Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Advent is a Time to Prepare and Celebrate the Birth of Jesus on Christmas Day!




Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God's own work for justice.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world, peace in my home, peace in myself.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy. I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me the joy and love and peace it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord. Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for the life begun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail.

Amen.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Advent 2014: Prepare and Celebrate the Birth of Jesus on Christmas Day!



Advent Prayer

Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to heart the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Prayer from Catholic Online)

More Prayers:http://www.christian-miracles.com/devotionalprayers.htm

 

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Countdown for Christmas: unique Advent calendar for the digital age



News excerpt from RomeReports.com

With Christmas just around the corner, there's a new Advent calendar to help prepare for the holidays. But this isn't your average calendar. It is high-tech, and it can be seen through a website or a smartphone.

It was launched by the Archdiocese of Sydney and it's called the 'Xt3 Advent calendar'. It truly is an online journey towards Christmas. Every day, a door virtually opens so that users from all over the world can have a unique yet shared experience. 

The website includes all kinds of interactive material like daily reflections, podcasts and even videos like this one, featuring children talking about the true meaning of Christmas. And all the way from Australia, it will also share Cardinal Pell's message for the holidays and a special surprise for Pope Francis' birthday on December 17th.

It's the fifth year the Archdiocese launches this project, and it's also available for iPhone and Android. A new way to count the days for Christmas in the online world.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Rosary - A Biblical Prayer

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Preparing for Advent - Morning of Reflection on the Joyful Mysteries

Are you ready for Advent? Join us for an uplifting and engaging morning of Sacred Scripture as we welcome Catholic biblical scholar Dr. Steven Smith, author of The Word of the Lord: Essential Principles for Catholic Scripture Study.

Saturday, December 7, 2013
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 
15 Myers Avenue
  Denville, New Jersey 07834  

Together, we will learn about the 5 Joyful Mysteries in the Gospels:
  • Learn how the Rosary truly is a 'biblical' prayer
  • Contemplate Mary ... and her heart for Jesus
  • What does it mean that Mary is 'Full of Grace'?
  • What are the mysteries of Jesus in the Temple - and what do they reveal?
  • What are the '3 R's' - and how can they help us study the Gospels?


Dr. Steven Smith is Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary's Seminary (Emmitsburg, MD), the largest - and one of the most respected - graduate programs and houses of formation in the United States. Steve has a Ph.D in New Testament from Loyola University of Chicago. As a seminary professor, he teaches on a wide array of biblical topics (OT, NT, etc.) - including a course on Catholic Scripture study which inspired his first published book. In the Fall of 2012, Our Sunday Visitor released Dr. Smith's new book, The Word of the Lord: 7 Essential Principles for Catholic Scripture Study. It is endorsed by Francis Cardinal George among others.

Signed copies of his book - and major CD sets of biblical teaching will be available at the event.

Dr. Steven Smith's website: TheGodWhoSpeaks.com.

He and his wife Elizabeth have been married 13 years. They Have two lovely children and live in rural Maryland.

(News Release Supplied by St. Mary's Parish)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Please Join in Prayer during Advent for God's Spiritual Blessings


St. Mary's Church Window - Photo by Loci B. Lenar
 
All are Welcome to Join in Prayer for God's Spiritual Blessings at St. Mary's Church on December 15th in Preparation for Christmas

Please consider visiting St. Mary's Catholic Church for Mass and prayer services.

The church holds a monthly service for prayer with Fr. Richard Tartaglia including special prayer intentions which are submitted through the website of www.Christian-Miracles.com .

Previous services have included prayer for Christian Unity. However, prayers for world peace are always included.

The prayer service is held every third Thursday of each month with a new theme.

December will focus on the joys of Advent as we prepare for Christmas. During this Holy Season, please join us in prayer on December 15th between the hour of 7:30-8:00 PM in preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.


Photo by Loci B. Lenar

If you live in the area or plan on visiting New Jersey, please consider attending and joining in the evening prayer service with Fr. Richard Tartaglia. The service begins with singing of hymns followed with psalm prayers and then reading of the gospels. After the reading, Fr. Tartaglia gives his homily which is followed with a prayer of intercession for Special Prayer Intentions (prayer requests). The Lord's Prayer is recited and after that there is a closing prayer with a blessing given by Fr. Tartaglia. The prayer service is concluded with a closing song.

St. Mary's Catholic Church is located on 15 Myers Avenue in Denville, New Jersey. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor of the church.

For directions to St. Mary's Church, please visit the following link:
http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directions.htm

Regardless of your religious denomination, please feel free to submit your prayer request at the following link:
http://www.christian-miracles.com/apps/prayers/.  Your email address will remain confidential.

St. Mary's Weekly Mass Schedule:

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM

Saturday: 5:00 PM

Weekdays: 8:00 AM and 12:05 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

First Fridays: 8:00 AM, 12:05 PM, 8:00 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

Holy Days: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM

Eve of Holy Days: 5:00 PM

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Heavenly Jesus by Stephen B. Whatley

Heavenly Jesus
By Stephen B. Whatley

Heavenly Jesus - Advent 2010 by Stephen B. Whatley | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Guest post by Stephen B. Whatley

In prayer, I felt I saw Christ, in the sky....on the second Sunday of Advent, December 5th, after attending Mass. Walking across Covent Garden, London - on my way to swim, which has become a regular prayerful exercise I stopped, looking up at the clear blue sky, and was praying.

As I gazed at a single white cloud, deep in prayer- I seemed to 'feel' Jesus, a sense of his head and shoulders- within the whiteness - and a gentle blue halo. Virtually abstract. As ever, the mind questions,interferes, however deep the faith (I often ask Jesus to hear my heart, not my mind...) and the cloud changed - but His image felt imbedded in my heart.

Exhausted from swimming - and the cold winter temperatures!  I felt unable to attempt any artistic interpretation once home; but on the Monday I felt seized with an urgency to transcribe on paper a sense of what I felt; resulting in the above drawing.

Jesus Christ is there for those who seek - and His love is eternal.

Happy Christmas - Peace and Blessings on His birthday and throughout 2011.


The Holy Nativity
Painted in 2008
By Stephen B. Whatley

Copyright 2010 Stephen B. Whatley

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