Digital Advent Calendar

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. In Catholic churches around the world a reading from the prophet Isaiah will be heard during Mass. The reading, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, speaks of God’s promised Messiah. Read the scripture below. Who do you think is the person who will  teach us what God wants us to do, and settle disputes among great nations?

Here is the message which God gave to Isaiah son of Amoz about Judah and Jerusalem:

In days to come the mountain where the Temple stands will be the highest one of all, towering above all the hills. Many nations will come streaming to it, and their people will say, “Let us go up the hill of the Lord, to the Temple of Israel’s God. He will teach us what he wants us to do; we will walk in the paths he has chosen. For the Lord’s teaching comes from Jerusalem; from Zion he speaks to his people.”

He will settle disputes among great nations. They will hammer their swords into ploughs and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again.

Now, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light which the Lord gives us!

The Word of the Lord

Isaiah 2:1-5

Yesterday marked the start of Advent. In churches around the world, the first candle on the Advent wreath was lit. Advent wreaths help us to get ready for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The four candles represent Christ, the light of the world. We light them one by one as we journey through the four weeks of Advent; the central white candle will be lit on Christmas day. Four weeks of waiting for Christmas Day might feel like a long time – but God can help us to be patient. In fact, being patient is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask God to help us wait patiently and prepare well for the birth of His son, Jesus, by saying together this prayer…

Loving God,
In the Bible you teach us that ‘love is patient’.
Help me to understand how I can share your love by learning how to wait.
Help me to be patient with myself and others,
So that I don’t get angry or upset when things don’t happen quickly enough.
Show me how to wait for things to grow,
understanding that some things can’t be rushed.
Lord, help me to share your love by being patient today.
We make this prayer through Christ, your Son. Amen.

The Patience Prayer can be found on the Mission Together Prayer Resources webpage, in our collection of Values & Virtues Prayers.

Yesterday, we heard about Advent wreaths and how they help Christians prepare for the birth of Jesus. The Advent Wreath contains many symbols. Symbols are images, gestures, or words, that are used to represent something else. The Advent wreath’s circular shape and evergreen leaves are symbols of God’s unending love for us. If you see any evergreen trees outside today, look closely at all the different shades of green they show and remember what these evergreen leaves teach us about God’s unending love. Let’s finish with the following prayer:

Loving God and Father of all,
Thank you for the gift of this wonderful world.
Help us to notice each day the beauty of your creation,
And to care for all of your animals, insects, fish, birds and plants.
Encourage us to work with our sisters and brothers everywhere,
So that together we can protect the world you made for us –
The home all your children share.
We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

This Stewardship Prayer can be found on the Mission Together Catholic Social Teaching Resources webpage, in our collection of CST Principle Prayers.

Photo by Anna Sushok on Unsplash

During Advent, some of the Bible readings we hear at church were written by prophets. Prophets are God’s messengers. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, prophets were reminding the people of God’s great love and mercy, and gradually preparing them to welcome God’s Son into the world. Some of the prophets’ words can be heard in our Mission Together Advent carol, We are waiting. See if you can you spot the prophets words, in the lyrics from verse two.

Like the people in the Bible in the days of old,
We know the son of God is coming,
as the prophets have foretold.
Mighty God,
Wonder Counsellor,
Emmanuel his name.
And the world will tell forever of his fame.

Discover more words from the prophets, by listening in full to our Advent Carol We are waiting. Sing along if you can!

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: Did you know that in the Philippines during Advent, people decorate homes and streets with big paper lanterns called Paroles? Paroles are signs that the people are lighting the way for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Spend a moment thinking about the signs we use to help people know that Jesus is soon to be born: crib sets; carols; greetings cards with scenes from the Christmas story. Ask God to help you share these signs with other people this Advent too.

God of light, as we wait through the long winter nights for the birth of Christ, help us to keep watch. Help us to tend the tiny flame of hope. Make us alert until your gift of joy arrives. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Have a go at making your own paper lantern by using our Advent craft activity – Stay Awake Lanterns. This can be found on the Mission Together Advent webpage.  Discover more global Advent traditions in our Preparing for Christmas around the world assembly. Find it here.

Image: Keith Bacongco, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Tomorrow is the feast of St Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey), over a thousand years ago. A Bishop’s role is very important. They have to look after many hundreds of people who live within a diocese. Bishop Nicholas became known and loved throughout the land for his generosity to the poor and his special concern for children. There are many stories of Bishop Nicholas saving young people from danger, which is why he became the patron saint of children. Today, ask Saint Nicholas to join you in praying for children around the world, and say the Mission Together prayer below:

May all children,

In the world,

Share love,

Share friendship, and live

In the peace

Of God’s love.

Now and forever. Amen.

Can you spot the word created by our acrostic prayer?

We’ve almost finished the first week of Advent, our time of hopeful preparation for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. We still have three weeks to wait until Jesus is born! Today, write an Advent prayer or poem. Try to include the words: hope, wait, light, love, Mary, Jesus.

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In Catholic churches around the world, a reading from the prophet Isaiah will be heard during Mass. Listen to the passage below and think carefully about the kind of kingdom Isaiah is predicting – a kingdom where wolves and sheep live together in peace. Who might the new king be that could help us build such a kingdom?

The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants…

The spirit of the Lord will give him wisdom
    and the knowledge and skill to rule his people…
Wolves and sheep will live together in peace,
    and leopards will lie down with young goats.
Calves and lion cubs will feed together,
    and a little child will take care of them.
Cows and bears will eat together,
    and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace.
Lions will eat straw as cattle do.
Even a baby will not be harmed
    if it plays near a poisonous snake.
On Zion, God’s sacred hill,
    there will be nothing harmful or evil.
The land will be as full of knowledge of the Lord
    as the seas are full of water.

The Word of the Lord

Isaiah 11:1-2a, 6-9

One of the Bible readings heard during Mass yesterday spoke of the peace of God’s kingdom. Jesus came into our world to show us to build His kingdom of peace. Sadly, there are many countries in the world today that are not at peace. Let us keep these countries in our hearts as we say the following prayer together.

Loving God and Father of all,

Hear our prayer for peace in our world.

Protect all children living through war,

Help them to stay safe and feel loved.

Strengthen all adults hurt by war,

Help them to forgive and to heal.

Guide all leaders who work to end war,

Help them to stay hopeful and wise.

Loving God, your Son, Jesus, showed us how to be peacemakers.

Help us to follow his example,

And live in peace as your global family. Amen.

This Prayer for Peace can be found on the Mission Together Prayer Resources webpage, in our collection of Values and Virtues prayers.

In the second week of Advent we reflect on the importance of peace. There are lots of beautiful carols that help us to think about the peace that Jesus brought into the world. One famous carol is Silent Night. This carol is so peaceful that, on Christmas Eve 1914, it even stopped soldiers fighting. As the night drew in, a German soldier in the trenches began to sing Silent Night, then an English soldier joined him. Before long, their fellow soldiers joined the singing too. The peace stretched miles down the trench line and in some places lasted for days.

As a quiet prayer, listen carefully to Silent Night and think carefully about the words.

This week, the second of Advent, we are reflecting on the importance of peace. Peace isn’t just about freedom from fighting or war – although this is very important. Peace can also mean a feeling calm and quiet. Finding places where we can be still, quiet, and breathe slowly, even if only for a few seconds, can help us to find a sense of peace. Churches are good places for this, as are other spaces where people stop and pray: mosques, temples, even in the great outdoors. In the Gospels we hear how Jesus would often go to spend quiet and still time alone with God the Father. Let’s do that now for a few seconds. We’ll begin with the sign of the cross, then close our eyes or rest our heads on our desks, for a few seconds of quiet time.

God our Father,

In this time of quiet, I find my peace in you.

Through your Holy Spirit,

I share peace with others too.

Then, through your Son’s example,

Together we might build,

A world where peace is valued,

And war and fighting stilled.

Amen.

In this second week of Advent we have thought about peace. It is hard to be a peacemaker if we are angry and aggressive. Gentleness is a tool that helps to build peace, because gentleness makes people feel safe and loved. Today, through the words of this prayer, let’s ask God to help us be gentle.

Loving Father,
In the Bible we read how your Son, Jesus, called himself ‘gentle in heart’.
Help me to be gentle, too.
Help me to use gentle actions like your Son,
So that others know that I care.
Help me to use gentle words like your Son,
Even when defending what is right and true.
Lord, some think that gentleness is weak.
Help me to remember the courage of your Son,
Who was not afraid to be gentle, and not afraid to speak out.
We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Gentleness Prayer can be found on the Mission Together Prayer Resources webpage, in our collection of Values & Virtues Prayers.

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: Tomorrow is the feast of Saint Lucy. Saint Lucy lived in Italy, in Roman times. When she was just twenty, she was killed by a Roman Governor because she refused to give up her Christian faith. The name Lucy comes from the Latin word for light. Saint Lucy’s feast day celebrates how the light of Jesus triumphs over darkness. Schools in Denmark remember Saint Lucy’s day by holding a candle lit procession. Pupils dress in white, sing hymns, and pray together. Saint Lucy had great faith, let’s finish with a prayer for such faith too.

Loving God, thank you for the gift of faith
That helps me to know that you are always with me,
Will always forgive me,
And that your love for me will never fade.
Lord, help me to understand that the precious gift of faith you’ve given me
Isn’t meant to be kept to myself;
You gave it to me so that I can share it with others.
Help me to share my faith freely, through my words, actions, and prayers,
So that others might know how much you love them, too.
We make this prayer through Christ, your Son. Amen.

The Prayer for Faith can be found on the Mission Together Prayer Resources webpage, in our collection of Values & Virtues Prayers. You can find out about more global Advent traditions in our Preparing for Christmas around the world assembly. Find it here.

Antoine Taveneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

We’ve almost finished the second week of Advent, our time of preparation for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. This week we have reflected on peace. Today, find somewhere peaceful to sit and say a silent prayer for the people around you who show you God’s mercy and love.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. In Catholic churches around the world, another reading from the prophet Isaiah will be heard during Mass. Isaiah was writing to people who had been removed from their homeland and had suffered many hardships. Isaiah’s words speak of the joy of knowing that God strengthens us with a love that never ends.  Read the scripture below. What do you think Isaiah means when he writes: ‘Everlasting happiness will be on their heads as a crown’?

The desert and the dry land will be glad,
and the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like a lily the land will blossom.
It will rejoice and sing with joy.
It will have the glory of Lebanon, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
Everyone will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged.
Then those who are lame will leap like deer,
and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.

The people ransomed by the Lord will return.
They will come to Zion singing with joy.
Everlasting happiness will be on their heads as a crown.
They will be glad and joyful.
They will have no sorrow or grief.

The Word of the Lord

Isaiah 35:1-2,5-6a,10

https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56552

Yesterday was Gaudete Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete means rejoice. Whereas most of the candles on the Advent Wreath are purple, the candle lit yesterday was pink. The vestments that the priest wore yesterday were pink too. In the Church, the colour pink is a sign of joy. We rejoice on the third Sunday of Advent, because we are getting nearer to the birth of Jesus. Let’s spend a quiet moment, thanking God for the moments of joy we experienced over the weekend. Then let’s finish with the following prayer.

Dear Jesus, I am grateful for my friends and family,
For my teachers and my helpers, and the joy they bring to me.
Help me to appreciate the blessings of each day,
Like the love I’m shown by others and the care that comes my way.
We know because you showed us, with a few small loaves and fishes,
To give thanks and share the gifts God gives, and live the way he wishes.
A smile, kind word, shared laughter; a hug and helping hand:
For these things I am grateful as they help me understand
To appreciate each other is the best way we can say
‘Thank you, God our Father, for loving us this way.’
Amen.

The Gratitude Prayer can be found on the Mission Together Prayer Resources webpage, in our collection of Values & Virtues Prayers.

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: This week we are focusing on the joy that Jesus brings. On the island of Mauke, in the continent of Oceania, the people prepare for the birth of Jesus with an Advent visiting tradition known as Rangokere. During Rangokere, huge baskets of food are shared between the two main villages on the island. The baskets are shared with everyone, whatever their faith. People also sing and dance, so that the whole community can share friendship and joy together. The people of Mauke know how important it is to share with everyone. Who can we share friendship and joy with this week?

You may want to finish with the carol, ‘Joy to the World’. You can find a sing-along version here. You can discover more global Advent traditions in our Preparing for Christmas around the world assembly. Find it here.

During Advent, we remember how God’s angels brought the joyful news of Jesus’ coming to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The angels’ joyful visits and the special message they shared are remembered each year when angel decorations are placed on our Christmas trees. The tradition of putting angels on Christmas trees began hundreds of years ago in Germany, but today the practice is followed around the world.

Angels are messengers who bring God’s word to earth. Words are very powerful. We can use our words to encourage, to provide guidance, and to spread love and joy. Let’s spend a moment in silence, asking God to help you spread love and joy with your words today.

Have a go at making your own ‘Joyful Angel’, with our Mission Together craft activity. You can find it on our Advent webpage. 

Ander van der Wel from Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday we reflected on God’s angels and how they brought the joyful news of Jesus’ coming to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. One way we can also share this joyful news is by sending cards that show scenes from the Christmas story e.g. the Holy Family, the shepherds, the wise men. It can sometimes be hard finding cards that show this, so spend some time today creating your own. Let’s finish by praying the Hail Mary, for anyone who may not receive any Christmas cards this year:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Have a go at making your own Christmas cards by using our Mission Together craft activity. You can find this on our Advent webpage. 

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: Every year, in the last days of Advent, children in Mexico remember Mary and Joseph’s arrival in Bethlehem. This Advent tradition is called Posada. During each Posada, children carry painted clay figures of Mary and Joseph, and call at the houses of friends and neighbors to ask if Mary and Joseph can stay for the night. The answer is usually no, so the children have to keep searching. Eventually they find a welcoming house. Once Mary and Joseph are inside, everyone says prayers of thanks and then the children have a joyful Posada Party!

Spend some quiet time thinking of those who are looking for somewhere to stay this Christmas. Let us ask God to keep homeless people and refugees in his care, and to help us offer welcome and kindness to all God’s children.

You may want to finish with the carol, ‘Go tell it on the Mountain’. You can find a sing-along version here. You can discover more global Advent traditions in our Preparing for Christmas around the world assembly. Find it here.

We’ve almost finished the third week of Advent, our time of preparation for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. This week we have reflected on how knowing God loves us, forgives us, and is delighted by us, brings a deep down joy that we feel even in difficult times. Today, spend a little time quietly thanking Jesus for showing us how much God the Father loves us.

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. In Catholic churches around the world a reading from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, will be heard during Mass. In this reading we hear how an angel of the Lord appears to Saint Joseph. The angel tells Joseph not to be afraid, the baby that Mary will have is God’s son. The Gospel then includes the words of the prophet Isaiah, who we have heard from each week in our Advent Sunday readings. Isaiah’s words remind the people that God will send his Messiah to live among them. Listen carefully to hear the special name that Isaiah uses for this Messiah.

This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”

Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”). So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to.

The Gospel of the Lord

Matthew 1:18-24

Image courtesy of: Lauren Wright Pittman, http://www.lewpstudio.com/

This week, billions of people around the world are getting ready for the birth of Jesus. Christmas reminds us that Jesus was born to show God the Father’s love for all his children – whoever they are and wherever they live. How wonderful, that on every continent people are preparing, just as we are, to celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus. Today, let’s say the Lord’s Prayer for all our sisters and brothers around the world. Pay close attention to the words of the prayer – they are words that Jesus taught us and they remind us that we are all children of one God, our Father in heaven:

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: In Italy, there is a tradition of creating huge crib sets called Presepio. Presepi (plural) are found in homes, schools, and churches. Each year people add new figures and buildings to the Presepio, so that around Mary and Joseph complete towns are built, full of different people going about their business. The Presepio cribs remind us that Jesus came into our world for all of us. They remind us to share our lives and to love God and each other.

Today, is there someone you could you tell the Christmas story to? Maybe you could act it out? Perhaps with a nativity set? Discover more global Advent traditions in our Preparing for Christmas around the world assembly. Find it here.

Photo courtesy of Catholicsandcultures.org

GLOBAL FAMILY FACT: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, children and adults prepare for the birth of Jesus with drama and music. On Christmas Eve, people gather in churches to take part in and watch a very special nativity play. These nativity plays last for hours, as they begin in the early evening with the Bible story of creation and the garden of Eden. The play then continues the Bible story, including the messages of the prophets, until it finally reaches Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. The play doesn’t finish until about 1 am, as the birth of Jesus happens as close to midnight as possible, and the shepherds and wise men are still to arrive!

Spend a quiet moment asking God to bless you, your family, and our global family, with the love, peace, and joy that Jesus brought to the world at Christmas.