Advent is a time for us to “prepare the way of the Lord” in our hearts as we look back to Christ’s first coming in Bethlehem, and look forward to his second coming in glory at the end of time. Like John the Baptist, we are called to retreat from the noise of the world to make room for silence and prayer. To assist us in this, during the season of Advent we will be increasing our opportunities for silent Adoration and praying the Liturgy of the Hours.
Liturgy of the Hours & Adoration
On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays during Advent, we will offer an hour of Adoration in the mornings from 7:00 to 8:00 AM and in the evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. This will be simple exposition and reposition of the Blessed Sacrament with no benediction or incense. Each hour will begin with the Liturgy of the Hours, which will take about 15 minutes. The rest of the hour will be spent in silence.
- 7:00 AM – Lauds (Morning Prayer)
- 6:00 PM – Vespers (Evening Prayer)
If you are unfamiliar with the Liturgy of the Hours (also called the Breviary or the Divine Office), we will have books available for you to follow. This is the daily prayer of the Church consisting primarily of psalms and other scripture readings. (Learn more about the Liturgy of the Hours on the USCCB web site). Those who wish to incorporate the Liturgy of the Hours into their own daily prayer life may wish to purchase the complete four volume Liturgy of the Hours, the single volume Christian Prayer or the abbreviated Shorter Christian Prayer. These may be obtained through our St. Mary’s book store or ordered through any online book retailer. There is also a free app called iBreviary that can be downloaded to your smart phone or tablet, which is a great place to start.
Advent Penance Service – Dec. 5
We will hold an Advent Penance Service on Thursday, Dec. 5, starting at 6pm. This service will include a Liturgy of the Word with Adoration. Several priests from our region will be on hand to assist in hearing Confessions. Please join us! If it has been a while since your last Confession, here is a helpful guide.
Servicio de penitencia
Jueves, 5 de diciembre 6: 00-9: 00 pm o hasta el último penitente, lo que ocurra primero, con 5 o más sacerdotes escuchando confesiones.
Marian Lectio Series
This Bible Study series by Dr. Brant Pitre focusing on Mary will meet on Friday evenings during Advent and Christmas. Led by Dr. Brian Raming.
- Where: St. Mary’s Conference Center
- Dates: 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7
- Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is Dec. 9, and as it falls on a Monday is not observed as a holy day of obligation this year. We still encourage you to come to Mass to celebrate this special feast with us! This solemnity commemorates the conception of Mary without the stain of original sin in the womb of her mother Ann. We will have the following Mass schedule.
- 9:00 am (English)
- 12:15 pm (WCU campus)
- 6:30 pm (Bilingual)
Solemnidad de la Inmaculada Concepción
- Cuándo: lunes 9 de diciembre (no es un día santo de obligación este año)
- Horario: misa a las 9:00 a.m. (inglés), misa a las 12:15 p.m. (en WCU) y misa a las 6:30 p.m. (bilingüe)
Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Rosary Novena: Dec. 4 through 12, each evening at 7:00pm. Bilungual Spanish/English rosary booklets will be provided.
- On Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our celebration will begin at 5:00pm with traditional singing. At 7:00pm there will be a procession from the Mexican Tienda (store) to the church for the Mass beginning at 8:30pm. After Mass we will have Las Mañanitas (traditional serenading of Our Lady) and Convivio (Fiesta with traditional food and more singing) until midnight.
- Rosario Novena en Honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe dirigida por miembros de nuestra comunidad hispana Se proporcionarán folletos bilingües del rosario Cuándo: miércoles 4 de diciembre cada tarde a las 7:00 pm concluyendo con Rosario y Procesión 12/12.
- Celebracion de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Jueves diciembre. 12mo Cuándo: 5:00 pm comenzando con el canto tradicional, 7:00 pm Procesión de la Tienda Mexicana (tienda) y 8:30 pm Misa Después de la misa Las Mañanitas (tradicional Serenata de Nuestra Señora) y Convivio (Fiesta con comida tradicional y más canto) hasta la medianoche
Posadas
Join us each evening starting Monday, Dec 16 through 24 at 7:00 pm for the traditional Hispanic celebration of waiting for the birth of the Christ Child. Each evening Joseph and Mary go in search of somewhere to rest and fulfill their census obligation. The celebration includes traditional singing between Joseph, Mary and the home owner until the door is opened. The evening includes a reflection, a rosary, and the sharing of food.
Cuándo: Únase a nosotros todas las tardes a partir del lunes 16 al 24 de diciembre a las 7:00 pm para la celebración tradicional de esperar el próximo nacimiento del Niño Jesús. Cada tarde, José y María van en busca de un lugar para descansar y cumplir con su obligación censal. Cada noche hay una firma tradicional entre Joseph y Mary y el dueño de la casa hasta que se abre la puerta, luego hay un reflejo y Rosary dice, y luego se comparte la comida.
More Advent Resources
Here are a few additional resources from the USCCB.
- Blessing of an Advent Wreath (this blessing can be performed by a lay person in their home).
- Download a bi-lingual Advent Calendar
- Lectio Divina readings for each week in Advent