A U S T R A L I A ’ S L E A D I N G P R O V I D E R O F R E L I G I O U S R E S O U R C E S

>REmail

Advent Calendar 2013

1 December 20131st Sunday of Advent

Matthew 24:37-44

Reflection:

We read in the Gospels of how Jesus brought healing to people who were sick or troubled. What healing stories do I remember? What are my favourites? The story of the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus? The servant of the centurion whose words of faith are recalled now in every Mass? The lepers who were healed, the blind who were made to see? Reflect quietly on one of the occasions when Jesus healed. How have I been healed? How have I contributed to the healing of others?

2 December 2013

Thank you for this day so filled with joy. Thank you for beauty, companionship and for all the touches of your grace.

3 December 2013St Francis Xavier

The sick and poor will always be with us. May we transform their lives for the better by reaching out our hand of mercy and speaking words of compassion. May we work to create a world that offers love and hope to all people.

4 December 2013

The world is a place of beauty but also of fear. We all have our experiences of joy but this is tainted with knowledge of our sins and sufferings, our pain and guilt, our wrongs and failures. May we become a light of your hope, Christ, to those in need.

5 December 2013

God, you chose to send your only Son to dwell among us, and to share the same needs and wants as we have. In your Son, you showed your solidarity with us. We pray that we too may come to know, share and empathise with the needs and struggles of others.

6 December 2013

Jesus, who became love incarnated, draw us into your holy presence that we may know love and be love.

7 December 2013

I will accept your invitation, Lord. I want to share your love with others.

8 December 20132nd Sunday of AdventImmaculate Conception of Mary

Matthew 3:1–12Reflection:Today is another occasion on which we reflect on Mary who was such a special part of God’s plan to save all of us. But Mary had to grow and learn and make decisions, just as we do. How can I grow, as Mary did, in faith and trust in God? How can I, as a young person in Australia, seek to fulfil my vocation in the twenty-first century? Do I have Mary’s level of trust in that God who delights in my flourishing?

9 December 2013Immaculate Conception of Mary

You bring light and joy to the darkness of this world. Let us carry your light in our hearts each day.

10 December 2013

Our lives are a long journey of self-discovery. Guide us, Christ, as we travel though life and bring us to greater awareness of who we are and what we are called to be.

11 December 2013

As young people of faith, we pray that we may grow in our love of Christ and come to know the living God ever clearer in our daily lives.

12 December 2013

God, may you be our strength in times of sorrow, hope in times of unhappiness, comfort in times of confusion, and a safe harbour in the storms of life.

13 December 2013

We pray for all children—may they experience in their lives: joy and love, laughter and tenderness.

14 December 2013

Help us delight in your world and notice the needs of those around us.

15 December 20133rd Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2–11Reflection:As we look forward to the holidays, we pause and reflect. What are the good things which I have experienced this year? What new things have I learned? At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Christmas is meant to be a time of joy, spent with family; how can I make Christmas a time of joy for my family? How can I support those who work to make this special feast a happy time for those without family?

16 December 2013

Open our ears, Lord, to hear your voice calling us to newness of life. Open our hearts that we may embrace the challenges ahead with great love.

17 December 2013

We ask your forgiveness, merciful God, for the times we feel anger and hatred towards each other. We ask that you fill our hearts with your love, so we may love others more fully.

18 December 2013

O love divine, burn in our hearts, that all people may forget their hates and prejudices, and yearn instead for peace with one another.

19 December 2013

God, our Creator, we thank you for this life that holds so much beauty. For the wonder of nature, the joy of children and the progress of human thought, we give God praise.

20 December 2013

In this season of the Birth of Our Lord, we pray for a new birth within us, that calls us to an appreciation of God’s total self-giving love. May we respond with a ‘yes’ to giving over our lives wholly to God’s desires.

21 December 2013

God, as young adults we face ever changing values and beliefs. Guide us, that we may make the right decisions and live our lives as fully as we can, knowing that we can always turn to you.

22 December 2013

We give thanks for the simple joys, the presence of family, the company of friends. For these many blessings and more, may we always be grateful.

23 December 2013

We offer prayers of thanks, let us be mindful of the daily blessings you send us, God of many surprises. We pray that we may appreciate every moment of our lives, making the most out of opportunities sent our way.

24 December 2013

May we always act with dignity, love unconditionally and forgive unfailingly.

25 December 2013Christmas Day

Christmas DayYou are born to us Jesus. We welcome you here, right here, into our very lives. We invite you home, into the humbleness of our human hearts. The birth of Jesus is about the God who chooses freely to be one of us. 'Thank you' can be our only response. Thank you, God, for loving us, for trusting us and for befriending us, despite our failings. In your coming, we pray to rise above our ordinariness to embrace you.