 Advent is the season of Our Lady. During the first Advent, Mary carried the Christ-child next to her heart and waited in joyful expectation for His birth.
 “We know that the coming of the Lord is threefold… The first coming was in flesh and weakness, the middle coming is in spirit and power, and the final coming will be in glory and majesty.” - St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Season of Advent
 As we near the end of Advent, Holy Mother Church once again gives us the beautiful and beloved "O" Antiphons. At every Vespers (Evening Prayer), an antiphon is prayed before and after the Canticle of Mary which changes throughout the year according to the season and day. In the seven days leading up to Christmas, these antiphons are particularly unique and profound. Each antiphon begins by addressing Our Lord by a different title, referencing a way that His coming fulfills both the Old Testament prophecies and our present needs. They all begin with the word "O" and then continue with the title and text of the day, such as in the first: "O Wisdom of our God Most High..."
 Over Thanksgiving weekend, our Sisters had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather in Santa Rosa. Some Sisters went on hikes while others played ultimate frisbee. On one of our hikes to the top of a nearby ridge, a Sister noted how much better food tastes on the top of a mountain. And it’s true! Hunger – whether induced by a vigorous hike, a competitive game of ultimate frisbee, or a busy day teaching grade-schoolers – is the best seasoning to the hearty meals Sister Cook provides in the convent.
 O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God! Throughout the ages, the Divine Author has woven together history and culture into an enriching and fascinating tapestry that, when studied, shows the Love of our Good God.
One can see the ways in which Fallen Man expressed his yearning for His Maker, and that same Providential God’s ordering of human events in such a way as best served His one aim: Man’s salvation. One sees as well as the lengths He will go to, to show Himself a Loving Lord—coming to us in the manner in which we—as individuals and as a whole—will be most impacted by His Presence.  Rorate, caeli, desuper et nubes pluant justum: aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem. Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior. - Introit: Ember Wednesday in Advent With a spirit of joy lingering from Gaudate Sunday, the Church turns toward her first Ember Days of the liturgical year, where - with prayer and penance - she eagerly beseeches Heaven to send the promised Savior.
 Gaudete in Dominio semper: iterum dico, gaudete.
Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: for the Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous: but in everything by prayer let your petitions be made known to God. - Introit: Gaudete Sunday  "People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations: and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart." - Introit: Second Sunday of Advent Advent is a time in which we turn our faces towards Mysteries of Christ’s Hidden Life, beginning with the Nativity. However, to look to the Nativity is to hearken back to the great “Fiat” of Our Lady at the Annunciation, when Our Lord truly came and dwelt among us, hidden in her virginal womb. In Advent, we as Marian Sisters ask Our Lady to form Christ in our hearts; to nourish the life of Christ in our souls so that He may live freely in us and we, as she did, may bring forth the life of Christ in our spiritual children through a complete “Fiat” to the will of God.
 "To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust,
let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded." Ad te levavi - Introit for 1st Sunday of Advent |
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