This Week at Home (Haga clic para esta semana en casa )
Welcome to Week Three of Advent. The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. With songs, time spent together, and the word of God, let us join in our homes to prepare for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ! (Click here for a printable PDF)
Monday, December 13:
St. Lucy
St. Lucy was an early Christian martyr who died during the Roman persecutions. Accounts say that her eyes were put out when she was martyred, and therefore she is the patron of those with eye illnesses.
St. Lucy was an early Christian martyr who died during the Roman persecutions. Accounts say that her eyes were gouged out when she was martyred, and therefore she is the patron of those with eye illnesses.
Her feast day is often celebrated with candles because, in the Northern Hemisphere, the day is among the shortest days of the year. St. Lucy is one of eight women included in the canon of the Mass.
During her life, it is said that she made herself a wreath of greens and candles to free her arms, lighting her way so she could bring as many food and blankets as she could carry to prisoners in a dark, underground jail. Children make crowns with candles in Sweden to celebrate St. Lucy’s love of the poor.
SING AN ADVENT SONG TOGETHER
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is a song you might hear in church during the Advent season. Singing even the same simple song every day can create a lovely rhythm for the season.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Tuesday, December 14: St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross St. John of the Cross, a doctor of the Church, was a priest, mystic, and writer who lived in Spain in the sixteenth century. One of his best-known works is The Dark Night of the Soul. He was a close collaborator of St. Teresa of Avila.
Wednesday, December 15: Signs
The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Often we wish for miraculous signs that will help us know where to go. But these actions of Jesus are that and more. The hope of the people of Israel was in a person who would bring about a new kingdom in which the sufferings of this world would be left behind. These particular signs are a message to John the Baptist: Jesus is the long-awaited messiah.
Thursday, December 16: God’s Faithfulness
God’s love will be constant, the covenant of peace unbroken, even if the mountains fall. While people often disappoint us when commitments are not kept, God’s promise is not reliant on our faithfulness but on the faithfulness of God. We know that God is a keeper of promises: promises kept to Sarah, to Hannah, to Elizabeth, to Mary, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to John the Baptist. We can trust that even in our darkest moments God is faithful to us as well.
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Friday, December 17: O Wisdom
Within the Church’s liturgical tradition, the “O” Antiphons are prayed the seven days before Christmas. Each of these antiphons presents a title for the messiah. Many are familiar with these seven titles because they begin the verses of the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” The first antiphon, which is used on December 17, is O Wisdom. You might sing a verse of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” or you might pray Evening Prayer. You can find resources online, including apps to assist you, in praying the Liturgy of the Hours.
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Saturday, December 18: The Dream of St. Joseph
St. Joseph was a righteous man, meaning he followed the law of Moses, and according to the Law, Mary would be put to death. St. Joseph also must have been a man of great compassion who was accustomed to God’s voice. When the angel came to him in a dream, he immediately believed. Moreover, he immediately acted. Today, spend time in silent prayer so that, like Joseph, you may know your call when it comes and answer with your whole heart.
Advent Songs Online
Here is a playlist of music that is focused on preparation with Advent songs found online. Consider more meditative instrumental music for the playlist as well. Listening to this music in the car or while making dinner can balance the excitement and bustle of December. As much joy as we have for the coming of Christ, we still wait in hope for something more, and music can help us be present to that reality.
© 2021 USCCB, additional text by Liturgy Training Publications. 800-933-1800 and Kathryn Ball-Boruff. Permission to publish was granted by the Archdiocese of Chicago on February 9, 2021.
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