Advent: 15 December - You too must be patient.

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5: 7-9

 How do we practice patience?

By noticing what is happening in the present time and by remembering the constant love of God no matter what the future is looking like. We need to slow down, look around and live, allowing the presence of God to grow so that our divided lives can be reunited with Christ. Our first concern is in prayer recognising that without God we can do nothing.

Prayers of the faithful suggestions.

We pray:

For Patience: that during Advent we practice waiting and allow God to awaken our trust in the unfolding experiences of each day.

E te Ariki, Whakarongo mai rā kia a mātou.

For Healing: that God will mend the broken, care for the wounded and reunite the divisions within our lives so that we can flourish as intentional disciples.

E te Ariki, Whakarongo mai rā kia a mātou.

For all who question the authenticity of Jesus: that their ears and eyes are opened to the presence of God in the ordinary experiences, as well as the awesome, unexpected moments of gifted love.

E te Ariki, Whakarongo mai rā kia a mātou.

Gaudete Sunday - Rejoice!

joanna kosinska xLzrDy03vm4 unsplash

The Introit for Gaudete Sunday, in both the traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo (the New Order of the Mass) is taken from Philippians 4:4,5 ‘Gaudete in Domino semper’, or ‘Rejoice in the Lord always.’

Why is rose used during Advent in the Advent wreath and vestments?

Advent is a time of penance, and so the ordinary liturgical colour for Advent is violet. On the third Sunday of Advent, which is also called Gaudete Sunday, we recognize the joyful anticipation of the season that will culminate in the birth of Christ on Christmas by changing the liturgical colour to rose. Rose is a “brightening” of the ordinary violet and thus symbolizes joy. 

Source: Catholic Answers

Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Matt 11: 4-5