PREPARATION FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER - 5th December
PREPARATION FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER - 5th December The liturgical year begins at the commencement of the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas and, reflected in the readings from the Book of Apocalypse, for His second coming at the end of time. Advent is seen as a “little Lent” in which the predominant character is one of restraint. It is this contrast between the preparation and anticipation prior to the coming of the Christ-child, and the ensuing celebrations, that gives the Christmas festivities a heightened significance. The four weeks of advent are broken up by Gaudete Sunday, in the third week, a feast day in which the priest wears rose-coloured vestments and the Advent candle is rose-coloured. What we all can do, as a preparation for the coming of Christ, is to make an effort to intersperse our day with interludes of prayer, and to make the quality of our prayer more meaningful. Additional individual or fami...