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Wait for the Lord

These Advent Stations were reproduced with permission from Magnificat.

What are the Advent Stations?The Advent stations take us on a tour of the Old Testament. Like the traditional Lenten Stations of the Cross, these seven Advent “stations” or “stopping points” provide a way to ponder the mystery of how God prepared the world to receive his Son at the moment of the Annunciation. Each station contains an Old Testament foreshadowing of the Incarnation, a meditation for each of us to read and reflect on in silence, the New Testament fulfillment in Christ, and then a prayer. They can be prayed alone, or with your family, or even in the church with a group of the faithful.

A D V E N T S TAT I O N S 3

Advent Stations:Office of the Ancestors of Christ

First StationThe Creation of Adam and Eve

“Let us make man in our image.”

Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”

God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he cre-ated them. God blessed them, saying to them: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and sub-due it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

In the wonders of creation the Lord revealed his great love by creating man in his own image and likeness. By the sin of Adam and Eve, though, that image was disfigured and the likeness was dimmed. All of their children would be marked by their transgression. The goodness of creation was left waiting to be found; the beauty of man was hidden behind his sin. It would not remain so for ever; because the Father so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be its Savior. In Christ all that had been lost was restored and even more was given. Man who had once lost his friend-ship with the Lord now in Christ would know the intimacy of God himself. Even before Adam and Eve were finally banished from the garden, the Lord was preparing the world to receive the gift of his Son. This is the mystery of Advent--preparing for his coming. This is the mystery of the Incarnation--preparing for Christ to make all things new.

4 A R C H D I O C E S E O F S T. L O U I S

New Testament Scripture: Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”

Please Stand

Prayer (All pray together)

Loving Father, through Christ our Lord, you call us to a new paradise. More than we could ever have hoped for is given to us by the gift of your Son. His becoming man made it pos-sible for man to have a share in your divine life. In this time of attack upon married life, give husbands and wives the grace to persevere in their vocations. May marital fidelity conquer all the temptations of Satan. May the love of husband and wife truly become an image of your own love. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

All sing together

O come, thou Wisdom born in heaven’s height; Come peacefully, thy people set aright,To us the path of knowledge showAnd help us in that way to go.Rejoice, rejoice!Emmanuel, shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Second StationThe Promise of a Son to Abraham and Sarah

Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 18:9-11; 21:1-3

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There in the tent,” he replied. One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly peri-ods.

The Lord took note of Sarah as he had said he would; he did for her as he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had stated. Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

At this time in our history that regards life as more of a burden than a gift, society finds it difficult to understand the disappointment of a childless couple. The children of friends and relatives are constant reminders though of the joy that eludes them as co-creators with God of human life. Abraham and Sarah ask the question:”Who will remember us when we lie in death?” The Lord answers: “There is never a time when I have not heard you or remembered you; if I should forget you even for a moment the universe would cease to be. You will have a son and his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea. I will always be with you, for I am Emmanuel.”

New Testament Scripture: Romans 9:1-9

I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bear-ing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers,


my kin according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen. But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel, nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.” This means that it is not the chil-dren of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are count-ed as descendants. For this is the wording of the promise, “About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son.”

Please Stand


Blessed are you, O King of the universe. To Abraham and Sarah you revealed that you are faithful to your promise. You spoke your name to their descendants, that great and unspeakable name which brings life and salvation. In the fullness of time you spoke your Word of promise again in Jesus Christ, our life and salvation. May the people you chose long ago come to full redemption and may your children, born not of flesh but by adop-tion in water and the Holy Spirit, come to share in all you have promised. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All sing together

O come, O come, though Lord of Might Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s heightIn ancient times did give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Third StationThe Angelic Announcement

to Manoah and His Wife

Old Testament Scripture: Judges 13:2-7, 24

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Though you are barren and have no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.”

The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.’”

The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him.

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

Throughout the living of the covenant, the Lord sought to guide his people to the Messiah. Manoah and his wife reveal that the Messiah can work where the world believes he cannot. Even barrenness is not an obstacle to his fertility. The strength of Samson foreshadows the very strength of Christ himself. Samson ripped apart physical chains and brought down the temple of his captors. Christ destroyed the very chains of death itself and allowed the Temple of his body to be torn down and then raised up in glory. Our salvation comes only from the Lord and in no force of our own.


New Testament Scripture: Luke 1:5-17

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctu-ary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was pray-ing outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children, and the disobedient to the under-standing of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Please Stand


Loving God and Father, time and time again, you bring fruit out of human barrenness. With the words of angels you communicated to the chosen people of the covenant but now we have your Word himself as our Lord and Savior. Help us always to hear Christ speaking in our hearts. He alone can relieve our fears and anxieties. Only Christ can bring your life to this world. In his Holy Name then, give children to those who ask and give faith to those who are barren of heart, especially those in our families. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All sing together

O come, thou rod of Jesse, freeThine own from Satan’s tyranny,From depths of Hell thy people saveAnd give them vict’ry o’er the grave.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Fourth StationThe Destiny of Bethlehem

Revealed in Ruth and Boaz

Old Testament Scripture: Ruth 4:10-13

“I also take Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, as my wife, in order to raise up a family for her late husband on his estate, so that the name of the departed may not perish among his kinsmen and fellow citizens. Do you witness this today?” All those at the gate, including the elders, said, “We do so. May the Lord make this wife come into your house like Rachel and Leah, who between them built up the house of Israel. May you do well in Ephrathah and win fame in Bethlehem. With the offspring the Lord will give you from this girl, may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as man and wife, the Lord enabled her to conceive and she bore a son.

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

Small towns can be places where people “watch out” for each other, and small towns can also be places where people “watch” each other, especially the stranger. In this shrinking world, each day the stranger and the marginalized are treated with suspicion, resentment, and contempt. Lives are shattered and broken when minds and hearts refuse to admit that God desires to save people of all races and all nations and all creeds. Bethlehem was a small town that first closed its doors to the stranger Ruth. Centuries later, Bethlehem would close its doors to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Lord, though, even uses our sins and weaknesses to show his mercy and strength. Bethlehem would be called great regardless of its smallness.


New Testament Scripture: Matthew 2:1-6

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Please Stand


O Lord of all nations, the holy woman Ruth was not a daughter of the covenant you made with Abraham, yet you favored her to be an ancestor of the Christ, and gave her to us as an example of loyalty and reverence to you. Never allow our hearts to be closed to the stranger or the immigrant. Help us to know that in welcoming them we welcome your Son. May we always remember that even a cup of cool water given to the stranger out of love in Jesus’ name will be remembered on the Day of Judgment. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All sing together

O come, thou key of David, comeAnd open wide our heavenly home;Make safe the way that leads to theeAnd close the path to misery.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Fifth StationThe Song of Praise

of Hannah and Elkanah

Old Testament Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:19-20, 27-28; 2:1-10

Early the next morning [Hannah and Elkanah] worshiped before the Lord, and then returned to their home in Ramah.

When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, the Lord remembered her. She con-ceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the Lord for him.

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” [...] She said:

“My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory. There is no Holy One like the Lord; there is no Rock like our God. “Speak boastfully no longer, nor let arrogance issue from your mouths. For an all-knowing God is the Lord, a God who judges deeds. The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. “The Lord puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises

up again. The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.

He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he has set the world upon them. He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall perish in the

darkness.


For not by strength does man prevail; the Lord’s foes shall be shattered. The Most High in heaven thunders; the Lord judges the ends of the earth. Now may he give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

Prayer was the first of Hannah and Elkanah’s duties. So often it is our last and most neglected. Prayer unites us to God himself in a communion of mind and heart. Prayer brings a confi-dence in knowing that all we ask for the Lord will grant, according to his loving plan of Divine Providence. This is the confidence which Christ bestows on us in praying the prayer that he taught us: “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” The Father’s will may not always be clear to us, but that should not inhibit our praise of his goodness. Prayers of praise constantly flow from the true believer’s soul.

New Testament Scripture: Luke 1:39-56

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.


He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Please Stand


Lord of life, you reveal to us the wonders of your love in the gift of newborn life. You gave Hannah and Elkanah the courage to ask for the gift of a child. Give us that same courage to ask for what we truly need. Give us also the ability to praise your goodness even in moments of difficulty and distress. Help us to see your hand at work in our lives, always bringing us closer to yourself. May Mary’s own song of praise echo in every moment of our life. May the depths of our souls praise you for ever. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All sing together

O come, thou dayspring, come and cheerOur spirits by thine advent here;Disperse the gloomy clouds of nightAnd death’s dark shadows put to flight.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Sixth StationDavid’s Promise to Bathsheba

“Your son shall reign after me.”

Old Testament Scripture: 1 Kings 1:15-18, 29-31

So Bathsheba visited the king in his room, while Abishag the Shunamite was attending him because of his advanced age. Bathsheba bowed in homage to the king, who said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him: “My lord, you swore to me your handmaid by the Lord, your God, that my son Solomon should reign after you and sit upon your throne. But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord king, do not know it.”

The king swore, “as the Lord lives, who has delivered me from all distress, this very day I will fulfill the oath I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon should reign after me and should sit upon my throne in my place.” Bowing to the floor in homage to the king, Bathsheba said, “may my lord, King David, live forever!”

Meditation

(Pause for silence)

To have another man’s wife, David became party to deception, adultery, and murder. In David’s sor-row for his misdeeds, the Lord God did not leave him in sinfulness, nor does he allow us to be swept away in the flood of our sins. But even the son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon the Wise, could not offer the price of their redemption. The world still needed a “greater-than-Solomon.”

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 2:5-9

For it was not to angels that he subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. Instead, someone has testified somewhere: “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man


that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, subjecting all things under his feet.” In “subjecting” all things [to him], he left nothing not “subject to him.” Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,” but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death, he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Please Stand Prayer (All pray together)

Giver of all good gifts, you created this world to be a peaceable kingdom, but our greed and hatred have left the scars of war, the degradation of creation, and the legacy of death. Help us to preserve and protect the gift of life in all of its stages. Free us from actions that only enslave and destroy. May all your children learn to live in peace. May we acknowledge you alone as the Lord of life, and when our time on earth is ended, call us by name into your holy king-dom. We ask this through Christ our King and our Lord.

All sing together

O come, of all the nations King,The world awaits thy ransoming;Remove our hate and faithlessness,Unite us who thy Name confess.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please Be Seated


Seventh StationThe Birth of the Virgin Mary The Fidelity of Israel in Anne and Joachim

Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 6:13-22

[God] said to Noah: “I have decided to put an end to all mortals on earth; the earth is full of lawlessness because of them. So I will destroy them and all life on earth.

“Make yourself an ark of gopherwood, put various compartments in it, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall build it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put an entrance in the side of the ark, which you shall make with bottom, second and third decks. I, on my part, am about to bring the flood [water] on the earth, to destroy everywhere all creatures in which there is the breath of life; everything on earth shall perish. But with you I will establish my covenant; you and your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives, shall go into the ark. Of all other living creatures you shall bring two into the ark, one male and one female, that you may keep them alive with you. Of all kinds of birds, of all kinds of beasts, and of all kinds of creeping things, two of each shall come into the ark with you, to stay alive. Moreover, you are to provide yourself with all the food that is to be eaten and store it away, that it may serve as provisions for you and for them.” This Noah did; he carried out all the commands God gave him.


Meditation

(Pause for silence)

The ark of Noah was built to save mankind from the deadly force of the flood. It was built with precision and care, for the ark would be Noah’s only refuge. It would deliver his family from death and destruction. The new Ark who is the Blessed Virgin Mary was created with even greater care and precision, for not just one family would find safety within her but all families! Mary guides us through the last days of our Advent waiting. Her conception and birth are the last preparations before the floods begin again--not floods of water--or wrath--but floods of mercy and love--as God becomes man and takes flesh of the Virgin. The dove is sent out again to bring not a simple olive branch but the very root and stem of Jesse, Jesus Christ our Lord.

New Testament Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-22

Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explana-tion to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and rever-ence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Please Stand Prayer (All pray together)

All-protecting Father, in the ark of the Blessed Virgin Mary you call all men to find salva-tion and life in her Son, Jesus Christ. As in the ark of Noah, always keep us free from all natural disasters. In the ark of Mary, keep us free from all spiritual disasters. May we always be strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and fervent in charity. Never allow us to drift away from you in anything that we do, and remind us always of the safe refuge we have in your embrace. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

All sing together

O come, O come Emmanuel,And ransom captive IsraelThat mourns in lonely exile hereUntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Please leave the program in your pew so we can use them again for future services. Thank you and have a

blessed rest of your Advent Season.

The Advent Stations were written by Father James Sullivan, O.P., Father Ambrose Eckinger, O.P., & Sister Mary Grace, O.P.

Closing PrayerPrayer of Saint John Paul II to Our Lady of Guadalupe

english

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace! Save the nations and peoples of this continent. Teach everyone, political leaders and citizens, to live in true freedom and to act according to the requirements of justice and respect for human rights, so that peace may thus be established once

and for all. To you, O Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, belong all the

love, honor, glory, and endless praise of your American sons and daughters!

(Saint John Paul II at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City, January 23, 1999)

sPanish

¡Santa Virgen de Guadalupe, Reina de la Paz! Salva las naciones y las gentes de este continente. Enséñale a cada persona, líderes políticos y ciudadanos, a vivir en verdadera libertad y actuar de acuerdo con los requisitos de justicia y respeto de los derechos humanos, para que la paz sea así

establecida de una vez por todas. A tí, Señora de Guadalupe, madre de Jesús y madre nuestra, pertenecen el amor,

honor, gloria y alabanzas sin fin de tus hijos e hijas de América.

(San Juan Pablo II en la Basílica de Guadalupe, Ciudad de México, el 23 de enero de 1999.)

wait for the lord stations.pdfadvent stations 3 advent stations: office of the ancestors of christ...

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