This Sunday 30NOV 2008 - VERY IMPORTANT DATE

[BarbaraTherese]

30th November 2008 - This coming Sunday


[First Sunday of Advent (http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-11-30)

Today the Church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent. This is the beginning of a new liturgical year.

The Advent liturgy opens with that great yearning cry of the prophets of Israel to the Messiah and Redeemer whose advent they awaited. “Come!” God is not deaf to His people’s cry. Fulfilling the promise of salvation made to our first parents at their fall He sent His Son into the world.

And the application to all generations of mankind of the redemption that the Son of God made Man obtained for us by His passion

continues until the end of time

: it will conclude with the end of the world (see here)
when the Messiah comes to complete His work and lead us into His kingdom.

The history of the Church occupies the period between these two great events.

In the Mass of this Sunday the whole work of redemption is set before us,

• from its preparation in Israel’s expectancy
• and its effect on our present lives
• down to its final fulfillment.

The Church, in preparing us to celebrate at Christmas the birth of Him who came

• to snatch our souls from sin
• and transform them into the likeness of His own,
• invokes upon us and on all men the complete accomplishment of the mission of salvation that He came to perform upon this earth.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the traditional opening prayer (or Collect) prayed:

“Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come.” With this request to God to “stir up”

His might, this day was traditionally called Stir-Up Sunday . Many families create a traditional plum pudding or fruit cake or some other recipe that all the family and guests can “stir-up.” This activity of stirring-up the ingredients symbolizes our hearts that must be stirred in preparation for Christ’s birth.

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[TO CONCLUDE GO TO here (http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-11-30)

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Just giving this Post a bit of a nudge to keep it current and also to advise that this coming Sunday, First Sunday of Advent, begins a new liturgical year:

Sunday Cycle B

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Weekday Cycle 1

 

[BarbaraTherese]

It is Saturday here in Sth. Australia and this evenings Vigil Mass commences for us a new Church liturgical year and the First Sunday of Advent. The Following is taken from the 2008 Ordo for Australia and New Zealand:

"Within the cycle of a year, the Church unfolds the whole of the mystery of Christ - from His incarnation and birth until His ascension,

the day of Pentecost and the expection of the blessed hope of The Lord’s Return

.

In celebrating this annual cycle of Christ’s mysteries, The Church honours with special love Mary, The Mother of God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son (and in a very direct manner -brackets mine).

In Mary The Church holds up and admires the most excellent effect of the redemption and joyfully contemplates,

as in a flawless image, that which The Church itself desires and hopes wholly to be

" (Vatican II Sacrosanctum Concilium)
Constitution on The Sacred Liturgy - Sacrosanctum Concilium

Advent is a time of devout and joyful expectation!

To read all about ADVENT

.