While most liturgical seasons have the gospel as their main focus, during the first weeks of Advent, the Church gives us daily readings from the prophet Isaiah. With the eyes of faith, these foretell the coming of the Messiah. Rather than a continuous gospel narrative familiar to us for most of the year, this part of Advent offers a wide variety of gospel readings that support the first reading of the day. After almost two weeks of Isaiah readings, we hear the foretelling of a Messiah from other prophets from the Hebrew scriptures - in Sirach, Numbers, Zephaniah and returning to Isaiah. With each passing week, the prophets speak more clearly of the coming of a Savior. So, in reading the first reading, for the first part of Advent, we listen to the anticipation, expectation, hope and promise. In listening to the second reading, we listen for the fulfillment or connection with the gospel.

Would you like some help for the Advent journey? The Praying Advent website offers a Daily Prayer for each day of Advent, based upon the Collects of the New Roman Missal. In addition, there are family Dinner Prayers. Just Google “Praying Advent.”

 onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent

One of the greatest mystics of all time, St. Ignatius of Loyola, believed that the prayer exercise called “The Examen” should be the most important 15 minutes of a person’s day. The prayer of the Daily Examen is an adaptation of what St. Ignatius of Loyola wrote in the Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius believed this method would help us see how God works through us and among us throughout our day. During this season of Advent, why don’t you consider praying the Examen each day? There are five easy steps:
1. Ask God to open your mind and heart. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you see the day through God’s loving eyes, and with His merciful heart.
2. Reflect with gratitude. Ask God to reveal all the gifts and graces he has given you today, from the big ones to the small ones. Give thanks.
3. Review your day. Relive each significant moment of your day – linger in the important ones and pass over the less relevant ones.
4. Reflect. Notice the times today when God was especially present to you – where did I meet God or see God at work today in my personal encounters with others?  Recognize your feelings in those moments. Now pause at any of the difficult moments of the day – when you may have fallen short of God’s will (acted with anger, resentment or missed a loving opportunity). Ask for God’s forgiveness. Sense his healing mercy washing over you.
5. Offer tomorrow’s plan.  Ask God to show you the kind of person He is calling you to be tomorrow. Resolve to be that person. Ask God for the graces to be that person.
End with an Our Father.
 

Start the practice of the EXAMEN as you seek the hope of Jesus Christ in your life!
 Think about what you are hopeful for, what you are looking forward to during Advent and the Christmas season.
What gifts will you share to be hope for someone else?
Ask God to bless all in your life as you prepare the way of the Lord.

In these last eight days before Christmas, the relationship between the readings changes. Now the gospel brings us to our celebration of Christmas. The gospels are taken from the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. Each of these days, the first reading is taken from the Hebrew scriptures, and chosen to match the gospel. In many cases we can imagine Matthew or Luke having the first reading open on their desks while they wrote the gospel. So, we can read the gospel first and then read the first reading. The sense of anticipation and fulfillment builds as we read the story of the preparation for Jesus' first coming into this world for us.

Would you like some help as you continue the Advent journey?
The Praying Advent website offers a Daily Prayer for each day of Advent,
based upon the Collects of the New Roman Missal.
In addition, there are family Dinner Prayers. Just Google “Praying Advent.”