Advent daily prayer and meditation ( third week )

Let us pray
that God will fill us with joy at the coming of Christ.
Lord God,
may we, Your people,
who look forward to the birthday of Christ
experience the joy of salvation
and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Daily Meditation:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks.

We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy
that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping
in the background of our everyday lives.

His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives.
His mission is for us. It is good news, full of healing, liberty and release.
We can smile today as we imagine the freedom He has won for us
and how liberating it will be to live it, with Him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and He will also accomplish it. 1 Thes. 5

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations. Is. 61

Intercessions:
To God our Father, who has given us the grace
to wait in graceful hope for the revelation of
our Lord Jesus Christ, let us make our prayer:
Show us Your mercy, Lord.

Sanctify us in mind and body,
to keep us without sin until the coming of Your Son.

Make us walk this day in holiness,
to and live upright and devout lives in this world.

May we be clothed in our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help us to stand watchful and ready,
until Your Son is revealed in all his glory.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Sunday Advent prayer and meditation

We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping in the background of our everyday lives.
His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives.
His mission is for us. There are good news full of healing, liberty and release.
We can smile today as we imagine the freedom He has won for us and how liberating it will be to live it, with him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it. 1 Thes. 5

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations. Is. 61

Intercessions:
To God our Father, who has given us the grace
to wait in graceful hope for the revelation of
our Lord Jesus Christ, let us make our prayer:

Show us Your mercy, Lord.
Sanctify us in mind and body,
- keep us without sin until the coming of Your Son.
Make us walk this day in holiness,
- and live upright and devout lives in this world.
May we be clothed in our Lord Jesus Christ,
- and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help us to stand watchful and ready,
- until Your Son is revealed in all His glory

Let us pray, this Advent for joy and hope in the coming Lord :
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
ever faithful to Your promises
and ever close to Your Church:
the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior's coming
and looks forward with longing
to His return at the end of time.

Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling the Joy and Hope
which His presence will bestow,
for He is Lord for ever and ever.
We lift our heart up to You, Lord,
to thank You for the blessings
You shower on us each day.
You are the 'joy of our soul.'
We know that in Your great love,
we are held and protected by You.
We rejoice, we rejoice, down to our soul.
Help us to prepare our heart
to be open and able to receive Your immense love

Amen

Third week of Advent : Gaudete Week

The week begins with "Gaudete" Sunday. Gaudete means "Rejoice" in Latin. It comes from the first word of the Entrance antiphon on Sunday.

The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, "The Lord is near."
This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose colored, and the rose colored vestments often used at the Eucharist.
The second part of Advent begins on December 17th each year - this year, in 2008, it is Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent. For the last eight days before Christmas we enter into the story of how Jesus' life began. These stories are filled with hints of what his life will mean for us. Faith and generosity overcome impossibility. Poverty and persecution reveal glory.
We prepare this week by feeling the joy. We move through this week feeling a part of the waiting world that rejoices because our longing has prepared us to believe the reign of God is close at hand. And so we consciously ask:
Prepare our hearts
and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling
the joy and hope
which his presence
will bestow.
Each morning this week, in that brief moment we are becoming accustomed to, we want to light a third inner candle. Three candles, going from expectation, to longing, to joy. They represent our inner preparation, or inner perspective. In this world of "conflict and division," "greed and lust for power," we begin each day this week with a sense of liberating joy.

Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say,
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
Each day this week, we will continue to go through our everyday life, but we will experience the difference our faith can bring to it. We are confident that the grace we ask for will be given us. We will encounter sin - in our own hearts and in our experience of the sin of the world. We can pause in those moments, and feel the joy of the words,
"You are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people
from their sins." Mt 1:21
We may experience the Light shining into dark places of our lives and showing us patterns of sinfulness, and inviting us to experience God's mercy and healing. Perhaps we wish to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconcilation this week. We may want to make gestures of reconcilation with a loved one, relative, friend or associate. With more light and joy, it is easier to say, "I'm sorry; let's begin again."
Each night this week we want to pause in gratitude.

Whatever the day has brought, no matter how busy it has been, we can stop, before we fall asleep, to give thanks for a little more light, a little more freedom to walk by that light, in joy.
Our celebration of the coming of our Savior in history, is opening us up to experience his coming to us this year, and preparing us to await his coming in Glory.

God bless and be with all of you !