Advent Charity: Holy Innocents Center, Kingston, Jamaica

If you are looking for a place to be charitable this Advent, think of helping the Missionaries of the Poor. Especially pray for their 'mother and child' project - the Holy Innocents Center in Kingston, Jamaica.

Jamaica has been struggling against world pressure to legalize abortion, and the M.O.P. have a very practical solution- care for mothers and babies.

Our family has chosen this particular charity for our Advent sacrifice. Myself, my sons Mark and Paul, and one of their friends, will be praying and running in the Cayman Marathon Relay on Sunday (Dec.4), as the 'Webster Rundown' team. Each leg is approx. 6.5 mi., and we are hoping to come in under 4 hrs.
Please pray with us (race starts 5am EST ) and , if inspired, donate to M.O.P. (scroll to bottom of link page.)

UPDATE : Our team ran the Cayman Marathon in 4:21, and I have been told that some funds were raised for M.O.P.!

A group that regularly prays, runs and raises money for life, is LifeRunners . Check them out for an event near you.

Happy Advent!

"Advent Conspiracy - Enter the Story 2011"

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Saint Andrew Novena - Anticipating Christmas

A special devotion is a lovely way to focus ourselves and our families on the advent of the Christ. This one, being prayed 15 times a day , has the purpose of drawing us back to the centre throughout the day:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Thank-you, Saint Andrew.

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"O Emmanuel"

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their
Savior. Come and save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
expectatio gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domine, Deus noster.

more from Fr. Z...

"O Rex"

O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save man whom you fashioned out of clay.

O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

more from Fr. Z...

"O Oriens"

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae,
et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.

more from Fr. Z..

"O Key of David"

O Key of David and Scepter of the House of Israel; you open and no man closes; you close and no man opens. Come, and deliver from the chains of prison those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Clavis David,
et sceptrum domus Israël,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit,
claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum
de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.

more from Fr. Z..

"O Root of Jesse"

O Root of Jesse, you stand as a sign for the peoples; before you kings shall keep silence and to you all nations shall have recourse. Come, save us, and do not delay.

O Radix Jesse,
qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos,
jam noli tardare

more from Fr. Z...

"O Adonai"

O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him your law. Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.

O Adonai,
et dux domus Israël,
qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

more from Fr. Z...

"O Sapientia"

O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High and, reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

O Sapientia,
quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter,
suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

more from Fr. Z...

The "O Antiphons"

Starting on December 17, through to December 23, the Liturgy of the Hours features the "O Antiphons" , messianic promises proclaimed by the prophets.

Each O Antiphon begins with an invocation of the expected Messiah, followed by praise of him under one of his particular titles. Each ends with a petition for God's people, relevant to the title by which he is addressed, and the cry for him to "Come".

The seven titles attributed to Jesus in the antiphons are Wisdom (Sapientia in Latin), Ruler of the House of Israel (Adonai), Root of Jesse (Radix), Key of David (Clavis), Rising Dawn (Oriens), King of the Gentiles (Rex). and Emmanuel. In Latin the initials of the titles make an acrostic which, when read backwards. means: "Tomorrow I will be there" ("Ero cras"). To the medieval mind this was clearly a reference to the approaching Christmas vigil.

Today the O Antiphons are most familiar to us in the hymn "O come, O come Emmanuel". Each verse of the hymn parallels one of the antiphons. In addition to their use in the Liturgy of the Hours and the gospel acclamation, they have been popularly incorporated into church devotions and family prayer. An Advent prayer service for use at home, in school, or in the events of parish life can be built around the singing or recitation of the antiphons, accompanied by the related Scripture readings and prayers. They can be prayed at family dinner times or with the lighting of the Advent wreath, with a short explanation of their biblical background. The titles can also be depicted by simple symbols - for example, on banners and posters or in bulletin illustrations - to help us to reflect on these Advent themes.

(Jeanne Kun)

more from Fr. Z...

Oh, Christmas Tree...,

Here we are in Advent, and we have the annual stories of 'cultural vandalism' filling the air. First , two tree stories - one from Orange County, Calif., and the next from Cambridge (Incidentally, Dundee has had a change of 'Spirit'!)

If that's not cheerful enough, how about a 'Naughty & Nice' list from the American Family Association, or one from Liberty Counsel?

Advent Prose (Rorate Caeli)

Sung before Benediction, the First Sunday of Advent at St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Edinburgh. (2008)

The Advent Antiphons

CHIESA:

...From (Dec.17) until the day before Christmas Eve, at the Magnificat during vespers in the Roman rite, seven antiphons are sung, one per day, all of them beginning with an invocation to Jesus, although he is never called by name.

The antiphons are very old, going back to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, around the year 600. They are in Latin, and are inspired by the texts of the Old Testament proclaiming the Messiah.

At the beginning of each antiphon, in order, Jesus is invoked as Wisdom, Lord, Root, Key, Star, King, Emmanuel. In Latin: Sapientia, Adonai, Radix, Clavis, Oriens, Rex, Emmanuel.

Read starting from the last, the Latin initials of these words form an acrostic: "Ero cras," meaning: "I will be [there] tomorrow." It is the proclamation of the Lord who comes. The last antiphon, which completes the acrostic, is sung on December 23, and the following day, with first vespers, the feast of the Nativity begins...

(h/t First Things)

Catholic Carnival #202

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Hosted this week by newbie James Hahn atReal Life Rosary. Plenty of Advent/Christmas resources and meditations, pro-life gifts for Jesus, and the winner from last week's contest! Wow!

"O Come, O Come"

Advent Conspiracy

Advent Conspiracy