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Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Click here to print (pdf) this week.
All make the Sign of the Cross as the leader begins:
℣ +Our help is in the name of the Lord.
℟ Who hath made heaven and earth.
The following Scripture is read: Luke 1:26-33; Revelation 22:20
IN the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Light the first and second purple candles in order, then the rose candle, and then the final purple candle.. With hands joined, the leader prays:
RAISE UP we beseech thee, O Lord, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us: that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sorely hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. ℟ Amen.
The devotion may conclude with a verse from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":
O come, thou Wisdom from on high, who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
Click here to print (pdf) all four weeks of devotions to pack away with your Advent wreath so it’s ready for next year.
The Advent Anthems: Great O Antiphons
The Advent Anthems: Great O Antiphons
December 17
O Sapientia
O WISDOM, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.
December 18
O Adonai
O ADONAI, and Leader of the house of Israel, who appearedst in the bush to Moses in flame of fire, and gavest him the Law in Sinai: come and deliver us with an outstretched arm.
December 19
O Radix Jesse
O ROOT OF JESSE, which standest for an ensign of the peoples, at whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the Gentiles shall seek: come and deliver us, and tarry not.
December 20
O Clavis David
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the house of Israel; that openest, and no man shutteth, and shuttest, and no man openeth: come and bring the prisoner out of the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness and the shadow of death.
December 21
O Oriens
O DAY-SPRING, Brightness of the Light everlasting and Sun of righteousness: come and enlighten him that sitteth in darkness in the shadow of death.
December 22
O Rex gentium
O KING OF THE NATIONS, and their Desire; the Corner-stone, who makest both one: come and save mankind, whom thou formedst of clay.
December 23
O Emmanuel
O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their salvation: come and save us, O Lord our God.
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Third Sunday of Advent
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Third Sunday of Advent
All make the Sign of the Cross as the leader begins:
℣ +Our help is in the name of the Lord.
℟ Who hath made heaven and earth.
The following Scripture is read: Isaiah 9.2, 6-7, 40.3-5, 52.7, 7.14-15
THE people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.
Light the first and second purple candles in order, and then the rose candle. With hands joined, the leader prays:
INCLINE thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the grace of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds. Who livest and reignest with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. ℟ Amen.
The devotion may conclude with a verse from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":
O come, thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing night;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
This Sunday is Bambinelli Sunday
Each year on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, children in Rome gather with their families in St. Peter’s Square for Benedizione dei Bambinelli, bringing with them the Christ Child figurine from their family’s home crèche. At the noon Angelus, the Pope blesses the children, their families, and the figurines they have brought. This Sunday we will unite our hearts to the Holy Father’s and the children and families gathered with him and bless our own Bambinelli. Bring your Christ Child figurine to be blessed during Mass this Sunday.
Video: Dr. Sara Pecknold on Advent Music
In this 2-minute video from Catholic News Service, the choir at St. John the Beloved in McLean, Virginia, performs O Come, O Come Emmanuel as Dr. Sara Pecknold, a professor at Catholic University of America in Washington, explains why music has a special place within the season of Advent.
Bambinelli Sunday
Each year on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, children in Rome gather with their families in St. Peter’s Square for Benedizione dei Bambinelli, bringing with them the Christ Child figurine from their family’s home crèche. At the noon Angelus, the Pope blesses the children, their families, and the figurines they have brought. On the Third Sunday of Advent we will unite our hearts to the Holy Father’s and the children and families gathered with him and bless our own Bambinelli. Bring your Christ Child figurine to be blessed during Mass that day.
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Second Sunday of Advent
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles: The Second Sunday of Advent
All make the Sign of the Cross as the leader begins:
℣ +Our help is in the name of the Lord.
℟ Who hath made heaven and earth.
The following Scripture is read: Isaiah 11.1-10
THERE shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Light the first and second purple candles in order. With hands joined, the leader prays:
STIR up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of thine Only-Begotten Son: that through his advent we may be worthy to serve thee with purified minds; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. ℟ Amen.
The devotion may conclude with a verse from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":
O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, free them from Satan’s tyranny
that trust thy mighty power to save, and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
Advent Wreath Blessing & Lighting of First Candle
Blessing of an Advent Wreath at Home & Lighting of the First Candle
The First Sunday of Advent is December 2nd.
All make the Sign of the Cross as the leader begins:
℣ +Our help is in the name of the Lord.
℟ Who hath made heaven and earth.
Let us pray.
O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord. ℟ Amen.
The following Scriptures are read:
Ps 50.2-5
Out of Sion hath God appeared * in perfect beauty.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; * there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him.
He shall call the heaven from above, * and the earth, that he may judge his people.
Gather my saints together unto me; * those that have made a covenant with me with sacrifice.
John 1.1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Light one purple candle. With hands joined, the leader prays:
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead; we may rise to the life immortal; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. ℟ Amen.
The devotion may conclude with a verse from "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":
O come, desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of humankind;
bid ev'ry sad division cease
and be thyself our Prince of peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.