Week3 Advent Opening prayer Series

OPENING PRAYER SERIES.

The Mass: Opening Prayer Series Icon.

OPENING PRAYER.

The opening prayer of the Mass for the third week of Advent reads as follows:

Let us pray,

(that God will fill us with joy at the coming of Christ)

Lord God,

may we your people who look forward to the birthday of Christ 

experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week,
the following reflection questions emerged:

1.    What is God's joy?

2.    Do I wish to be filled with God's joy and what may be hindering me from receiving it?

3.    What does the birthday of Christ mean to me personally?

4.    Am I ready to receive the joy of Christ's salvation into my life?

5.    What does celebrating this feast with love and thanksgiving entail and how might be different from my previous celebrations of Christmas?  

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, for this colour anticipates and symbolises the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason, the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose colour vestments are permitted. The traditional colour of the vestments during Weeks 1, 2 and 4 is either purple or violet to represent penitential spirit. Advent is a season of hope, but a penitential spirit during this season is a fitting way to prepare the way of the Lord. 

As we make the practical preparations for Christmas, let us not lose sight of the theme that the Church offers in its liturgy this week -'that God will fill us with joy at the coming of Christ.   

 

What will YOUR Spirituality in Action (SIA) be this week?  

May your week be filled with joy so that you can continue to rejoice in the Lord always