Blessing of the Advent Wreath
Opening Prayer
God our Father as we begin our Advent journey we do so with great expectation for the coming of Christ this Christmas. This is also a time when we answer Pope Francis’ call to begin on a synodal pathway. Like Advent this synodal pathway is filled with expectation as we await to hear your Spirit speaking in and through the People of God. As we await the coming of Jesus this Christmas, may we have expectant ears and hearts so as to hear what your Spirit hopes to give birth to in your Church at this time. We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen
Blessing of the Advent Wreath.
God our Father we ask your blessing on this Advent Wreath. An unbroken circle of evergreens. In our Advent and Synodal journeys may we forge bonds of unity and love as we share our life and faith stories. With each passing week our Advent wreath will grow ever brighter. May the light of your Spirit show us the path we need to walk as a Synodal Church this Advent season.
We ask you to bless this wreath +. May it be a symbol of your unbroken promise to always walk with your people. May our faith give us the courage and openness we need to engage this Advent season with synodal hearts and minds. Open our eyes to see those living on the margins; those taking shelter in our modern day mangers. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to love those who reside on the margins of our Church and society this Christmas.
We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Week 1: Lighting of our first candle a candle of hope
We will hear in the scriptures today:
“See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made”
We light our first candle, a candle of hope. (Pause while the candle is being lit)
May we have faith to believe in God’s hope filled promise for each one of us. This Advent as we begin our synodal journey may we be open to hearing what God is saying in and through his people. In walking together as a synodal Church may we be reminded that God journeys with and in his people. May expectant hope enable us to continually listen for the Spirit of God in our midst. May such purposeful listening allow something new to be born in our hearts and in our Church this Advent season.
We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Week 2: Lighting our Second Candle a candle of faith
We will hear in the scriptures today:
“A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low,
winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth.”
We light our second candle, a candle of faith. (Pause while the candle is being lit).
Guided by the light of God’s Spirit we continue on our pilgrim way to Christmas and in being a synodal Church. May we have ears to hear the voices that cry from the margins of our Church and our society. May the rough and windy roads of life be levelled to create a meeting place on which common ground can be found, and our lived realities can be shared in a faith filled and lifegiving way.
We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen
Week 3: Lighting of our third candle a candle of joy.
We will read in the scriptures today:
“He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.”
We light our third candle, a candle of joy. (Pause while the candle is being lit).
We give thanks for the journey we have made and for the small steps we have taken together. There is joy at seeing the destination of Christ’s birth coming into view. As we continue to journey on this synodal way, may we rejoice in the fact that God walks by our side as our friend and companion. Help us to realise that it is in journeying together that we encounter Christ and one another. May we experience the real joy of finding Christ in each other. May this inspire us to continually strive for personal encounters with Christ and with each other this Advent Season.
We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Week 4: Lighting of our fourth candle, a candle of prayerful preparation
We will read in the scriptures today:
“For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
We light our fourth candle, a candle of prayerful preparation. (Pause while the candle is being lit).
As we draw near to Christmas and our celebration of the birth of Jesus, we take time to do our last minute checks. We like to make sure that we haven’t forgotten anything for our upcoming celebrations. As we continue on our Synodal journey may we stop and take stock so as to ensure we haven’t left anybody behind on the journey, or we haven’t left anybody out of our conversations. May we notice the lost, the forgotten, the marginalised. May we give time to acknowledge and savour the synodal conversations that made new life stir within us. For like Mary if we truly believe and trust in what is said, Christ will be born in the midst of our sharing.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Christmas Eve/Day: Lighting of our White Candle – the Christ Candle
We will read in the scriptures today:
“The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We light our final candle, our white Christ candle. (Pause while the candle is being lit).
We give thanks that God has not only chosen to dwell among us, but came as one of us. God has put himself in our shoes as it were. As we continue on our synodal journey, may we follow the example of Jesus. In our listening, may we as Church be willing to place ourselves in the shoes of the other. May we listen to their truth, so that reading the signs of the times through the light of faith we may see what the Spirit of God wants to give birth to in our Church and in our hearts this Christmas season.
We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord.