Christmas is a week away,” Pope Francis reminded those present for the weekly General Audience, inviting them to ask themselves “how am I preparing to celebrate the birth of the Lord?”
A simple, but effective way, he told them, is to make a crib.
This, he told them, is exactly what he did: “I went to Greccio, where Saint Francis set up the first crib, with the people who lived there. And I wrote a letter recalling the significance of this tradition.”
The Pope went on to describe the crib as a kind of living Gospel that “brings the Gospel into the places of our lives: our homes, schools, workplaces, community centers, hospitals and clinics, prisons and squares.”
It reminds us, the Pope said, of how the Lord showed His love for us by being born as one of us.
To make a crib, he continued, “is to celebrate God’s closeness, and to rediscover that He is real, concrete and alive,” and the baby Jesus with open arms tells us that God came to embrace us in our humanity.
It is nice, the Pope said, to stand before the crib and share our daily, lives, hopes and concerns with the Lord.
Then, he went on to speak of the other figures in the crib: Mary and St. Joseph who symbolise the joys, worries and harmony of family life.
Readings for Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Is 7:10-14. Ps 23:1-6, R/ v7, 10. Lk 1:26-38. www.catholicbishops.ie/readings
Samson and John are specially chosen messengers whose births are announced by an angel. Each of us is a messenger to tell the praise of God’s glory every day. ‘Root of Jesse, do not delay to come and save us.’
The “O Antiphons”
The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, December 17-23, with December 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.
The exact origin of the “O Antiphons” is not known. Boethius (c. 480-524) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. At the Benedictine abbey of Fleury (now Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each member of the community. By the eighth century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome. The usage of the “O Antiphons” was so prevalent in monasteries that the phrases, “Keep your O” and “The Great O Antiphons” were common sayings. We might conclude that in some fashion the “O Antiphons” have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early Church.
The importance of “O Antiphons” is twofold: Each one highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel. Also, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.
View video below here to listen to today’s Antiphon O Clavis David (O Key of David).
Audio: Advent Thought for the Day
Each day during Advent we are bringing you an audio Thought for the Day on a different theme. Today’s Thought for the Day is a Prayer for Our Earth taken from Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical on Care for Our Common Home. The prayer is read by Joe Long.
Click below to listen to the audio:
The Words of Pope Francis
“Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!”.
Thus begins the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christus vivit (Christ is alive) by Pope Francis published in April. This year’s Advent Calendar is featuring Pope Francis’ words from Christus vivit which he has addressed to young people , and to the entire People of God and published on 2 April 2019. In the document, the Pope explains that he allowed himself to be “inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations of the Synod” on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment which took place in the Vatican in October 2018.
Today’s excerpt follows:
126. See Jesus as happy, overflowing with joy. Rejoice with him as with a friend who has triumphed. They killed him, the holy one, the just one, the innocent one, but he triumphed in the end. Evil does not have the last word. Nor will it have the last word in your life, for you have a friend who loves you and wants to triumph in you. Your Saviour lives.
#LivingAdvent 2019
During Advent are sharing family prayers and suggestions for acts of kindness or charity that all of us are encouraged to undertake during the month of December. The Advent Calendar is also also offering tips on how families can care for our common home by having a more sustainable Christmas.
Advent Random Act of Kindness
Do something to help someone who is feeling poorly in your family or someone who is sick in hospital.
Let’s Be Family – Act of Charity
Support families in need this Christmas. Give what you can to local parish food banks.
Advent Prayers
Our Prayer Intentions for the Day to Pray Together
1. We pray for our Church;
that it will preach faith to all nations
in honour of Jesus’ name.
2. We pray for those who are travelling
at this time of year;
that they will arrive safely
to their destination.
An Advent Family Prayer
Loving God,
as your light grows in the dark of winter,
brings its gifts of hope, peace, joy and love to our world.
Just as you sent the star of Bethlehem to lead the way to your Son,
guide us to follow your ways of justice and peace.
As we remember the journey of Mary and Joseph,
may the Holy Family be a source of courage for our family,
inspiring us to read out in friendship to all those in need.
Help us to see in the Christ child this Christmas
the one who came to end all divisions.
And may the Lord bless us
and keep us safe today and always.
AMEN
Blessing of the Christmas Tree in the Home
This blessing can be prayed on the day that
the family puts up the Christmas tree. Once
the lights are ready to be switched on, the
prayer can begin:
All make the Sign of the Cross
A member of the family turns the lights of
the tree on and the blessing is then recited:
Lord our God,
We praise you for the light of creation:
The sun, the moon, and the stars of the
night.
We praise you for the light of Israel:
The Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of
the Scriptures.
We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son:
he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of
Peace,
Who fills us with the wonder of your love.
Lord God,
Let your blessing come upon us as we
illumine this tree.
May the light and cheer it gives us be a sign
of the joy that fills our hearts.
May all who delight in this tree come to the
knowledge and joy of salvation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Friday Penance during Advent
Make a special effort at family prayer. Make the Stations of the Cross. Do something to help the poor, sick or lonely.
Advent Music
Concordia Choir singing Wake, Awake, For Night Is Flying. Conductor, Rene Clausen.
From The Concordia Choir -Folk Songs, Spirituals & Hymns CD..
