Day 23: Monday 23 December 2024

Advent is the four-week season before Christmas during which we prepare for the coming of Christ.  The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”.  The season of Advent is a time of waiting, conversion and of hope, which has a twofold character as:

  • A time of preparation for the Solemnities of the Christmas season, in which the first coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered; and,
  • A time when – by remembrance of this – our minds and hearts look forward to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.

For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.

Our digital Advent calendar is a helpful resource for our ‘journey’ towards Christmas.  Each day, by clicking on a virtual door, we are inviting you to take a few minutes to avail of our resources to rediscover the true meaning of Advent and Christmas.

Advent from Rachel Garde, a student from Maynooth University

 

Advent prayers

Heavenly Father, the hour has nearly arrived! Assist us in keeping our preparations for the arrival of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Please accept our humble efforts to prepare as a sign of our sincerity and gratitude to you, from whom all good things come. ˝Let it be done according to thy will. Amen.

My hidden Lord Jesus, I love You and thank You with profound gratitude for uniting Yourself with fallen humanity. When You first entered into this world, You remained hidden for nine months in the immaculate womb of Your Blessed Mother. She carried You, body and blood, soul and divinity, within the sanctuary of her body. She also carried You within her heart as a result of her perfect love for You and her perfect obedience to the will of the Father. 

Precious Lord, as I embrace this Advent Season, please open my eyes to see the great value and blessing of Your Incarnation. Help me to discover Your hidden presence in this world and within my own soul. I desire to see, understand and experience the profound effects that Your Incarnation has on my life and I desire to receive those effects more fully this Advent. May I become a sanctuary in which You dwell so that I, like Your dear Mother, may bring Your presence into the world. 
 
My loving Jesus, I choose You, this Advent, as my King and my God. I abandon myself to You and seek to put all my trust in Your tender care. Draw me close to You and free me from my sin so that I may love You with a pure and holy heart. 
 
Mother Mary, as You carried your dear Son in your immaculate womb, you also carried Him in your heart. Pray for me, this Advent, that I may surrender myself to the will of the Father in imitation of you. You said “Yes” to all that God asked of you and never hesitated to fully embrace His divine will. Pray that I may imitate your perfect example so as to share a deeper union with you and your divine Son. 
 
Come, Lord Jesus,
Come, Lord Jesus,
Come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.