“Advent, Time of Waiting”
Indications:
· Environment: Chapel
· Symbol: An “advent wreath” with 4 candles which must be lit at the beginning of each of the first four meditations; In the fifth meditation the candle of the Virgin will be lit. The crown is placed at the feet of the image of the Virgin
Materials:
· Image of the Virgin
· Advent wreath with its 4 candles
· Blue candle (for the Virgin)
· Songbooks
T: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…
INITIAL MONITION:
In communion with the entire Church we celebrate the liturgical season of Advent. At this time we prepare to celebrate Christmas, as a commemoration of the first coming of the Son of God among men and, at the same time, through this celebration, our faith is directed to the second coming, already glorious and definitive at the end of time. times, of the Lord Jesus.
It is a Marian time par excellence since our Mother appears actively cooperating in the mystery of Reconciliation preparing the birth of the Messiah. That is why, in her presence and company, we live this time of waiting and conversion.
Let’s start this Holy Rosary singing “Waiting”.
FIRST MEDITATION:
WAITING TIME AND CONVERSION
The season of Advent is a time of active waiting in search of the definitive encounter with the Lord Jesus. Active waiting that implies having a desire to change, to prepare; That is why in this time we are called to radical demand, to conversion, to change of life, to return our steps to the path of God; calls to conversion that must encompass our entire being and that must lead us to change our thoughts, feelings and actions; putting them in accordance with the way of thinking, feeling and acting of Jesus.
SECOND MEDITATION:
PRAYER
Advent is a time of sincere approach to the Lord, who is yet to come and who at the same time is already among us. But we cannot approach Him if we do not seek Him, if we are not in constant tension to put ourselves in His presence. Prayer, personal and community, constitutes an effective means of searching towards a real encounter with the Lord Jesus; through attentive listening, meditation and internalization of his Word, which must become a requirement and necessity in this time of waiting.
THIRD MEDITATION:
PENANCE
God sends us a Savior, his own Son. But are we really prepared to welcome it and receive it in all its dimensions? Let us do everything on our part, to assume, without contemplation, during this time of waiting all the sufferings, problems and pains that we encounter on our path of holiness, seeking to put ourselves in a concrete way, on the Cross of the Lord, living these difficulties in an oblative sense, of sacrifice and surrender; through penance, a necessary means of preparation and waiting for a definitive encounter with the Lord Jesus.
FOURTH MEDITATION:
CHARITY
Charity is presented to us as an excellent means of waiting and conversion in the season of Advent; since only through our communion of love with the Lord, will we be in a position to truly love our brothers and practice true charity with them. Charity must lead us during this time to express it concretely through caring for the poorest and most needy, seeking their integral promotion and radicalizing our obligation to be “brother’s guardians” by worrying about collaborating with them to alleviate their needs and problems. (It is suggested to sing the first Hail Mary).
FIFTH MEDITATION:
MARY EDUCATES US IN WAITING
Mary, with her “Fiat”, accepts to be the Mother of God and in doing so directs all her efforts to fully fulfill such a mission and anxiously awaits that moment of maximum happiness, such as the birth of the Lord Jesus; But this waiting of the Mother is not a passive waiting, but on the contrary it is an active waiting, demonstrated in the actions of Saint Mary during her visit to her cousin Elizabeth.
Let us reflect on our attitude of waiting for the arrival of Jesus and allow ourselves to be educated by Mary in patient and active waiting. We sing OUR MOTHER. (It is suggested to light the Virgin’s candle).
FINAL MONITION
In this time of Advent, as committed Christians, we are called to live in an attitude of tension and search for the presence of the Lord Jesus and awaiting his definitive return. Let us ask Saint Mary to teach us to wait with the same faith as her. Let’s finish by praying La Salve.
(Adapted from ACI Prensa)