coming, listen to the Lord Himself: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my words and the Father will love him and we shall come to him.” Elsewhere I have read: Whoever fears the Lord does good things – but I think that what was said about whoever loves Him was more important, that whoever loves Him will keep His words. Where are these words to be kept? In the heart certainly, as the Prophet says I have hidden your sayings in my heart so that I do not sin against you. Keep the word of God in that way – Blessed are those who keep it. Let it penetrate deep into the core of your soul and then flow out again in your feelings and the way you behave, because if you feed your soul well it will grow and rejoice. Do not forget to eat your bread, or your heart will dry up. Remember and your soul will grow fat and sleek.
If you keep God’s word like this, there is no doubt that it will keep you, for the Son will come to you with the Father, the great Prophet will come, who will renew Jerusalem and He is the one who makes all things new. For this is what this coming will do, just as we have been shaped in the earthly image, so will we be shaped in the heavenly image. Just as the old Adam was poured into the whole man and took possession of him, so in turn will our whole humanity be taken over by Christ, who created all things, has redeemed all things and will glorify all things.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent
“Into this world, this demented inn in which there is absolutely no room for Him at all, Christ comes uninvited.”
Thomas Merton OCSO (1915-1968)
“At this Christmas, when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent, by loving and serving the others, with God’s own love and concern.”
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
15 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent
The greatest sorrow of Jesus
“Consider Jesus, who revealed to the Venerable Agatha of the Cross, that which afflicted Him more than any other sorrow was hardness of the hearts of humanity. This sorrow, was the bitter chalice that Jesus begged the Father to remove from Him, saying, “Let this chalice pass from me. ” What chalice? The contempt with which His love was treated. Our Lord revealed to St Catherine of Siena that this was the reason that He exclaimed from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
Knowing this sorrow, let us change our will, repent of our sins and resolve to love God. In this way, we shall then find peace, that is, the divine friendship that we seek. We beg the Lord for the necessary grace to execute what we propose. We call upon our Blessed Lady and ask that she not cease to pray until we are changed and made into what God wishes us to be.”
Scripture “So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Matthew 17:12b
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
“O my most amiable Jesus,
how much have I caused You to suffer?
In the future,
I will love You above all things,
ready to give up my life a thousand times,
in order to accomplish Your will.
Mary Holy Mother,
I beg your prayer and loving care.
Please help us all.
Amen”
Advent Action
Today’s Scriptures encourage us to look for the signs of Jesus, who will restore life to us. “Lord, help me see the signs of Your coming. Let me not be blinded by the glare of business or the millions of lights in malls and on trees. Rather, let me look for You in the small things of the day, with my heart longing for You. “Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb. He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith. He will dwell forever, in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul.” [Blessed Isaac of Stella (c 1100-1170) Cistercian Monk] Amen!”
“Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned Your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with You. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into Your redeeming embrace”.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
14 December – Friday of the Second week of Advent
Jesus suffers so much in order to gain our hearts
“Consider that Jesus suffered for our love. During His entire life, He had no other purpose than the glory of God and our salvation. Even though He could have saved us without suffering, He chose to embrace a life of suffering. He was poor, despised and deprived of every comfort, with a death that was more desolate and bitter than any death ever endured by a martyr or penitent. All of this, was done for the sole purpose of helping us understand the greatness of His love for us.
Saint Bonaventure exclaims, ‘It is a wonder to see a God endure such sufferings, shedding tears in a stable, poor in a workshop, languishing on a cross, in short afflicted and troubled His whole life, all because of His love for sinful humanity.'”
Scripture “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”
Isaiah 48:17
Prayer (St Alphonsus)
“O sovereign God,
help me not to be ungrateful
for all that You have given me.
Help me to die in love with You.
Mary, my hope, help me.
Pray to Jesus for me.”
Advent Action
“O my Lord Jesus, whose love for me has been so great as to bring You down from heaven to save me, teach me, dear Lord, my sin—teach me its heinousness—teach me truly to repent of it—and pardon it in Your great mercy! I beg You, O my dear Saviour, to recover me! Your grace alone can do it. I cannot save myself. I cannot recover my lost ground. I cannot turn to You, I cannot please You, or save my soul without You. I shall go from bad to worse, I shall fall from You entirely, I shall quite harden myself against my neglect of duty, if I rely on my own strength. I shall make myself my centre instead of making it in You. I shall worship some idol of my own framing instead of You, the only true God and my Maker, unless You hinder it by Your grace. O my dear Lord, hear me! I have lived long enough in this undecided, wavering, unsatisfactory state. I wish to be Your good servant. I wish to sin no more. Be gracious to me and enable me to be what I know I ought to be.”…Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
13 December – Thursday of the Second week of Advent
Jesus suffers during His whole life
“Consider that all the sufferings that Jesus endured in His life and death were all present to Him from the first moment of His life. Consider that even from His childhood, He began to offer them to fulfil His role as our Redeemer. What martyrdom did the loving heart of Jesus constantly endure in beholding all sins of humankind! Saint Thomas says that the sorrow which Jesus felt, at the knowledge of the injury dome to His Father and of the evil that sin would cause to the souls that He loved, surpassed the sorrow of all contrite sinners that ever existed.
St Margaret of Cortona, never ceased to shed tears for her sins. One day her confessor said to her, “no more tears, Margaret, it is enough, our Lord has already forgiven you,” “What”, answered the saint, “how can my tears and my sorrows suffice for the sins which my Jesus was afflicted all His life long?”
My beloved Redeemer, I thank You! I could die of sorrow when I think of how I have abused Your infinite goodness. Forgive me, my Love and come and take entire possession of my heart.”
Scripture “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and men of violence, take it by force.”
Matthew 11:12
Prayer
Lord God,
true Light and Creator of Light,
empty us today
of the many worldly distractions
that lead us from You.
The darkness of our heart
is our enemy and we are beleaguered.
Help us Lord, that faithfully
seeking all that is holy,
and begging Your grace,
we may ever live in the
splendour of Your presence.
Amen
Advent Action
“Saint Paul teaches: “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the unseen powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens,” (Eph 6:12). Like Joshua, let us set out to war, attacking the greatest city in the world, namely wickedness and let us throw down the arrogant walls of sin. Would you look around for which path to take, which battlefield to choose? No doubt you will find my words extraordinary; nevertheless, they are true – limit your quest to yourself alone. In you lies the combat you are going to engage, within yourself the structure of evil and sin to pull down, your enemy emerges from the depths of your heart. It is not I who say this but Christ. Listen to him: “From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy” (Mt 15:19). Do you realise the power of this enemy force that advances against you from the depths of your heart? Those are our real enemies.”…Origen (c.185-253)
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
12 December – Wednesday of the Second week of Advent
Jesus is charged with the sins of the whole world
“Consider that the divine Word, in taking on the human form, chose not only to take the form of a sinner but also, to bear the sins of all humanity. What must have been the anguish of the heart of the infant Jesus when He discovered that divine justice insisted that He make full satisfaction for each sin! Our Lord once showed to St Catherine of Siena, the hideousness of single venial sin and such was the dread and sorrow of the saint, that she fell senseless to the gound! What then, must have been the suffering of the infant Jesus when He saw before Him, the immense array of all the crimes of history?
My beloved Jesus, I who offended You am not worthy of Your favours. Help me, O Lord, to make that act of contrition, which I now intend to do. You do not deserve to be offended, my Jesus but rather, to be loved. My blessed Redeemer, help me.”
Scripture “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29
Prayer
O Lord,
we come to You.
We are burdened and struggling.
Our sins afflict and wound You
and ourselves.
We love You Lord Jesus,
our love above all things.
We repent with our whole hearts.
Never permit us to separate
ourselves from You again.
Grant that we may always love You
and sin no more.
O Jesus, our holy Saviour,
in Your gracious kindness,
supply what is wanting in us.
Lift us up on Your wings, O Lord.
Amen
Advent Action
Our Scripture presents us with the anchor that never rusts, the eagle that always carries us, the lamb that lifts our burdens. In the midst of the Advent rush, let us rely on the Lord to renew our strength and to carry our burdens. Let us take a break to turn our hearts each day to Him, to stop and rest and pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
11 December – Tuesday of the Second week of Advent
Jesus, suffering servant, in the womb of His mother
“Consider, as the prophet Isaiah once proclaimed, that Jesus is the ‘suffering servant’ and from His infancy began to endure the greatest sorrows. Even from the womb of Mary, Jesus Christ accepted obediently, the will of His Father. He foresaw the scourges, the thorns, the blows, the nails and the cross on which He offered His life. He suffered a continual martyrdom and He offered every moment for us, to His eternal Father. But what afflicted Him more than any other suffering, was the malice of every sin, when He saw the immense number that would be committed.
My sweetest Redeemer, when shall I begin to be grateful to You for Your infinite goodness? When shall I begin to acknowledge the love that You bear for me and the sorrows that You endured for me? Shall I continue to live an ungrateful life? No, my Jesus, by the help of Your grace, it shall not be so.”
Scripture
“He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye, no beauty to draw us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, knowing pain, Like one from whom you turn your face, spurned and we held him in no esteem.”
Isaiah 53:2-3
Prayer
Thank You, my Lord, for looking for me.
Thank You, my Lord, for finding me.
Thank You, my Lord, for telling me
“it is never the will of my Father,
that one of these little ones should perish.”
This explains why
You assumed our human nature
and suffered so much for us.
Thank You, my Lord,
for Your reckless love.
Thank You, my Lord,
for saving me!
Amen
Advent Action
Our Scripture today, overflows with hope. In the Gospel, Jesus proclaims that He, personally, will rescue us. Even if we are the only one lost, He will come after us. “So it is not the will of my Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Are we in trouble, lost, confused and overwhelmed? Tell Jesus! He fulfils His promise to rescue us.
Our Morning Offering – 11 December – Tuesday of the Second week of Advent
Grant us Your Light, O Lord By St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (From ‘On the Apocalypse’)
Grant us Your light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the light of Christ.
For Christ is that morning star,
who, when the night of this world has passed,
brings to His saints,
the promised light of life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
10 December – Monday of the Second week of Advent
God’s Son demonstrates His love in the Redemption
“Consider that the eternal Word is so infinitely happy that even the salvation of all humankind could not have added anything to this happiness or diminished it in any way. Consider also, that despite this, He has nevertheless suffered so much for us – only God is capable of loving to such excess humankind, who is so unworthy of being loved.
A devout mother once wrote ‘if Jesus Christ had permited us to ask Him to give us the greatest proof of His love, who would have asked that He should become a child, that He should clothe Himself with all of our miseries and make Himself poor, despised and ill-treated, even to being put to death by the hands of an executioner and to be cursed and forsaken by all?’
O my Jesus, I am a poor creature and I was lost through my sins but You came to save the lost. What then should I fear, if I am willing to amend my life and become Yours?”
Scripture
“But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”, He said to the man who was paralysed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose before them and took up that on which he lay and went home, glorifying God.”
Luke 5:24-25
Prayer
Almighty Lord and God
do not let us turn aside to any sin
but let our every thought,
word and deed,
aim at doing what is pleasing in Your sight.
Protect us by Your power,
even as You have enable us to begin it.
Guide our feet in the ways of Your happiness.
Accept our prayers for our neighbour in need.
Amen
Advent Action
In today’s Gospel Jesus gives life to the dead limbs of a paralytic. In Jesus, all the prophecies of life springing from our ‘dead limbs’ find their fulfilment and become alive. Blessed was this paralytic who had such wonderful friends who were so convinced of the power of Jesus. Thank you Lord, for all the good friends who have helped me to come into Your presence when my spirit was numb and paralysed. Let us add all those in trials to our daily Advent prayer. For the prayers on behalf of others, brings us all together to become sharers in the faith of the Saints and of the whole Church. Let us pray for all those in need, each day of Advent.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent
God sent the Son to restore us to life.
“Consider that sin is the death of the soul, because this enemy of God deprives us of divine grace, which is the life of the soul. Therefore, we miserable sinners, were dead and condemned but God, through the immense love which the Father bears for us, determined to restore us to life. How die He accomplish this? He sent His only-begotten Son into the world to die, so that by His death, God might restore us to life.
Behold our Redeemer who has come “so that we might have life to the full.” For this purpose, Jesus accepted death, so that He might give us life. It is reasonable that we should live only in God. It is reasonable that Jesus should be the only sovereign of our heart, since He has spent His blood for us.”
Scripture
“Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways shall be made smooth and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Luke 3:5-6
“O my God! Who would be so ungrateful a wretch, as to believe that Jesus died to secure the love of sinful humanity and yet refuse to love Him.”
Prayer
Almighty and merciful God,
let neither our daily work
nor the cares of this life,
prevent us from hastening
to meet Your Son.
Lord, make straight
the winding ways within us.
Draw us to repent!
Enlighten us with Your wisdom
and lead us into His company,
that we may love Him
and do homage to Him.
Amen
ADVENT ACTION
It is John the Baptist coming out of the desert breathing the fire of repentance, dressed like an animal, who is the one preparing and making ready. This hints to us that the rest of the gift (Jesus at Christmas) will not be the perfect, shining diamond we would like but will represent the rougher side of life. The poor, the lame, the outcast and the sick will be part of the experience of the Christ Child in the stable and the adult Christ on the roads of Galilee. We are asked to prepare and to be ready, to accept this rough gift this Christmas!
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori – 8 December – The First Saturday of Advent
The Son of God was laden with all our sins
Consider the humble state which the Son of God freely chose to assume. He not only took upon Himself the form of a slave but also, the form of a sinful servant “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Therefore, St Bernard writes, “He not only assumed the form of a servant but even that of a wicked servant.” And thus, in this way, He presented Himself to His Father, even from His birth, as a criminal and a debtor, guilty of all of our sins and, as such, was condemned to die as a malefactor, accursed on a cross.
Scripture All things came to be through him and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life and this life was the light of the human race
John 1:3-4
“Behold the man” the Eternal Father, seems to say to all of us, showing Jesus to us in the stable of Bethlehem. “This poor child whom you behold, laid in a manager for beasts and stretched on straw, is my beloved Son, who has come into the world to take upon Himself your sins and your sorrows – love Him because He is infinitely worthy of your love and you are under an infinite obligation to do so.”
O my innocent Redeemer, enlighten the minds of those who do not know You or who do not love You.
PRAYER
Good and gracious God,
I sincerely thank and praise You for loving me.
Your love is the joy of my life.
Lord, help me to love You and others totally.
Take away any malice or bitterness in my life.
Help me love as Your Son, Jesus, loved.
And to love Him as my Life!
Amen
ADVENT ACTION
Remember the Babe in the Manger, keep Him before your eyes and you will not be able to forget what our sins do.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori 3 December – Monday of the First Week of Advent
Fullness of Grace
Behold the happy time is come which was called the designated time: “When the designated time had come, God sent his Son…to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it” (Gal 4:4). It is called the fullness of time because of the fullness of grace which the Son of God came to communicate to [us] by the redemption of the world.
THE INCARNATION, BIRTH AND INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST Scripture Brothers [and sisters]: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. [Amen.] Finally, brothers [and sisters], we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus...1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2
PRAYER
Lord, it is my hope that I may always be in “your will
and way.”
Sometimes I am selfish with my time and my own desires.
Today, help me sort out things in my life.
I need to make You the first priority in my life
and not the things that really do not matter.
Assist me in conducting myself in ways that are most pleasing to You.
Lord, it is my desire to live more for You this day.
Amen.
ADVENT ACTION
Advent is a time to practice patience. Today, be patient with yourself and those around you. Spiritual growth is tender, it is holy ground. There is simply no greater investment.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
2 December – The First Sunday of Advent
Day 1
The Redeeming Plan
“Consider how God allowed 4,000 years to pass after the sin of Adam before He sent His Son on earth to redeem the world. And in the meantime, what fatal darkness reigned on the earth! The true God was not known or adored, except in one small corner of the world. Idolatry reigned everywhere; devils and beasts and stones were adored as gods.…If Jesus Christ had come into the world immediately after the Fall of Adam, the greatness of this favour would have been but slightly appreciated. Let us, therefore, thank the goodness of God for having sent us into the world, after, the great work of redemption was accomplished.”St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
THE INCARNATION, BIRTH AND INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST Scripture The days are coming—oracle of the LORD—when I will fulfil the promise made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days, at that time, I will make a just shoot spring up for David; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; this is the name they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”…Jeremiah 33:14–16
PRAYER
Creator and creating God, You give me such a delightful and wholesome gift in a new beginning. Pride, rebellion and temptation called to me and I pulled away from You. These identical issues continue to cause sin in the lives of Your people.
Rather than true confession, like the first Adam, I seek
to blame others for the troubles in my life.
Forgive me of my sins.
Allow me to begin this Advent sojourn, by restoring me to a fresh start and new beginning with and in You. Amen.
ADVENT ACTION
Whatever is at the centre of your life will be the source of your security, peace, wisdom, and power. Decide today to make Jesus the centre and source of everything in your life.
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
St Andrew’s Christmas Novena – The Christmas Anticipation Prayer
The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is often called simply the “Christmas Novena” or the “Christmas Anticipation Prayer” because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle today, 30 November, until Christmas. It is an ideal Advent devotion – the First Sunday of Advent is the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew.
While the novena is tied to the Feast of Saint Andrew, it is not actually addressed to Saint Andrew but to God Himself, asking Him to grant our request in honour of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can say the prayer all 15 times, all at once, or divide up the recitation as necessary (perhaps five times at each meal).
Prayed as a family, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is a very good way to help focus the attention of your children on the Advent season. In no time, you will all have memorised it and be able to focus totally on the actual words. In a family, it is a great idea to allow each member to insert their petitions in rotation.
Let us Pray!
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment, in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, ………………… [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ and of His blessed Mother. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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