Journey toward Christmas

Genesis 1: 1-4In the beginning God created heaven and

earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a

divine wind sweeping over the waters. God said, :Let there be light, and there was

light. God saw that the light was good and God divided light from darkness.

Genesis 1:1-4

incarnation

God is with us

INCARNATION

God is with us

Incarnation Perhaps the hardest thing to remember

about Christmas is this. "It celebrates the Incarnation, not just the Nativity.

The Incarnation is an on-going process of salvation, while the nativity is the once-for-all-historical event of Bethlehem. We do not really celebrate Christs birthday, remembering something that happened long ago.

Incarnation We celebrate the overwhelmingly

incredible fact of the incarnation, God entering our world so thoroughly that nothing has been the same since.

"we celebrate our redemption in Christ and the transformation of all creation by the presence of the divine in our midst.

The Coming of the Light , Sourcebook, 1996, Liturgy Training Publ.

Birthing Christ The Christmas story reminds us once

again it was not mans idea that the Son of God should be born in a stable. And so the first thing we learn from Jesus birth is that the Lord will not always be found where we expect to find Him. We tend to look for Him in the nice, the clean, the warm. We expect Him to be in churches and in the Bible and in hymns of praise and in Christmas cards which have Scripture verses on themAnd if these are the only places we search for the Lord, then were not looking in the stable.

Birthing Christ I am not made of plaster, nor of stone, nor of

bronze. I am living flesh throbbing, suffering. I am among men [and women] and they have not recognized Me. I am poorly paid, I am unemployed, I live in a slum. I am sick, I sleep under bridges, I am in prison. I am oppressed, I am patronized. I sweat mens blood on all battlefields. I cry out in the night and die in the solitude of battle. And yet I said to them: Whatever you do to My brothers [or sisters], however humble, you do to Me.

Prayers . . . . . . .Michael Quoist

Advent (to arrive)

The Beginning of the Churchs New year Changes in the Liturgy

Sights, Smells, Sounds

Four Weeks Christ having Come and Christ Who Will

Come Again

Week One: Hope

Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when

we first believedRomans 13:114

Hope Advent is concerned with that very connection

between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advents intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child.

This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Churchs year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the hearts memory so that it can discern the star of hope.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Seek that Which is Above, 1986

Week Two: Peace

May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such

harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.

Romans 15:5

Peace What good is it that Christ was born 2,000

years ago if he is not born now in your heart?

"I believe in God, but do I believe in God-in-me? I believe in God in heaven, but do I believe in God-on-earth? I believe in God out there, but do I believe in God-with-us?

Meister Eckhart

If you want peace, work for justice. Pope Paul VI

PeaceWorks of justice, on the other hand,

follow the road less traveled of Advents hope to pursue solutions for difficult problems. Hope comes through works of justice rather than simply performing works of charity.

Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR

Peace During Advent opportunities for works of

charity abound calling out for Christians from every side: a sack of food for a needy family, money dropped in a Salvation Army kettle, a donation to an Indian school, a toy for Toys-for-Tots, etc. Unfortunately, these works of charity so easily can assuage the Christian conscience, while doing nothing to being about a solution to the root causes of the problem.

Week Three: Joy

For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might

be saved through him.John 3: 17

Make Straight the Way of the Lord

John the Baptist

The Voice in the Desert The Herald Repentance as Preparation The Kingdom of God is at Hand

Repentance Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer

and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent.

If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time.

Fire of AdventEdward Hays,A Pilgrims Almanac

Week Four: Love

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the

calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11: 6

The Message of the Incarnation

Love God chose to live among His creation

Love God chose to save us from our sins Love God chose to bring us the Good

News of Salvation Love God chose to be an example of

Love

For God So Loved the World..

The World wasand isa dark place

Light penetrates the darkness

The presence of God is revealed in the Light

Jesus Christ IS the Lightthe light of truththelight of the World.

Readings for Midnight Mass Reading I

Is 9:1-6

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing,as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,as people make merry when dividing spoils.For the yoke that burdened them,the pole on their shoulder,and the rod of their taskmasteryou have smashed, as on the day of Midian.For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood,will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;upon his shoulder dominion rests.They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.His dominion is vastand forever peaceful,from Davids throne, and over his kingdom,which he confirms and sustainsby judgment and justice,both now and forever.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/isaiah/isaiah9.htm

Readings for Midnight Mass Gospel

Lk 2:1-14

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.While they were there, the timecame for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them,(Do not be afraid; for behold, Iproclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.(And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,praising God and saying:(Glory to God in the highestand on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.)

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke2.htm

Readings for Mass at Dawn Gospel

Lk 2:15-20

When the angels went away from them to heaven,the shepherds said to one another, Let us go, then, to Bethlehemto see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.When they saw this,they made known the messagethat had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazedby what had been told them by the shepherds.And Mary kept all these things,reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke2.htm

Readings for Mass on Christmas Day Gospel

Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God,and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him,and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept himhe gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a mans decision but of God.

And the Word became fleshand made his dwelling among us,and we saw his glory,the glory as of the Fathers only Son,full of grace and truth.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/john/john1.htm

Have a Blessed Christmas

Journey toward ChristmasGenesis 1: 1-4incarnationINCARNATIONIncarnationIncarnationBirthing ChristBirthing ChristAdvent (to arrive)Slide Number 10HopeSlide Number 12PeacePeacePeaceSlide Number 16Make Straight the Way of the LordRepentanceSlide Number 19The Message of the IncarnationFor God So Loved the World..Readings for Midnight MassReadings for Midnight MassReadings for Mass at DawnReadings for Mass on Christmas DayHave a Blessed Christmas