December 1, 2024 – First Sunday of Advent

Our Great Journey

The theme is “Get Ready!” based on Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 / Lucas 21:25-28, 34-36

Pray the Our Father.

Lord, Jesus Christ, we await your Second Coming as we prepare for your First Coming at Christmas. Be near to us as we light the first candle of our Advent wreath. As this light grows brighter, we are reminded that you are with us in Word, in Sacrament, n your Church, in the faces of those in need and our love for each other. Amen.

In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayer for December is The Apostle’s Creed. Please pray this prayer daily to learn it. (At Mass, we pray the Nicene Creed which was written after the Apostle’s Creed. We typically pray the Apostle’s Creed at the beginning of the rosary. Click to learn more about the differences between the Apostle’s & Nicene Creeds.)

Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.

Things to talk about:

In this Gospel, Jesus wants us to be ready when he comes again. We do not know when that will be. What are some ways you can be ready for Jesus?
The word “redemption” means being saved from sin. Does everyone in the world need to be saved from sin? Explain your answer.
When things seem bad in the world, what can you do to make things better for people?
What kind of things distract us from always following God’s word?

Things to do:

Add a purple scarf and Advent wreath to your prayer space or in a visible space in your home for this season of Advent. As you begin to decorate, don’t put baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve. If you have 3 Kings have them begin their journey in a different room from the manger and travel closer each week.
Discuss the changes you see in the décor at Church.
Cook a Veggie-Stuffed Holiday Crescent Wreath, www.pillsbury.com.
Decide as a family a way your family can volunteer your time in service to others during the season of Advent.

Closing Prayer

Blessing of the Advent Wreath

Begin with the sign of the cross.

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord

All: Who made heaven and earth.

[A reader proclaims Isaiah 9:1-2, 5-6.]

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Leader: This wreath reminds us of God’s promise and his never-ending love. What should we pray for tonight?

[Family members share intentions.]

Leader: We lift all of these intentions and those in our hearts up to you as we pray the prayer You taught us. Our Father…

All: Amen

Leader: Let us ask for God’s blessing. Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ: he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples, he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us ,he is the Savior of every nation. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of hrist’s promise to bring us salvation. May he come quickly and not delay. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

(Adapted from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers.)

Name those who need our prayers.

Catholic Insights

Jesus teaches his disciples to be vigilant so that they will be ready when the Son of Man comes in glory. This Scripture will not put anyone in the Christmas mood; however, in this season of Advent , we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. The key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice.

In this new liturgical year, the Gospel of Luke will be the primary Gospel proclaimed (Lectionary Cycle C). This Gospel is from the last chapter before the passion narrative in which Jesus is teaching in the Temple. We hear Jesus speak to his disciples about the need for vigilance and prayer as they wait for the coming of the Son of Man in glory. This passage marks the conclusion of a lengthy dialogue in which Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, warns about the persecution and tribulations to follow, and identifies the signs that will signal the coming of the Son of Man in glory. Though Jesus predicts a time of destruction and fear, Jesus indicates that others will be frightened; Jesus’ disciples are not to fear, but are to stand tall and pray for strength.

Jesus’ predictions about the end times may sound dire, but Luke tells us that people woke early to listen to Jesus’ teaching in the Temple area. In his person and in his message, those who heard Jesus found strength and consolation. We may encounter events and circumstances that could lead us to despair. Through prayer, we find strength and consolation in Jesus’ words and in his continuing presence with us to endure all things and to witness to the action of God in our world.

Did you know… that the word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which is translated from an ancient Greek word, parousia? This term literally means arrival and theologically refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Our focus this week is on Christ’s coming once again at the end of time as we know it.

Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection