Postcard Six
“Don’t you have a home?“
She smiled sweetly, “Yes, of course, I do.“
“Oh, good! I was worried about you. What is your address?“
“1223 South Prospect Street.”
“But…that’s here. That’s the address of this church.”
“Yes, I live here. I used to come here every day because it was so lovely to be with Jesus. But at night, they lock the doors. And then he’s here alone, in the dark.”
“That’s true. I never thought about it.”
“So one day, I told him, if I’m going to live in your house forever, why wait? Why not start now? Then I sold my home and moved in here.”
“And your name is… ?“
“Anna.“
“And Anna, you never leave here, you stay here all day and all night?”
She didn’t answer in words, but her smile was all the answer I needed.
Behold, the Lord will come descending with splendor to visit his people with peace, and he will bestow on them eternal life.
Entrance antiphon of Friday of the First Week in Advent
One thing I ask of the Lord;
This I seek:
To dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life.Responsorial Psalm of Friday of the First Week of Advent
Postcard Five
“What are you looking at?” her father asked her as she stared up into the sky.
“I am not really looking at anything. But when I look at the sky, I think about Grandpa. He’s my best friend.”
“How can he be your best friend? You’ve never even seen him.”
“Yes, that’s true. But whenever I look at all the things he made with such care like the rocking chair in my room or the table where we eat our meals, I see him. And I love him.”
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call him while he is near.
Alleluia verse for Thursday of the First week of Advent
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion of Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Postcard Four
He was just about to eat his supper, when a frantic knocking was heard of the door. When he opened it, a voice said, “Please come quickly and bring your lantern! A group of people went out in the woods today and none of them have returned!”
He left his supper on the table and ran to the woods with his lantern. As he went through the forest, some people came running to him and his light immediately saying, “Oh, thank you for finding us! We were entirely lost.”
He had to search for some of the people more carefully because they had fallen down or taken unused paths. They also greeted him with joy.
Others, however, seemed annoyed. “Mind your own business. We’re fine. We’ll make it home on our own.“
Still others ran deeper into the forest or said that they liked the darkness and asked him to take his light away.
Even with so much rejection, he didn’t give up. He walked all night through the forest and just before dawn, he found someone who had fallen down into a deep pit and needed to be rescued and carried home.
Every night, he returned and hung lanterns in the trees to show those who remained in the forest the way to come home.
The Lord will come and he will not delay. He will illumine what is hidden in darkness and reveal himself to all the nations.
Entrance Antiphon of Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”First Reading of Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Postcard Three
“Well, he’s sleeping now. Let’s go and put away his toys.”
But when they began to look at his toys, they had to laugh. “Look at that! His wolf is sitting at a table eating bread with the little lamb.”
“And his lions are out with the cows by his barn.”
“Here’s another cow taking some refreshment with a bear.”
“But, what’s this? He has some snakes wrapped around these baby dolls. He really doesn’t understand about enemies, does he?”
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb…The calf and the young lion shall browse together…The cow and the bear shall be neighbors…The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.From the First Reading for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.
From the Gospel for Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Postcard Two
I dreamed that I saw him walking in the cold, dark night. The wind blew the clouds across the stars, and I could only just make out his thin shape carrying a heavy bundle on his back.
He stopped at the first door on the right and knocked. But the people inside never heard because they were quarreling so loudly.
At the next house, he didn’t even have a chance to knock because the dogs barked and strained at their chains as if to say “No one is welcome here.”
The next house was no better because the people were hiding behind the curtains, peeping out in fear. At the next, they were all sound asleep and in the house beyond, the noise of the singing and dancing drowned out all the gentle knocking.
This went on for what seemed like miles. No one ever answered the door. Usually, no one even heard the knock and, if they did, they all had reasons for not opening their doors.
I was weeping now and praying that someone would open the door. Anyone.
Then I realized that my weeping was blending with the prayer coming from the final house in the town.
I could see that there was a man who was dying. His family were gathered around him praying. “We praise you, Lord of heaven and earth for your mercy towards us.”
When the knock sounded at the door, one of them eagerly ran to open it and pulled the stranger inside. As this kind welcomer took the stranger’s pack from the weary back, the stranger said, “It wearies me to carry so much mercy on my back and find no one who wants it.”
Then he opened his pack, pulled out healing remedies, and restored the dying man to his family.
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
Gospel for Monday of the First week of Advent
Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Opening Prayer for Monday of the First week of Advent
Postcard One
“It’s winter again,” she said with a sigh as she looked at all the snow covering the ground. “I like spring when it’s warm and things are growing. Right now everything looks dead.“
“It only looks dead,” her mother said. “Beneath the snow, there is the promise of life and spring.”
But spring seemed like it would never come again after all the hard times the village had suffered in the last months. Suddenly, they heard the sound of feet running down the road. They couldn’t see who it was in the dark and, at first, they were afraid. But as more and more feet passed, their fear changed to wonder, and they grabbed their coats and ran out to see what was happening.
They were just in time to see the last of the runners disappearing in the dark. Without knowing why, they hurried to follow him.
They ran for what seemed like hours but in their eagerness, they did not feel tired.
Finally, they reached the place where a large crowd of people had gathered. The girl and her mother were welcomed and drawn into the center of the circle. Illuminated by a bright star was a fragile-looking, but beautiful tender shoot with a single white flower.
“It’s a sign to us! Even though things seem bleak and frightening, there is hope. Salvation and new life will come to us.”
In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.
First reading for the First Sunday of Advent
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Opening Prayer for the First Sunday in Advent