Advent
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Praying With The Church Through Advent
$18.95Add to cartAt the beginning of every Mass, the priest-celebrant says, “Let us pray” and then offers a prayer to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit. This Opening Prayer is called the Collect. During Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, this prayer is specific to the day; in the season of Ordinary Time, the Collect for each Sunday is repeated during the following weekday Masses.
In Praying with the Church through Advent, Fr. Edward Looney offers a short daily meditation and reflection questions on that day’s Collect to help you better appreciate the richness of these liturgical texts and apply them to your life. Journaling pages are included to aid you in your Advent journey so that you may more fruitfully contemplate the liturgy and incorporate the spiritual lessons it offers.
Fr. Looney invites you to spend a few minutes considering these meditations over a cup of coffee, or while resting in the Lord’s Presence, and praying with them before or after Mass. The reflections and questions may also be used for group discussions. In these absorbing passages, you will find:
*A greater appreciation for the prayers of the Mass during Advent — and throughout the year
*The secret to receiving the gifts that God is waiting to give you through the sacraments
*How to create space for Christ and welcome Him into your heart and your home
*Ways to deepen your prayer life and your relationship with God amid difficulties and dangers
*How to break free from darkness and sin and live in the joy and freedom of God’s light
*Practical tips for living your faith through works of charity in every seasonWhile you ponder these penetrating prayers, you will learn how to walk more closely with Our Lady and the saints, from biblical heroes to contemporary figures. By developing a more fervent devotion to the Blessed Mother, you will grow in greater love of her Son. As you enter into the mystery of the Word-made-flesh through these reflections, you will encounter Jesus’ Presence in the Holy Eucharist anew and experience the life-changing power of His love so that you may be restored in mind, heart, and soul as never before.
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Find Peace In Advent
$15.95Add to cartIs it really possible to find peace during one of the busiest and stress-filled times of the year? Catholic author and self-described “recovering worrier” Gary Zimak offers a practical, scripture-based approach to Advent so we can make room for Jesus in our chaotic, busy, and fast-paced lives.
While most Catholics have an awareness of Lenten practices, we often don’t know what to do during Advent–even if we know both seasons are times of preparation. On top of this, the holiday season arrives with its own busy rhythms with family and friends. Many of us know that Advent is supposed to be a special season, but we are so pre-occupied with getting ready for the holidays that we fail to benefit from it.
Find Peace in Advent! will enable you to deepen your relationship with Jesus and find peace during one of the most stressful times of the year. This book, which uses a similar approach to the bestselling Give Up Worry for Lent!, requires only a few minutes of reading each day and helps you grow closer to Jesus and experience the peace that only he can give. The daily readings and reflections are easy to digest and connect to the daily Mass readings and the rhythm of the Advent season. With each entry, Zimak guides you to ponder foundational truths of faith and apply them to your own life with four simple steps:
*Read
*Reflect
*Respond
*PrayAs you continue to meditate on scripture and practice the simple action steps at the end of each reflection, you will find it easier to let go of your stress and worries and instead take small steps to deepen your relationship with God and make him the center of your life.
There is no better time to seek interior peace than Advent, which is a time to prepare to celebrate the many ways Jesus reaches into our lives. This four-week process is more than a survival guide to a busy season–it is a journey by which we learn to walk with Jesus, the one who guides our feet onto the path of peace.
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Christmas : The Season Of Life And Light
$20.99Add to cart“O wondrous exchange!”
Of all the seasons of the church calendar, Christmas is the one most recognized and celebrated by our society at large. That means it’s the season we’re most familiar with–but that can also make it harder to see past Christmas’s many cultural trappings to its timeless beauty.
At the first Christmas, God exchanged the glories of divinity for the vulnerability of human existence, uniting himself to us in order to unite us to God. In this short volume, priest and theologian Emily Hunter McGowin invites us into the church’s celebration of that great exchange, in all its theological and liturgical splendor.
Each volume in the Fullness of Time series invites readers to engage with the riches of the church year, exploring the traditions, prayers, Scriptures, and rituals of the seasons of the church calendar.
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Oriens : A Pilgrimage Through Advent And Christmas 2023
$20.95Add to cartMake a life-changing pilgrimage, beginning this Advent.
Oriens is a Latin word meaning “rising” and “dawn.” Your Oriens journey begins on the First Sunday of Advent and continues until the feast of the Presentation on February 2. Each day, you’ll take a step closer to “the dawn from on high.”
Fr. Joel Sember is your leader on this pilgrimage, one in which you will learn what God is revealing to you through Scripture and prayer. With Oriens as your guidebook, you’ll learn how to pray and reflect more deeply. For each entry, you’ll read a Scripture passage, receive Fr. Joel’s guidance on how to pray with that passage, and find questions for reflection and journaling.
If in years past you have felt like you weren’t really “doing” Advent and just skipping right to celebrating Christmas, this book will speak to you. If you utilized Oriens in previous years to intensify your Advent preparation and Christmas celebration, then you already know this book will open you up to God speaking directly into your heart.
Welcome, Oriens pilgrim.
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Jesse Tree : An Advent Devotional
$17.95Add to cartThis Advent, lead your family closer to Christ as you prepare for the Lord’s coming at Christmas. Engage with the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets who are the branches in Jesus’ family tree and come to understand fully how, in Christ, this family history becomes the history of our salvation.
As you explore Jesus’ fascinating ancestry, you’ll see how God’s plan of salvation unfolds from Adam and Eve, through the Old Testament prophets, to the birth of Christ, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the sacraments of the Church. Marvel at the parallels between Adam and Christ, the New Adam; Eve and Mary, the New Eve; the patriarch Joseph and St. Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer; and others.
You will also learn about the rich, faith-building customs surrounding the Jesse Tree throughout the centuries — and how to create your own. The image of a beautiful ornament signifying an important person or event in the Bible is provided for each day. The daily meditation explains the mystery of the ornament that is featured. And extra information is included for families with older children who want to “dig deeper” into the significance of what is foretold.
The devotion in practice takes five to fifteen minutes per day, depending on family needs and style. Each day features the following:
*Full-color ornament with a distinguishing symbol
*Biblical passage or story illustrating the theme
*Brief, engaging meditation with questions for discussion
*Traditional prayer to enrich the devotion
*”Dig Deeper” section for real-life applicationGrow in the wisdom of Solomon! Learn to hear God’s voice like Samuel! Develop the trust of Elijah and the humility of Isaiah! Families will be enthralled as they learn about key biblical figures and discover the reasons for our beliefs, from why God created us to the origins of the Mass and the sacraments.
A key tool for instilling the virtues and strengthening your family’s faith, hope, and love, this Jesse Tree tradition will be passed on in your family for generations to come.
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Advent And Christmas With Saint Joseph
$6.95Add to cartPrepare for and celebrate Christ’s coming with brief daily meditations for Advent and the Christmas season. Scripture readings, a personal reflection, a question to ponder or act to consider, and a short prayer to Saint Joseph are sure to touch your heart and lead you to a deeper relationship with Jesus and his foster father, Joseph.
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Soul Of Christmas
$18.99Add to cartWith his trademark blend of storytelling, faith and psychological insight, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Moore turns his attention to the most enduring story of them all: the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Moore uses passages from the Gospels, archetypal stories and ancient myths to explore the idea that Christmas can only be fully understood as belonging to everyone-as a plan for the entire human race. This may be the most profound reflection on the meaning of Christmas in a generation.
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Memento Mori An Advent Companion On The Last Things
$24.95Add to cartMemento Mori: An Advent Companion on the Last Things is the latest in a series of books by Theresa Noble, that explores the traditional Christian practice of meditation on death in the light of Christ. This daily Scripture-based Advent companion, enhanced by full-color classic and contemporary art, invites you to ponder the reality that Advent means nothing without recognizing that Jesus came to save us from death, humanity’s most intimidating enemy and impossible adversary.
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Is It Christmas Yet
$8.95Add to cartFamily time is even more important during the holiday season. Make Advent fun and meaningful for both you and your family with the engaging new book, Is it Christmas Yet? Popular children’s author Angela Burrin guides your family through prayer and story time through the holy time of Advent. Each week, Angela leads your family in an opening prayer, asks thoughtful questions, shares a brief story, offers easy conversation starters, and provides closing prayers and songs. With tips for engaging young children, and activities for everyone, this booklet will make your family’s Advent time enjoyable and filled with anticipation for the birth of Christ!
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Advent With Saint Francis Daily Reflections
$12.99Add to cartOne of the most beloved saints in history, Francis of Assisi had a special insight into the importance of the Incarnation. From his love of the humanity of Christ, to his celebration of the first Christmas creche at Greccio, Francis is an ideal guide for prayer and reflection during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. The liturgical readings and the example of Francis combine to offer a unique contemplative experience.
By pairing the words and deeds of St. Francis with the Scripture readings for Advent, Advent with St. Francis: Daily Reflections helps readers explore how they, too, can live the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives. It is written in a simple and engaging style that will draw readers in to the life of Francis as they grow in their faith and spiritual practice through the inspiration of this beloved saint.
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Season Of Little Sacraments
$14.95Add to cartThe lament swells every December, as perennial as the jingle of Salvation Army bells: we’ve lost the “reason for the season” in the secular trappings of Christmas preparation. For those aspiring to a reverent Advent but caught up in twenty-first-century to-do lists, A Season of Little Sacraments offers a fresh perspective on the secular-sacred December divide.
Susan Swetnam invites readers along on an ordinary woman’s day-by-day walk through Advent, demonstrating that the very “distractions” accused of taking Christ out of Christmas can become “little sacraments”-occasions for grace to break through and faith to deepen-if approached with mindful reflection. For readers who want to experience a truly sacred Advent without fleeing completely from contemporary society, A Season of Little Sacraments will be a welcome source of nourishment and delight.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Pope Francis
$13.99Add to cartI invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. – Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, or The Joy of the Gospel, I, 2-3 This Advent, prepare to celebrate Jesus’ arrival as an infant in the small town of Bethlehem. Born into poverty, he brings us the good news that God loves us – and calls us to give of ourselves to others. Let the example of Pope Francis, as he models the humility and generosity of our Savior, inspire you. Reflect on the pope’s teachings, accompanied by Scripture, prayer, and action. Then go out and share the message: Jesus Christ is born!
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Caroling Through Advent And Christmas
$14.99Add to cartSometime in November, or commonly as early as October, Christmas songs are heard in shopping malls, in discount stores, on the radio, on TV, and through all manner of electronic devices. The secular form of Christmas is characterized by its own music, just like the religious seasons of Advent and Christmas have their own hymns and carols. Revisit these tunes and focus your faith this year with reflections that connect the daily Advent and Christmas readings from the Lectionary to religious hymns and carols sung throughout the season. Unlike any other Advent devotional you’ve ever read, this book unites our preparations and celebrations with a faith as old as song.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Therese Of Lisieux
$13.99Add to cartEven though she is a Doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux is more well-known for being the “little flower” of Jesus. Through her “little way,” she has inspired many Catholics to love God simply, devoutly, and with great love. St. Therese believed that no act of faith is too small for God. Loving God in this way wasn’t always easy for St. Therese, but even through her suffering and death at age twenty-four she tried to love God with all her heart.
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Tiempo Para Dios Adviento – (Spanish)
$8.99Add to cartEn el Adviento y en la Navidad nos ponemos en contacto con Jesus de Nazaret, quien supo de movimiento y de caminos aun desde antes denacer. Ya en el seno de su madre viaja rumbo hacia Belen. Huye, exiliado, junto con Jose y Maria, a Egipto. Desde entonces, sus discipulos tambien habremos dealistar las sandalias y el baston- La vida es un viaje y la libertad no tiene precio. Nuestro mejor pan para darle sentido a nuestro peregrinar y para satisfacer nuestra hambre- es la Palabra.
Estas paginas son una fraterna invitacion a dejar que el Senor del tiempo toque nuestra jornada diaria, ponga su mano en nuestra historia, para que entonces, nuestro tiempo sea divino y humano. Haz de tu tiempo algo sorprendente porque lo ordinario ya no es suficiente- porque nuestro tiempo ya no es nuestro; esta hipotecado, le pertenece a toda la humanidad- es tiempo para Dios.
Christian joy is the constant awareness of the loving presence of Jesus, the Son of God, in our hearts. Advent is a time when we open our minds and hearts to search for the light of love, compassion, and peace in the Word of God. It is a time set aside for more intentional reading of the Word of God-reading that leads to personal reflection, prayer, contemplation, and humble service to others. Advent challenges us to remove the barriers of arrogance, sadness, selfishness, and greed that hinder us from welcoming Christ with joy and living in communion with him and our brothers and sisters.
The true meaning of Advent and Christmas finds its voice in “Tiempo Para Dios” for Every Day of Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas. From the First Sunday of Advent through Christmas and Epiphany for each liturgical year (A, B, and C), this book will help prepare for and deepen our experience this holy season.
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Advent Of Christ
$17.99Add to cartPerhaps the Christmas story has become almost too familiar. A virgin giving birth. A child laid in a manger. Shepherds greeted by angels. The Christmas story has become so familiar that the profound, even shocking, nature of the incarnation might be overlooked. But what if we had never heard the story before? What if we were hearing it for the first time, like the first-century Jews? These events certainly would not be taken for granted-they would signal something new: the dawning of the long-awaited Messiah.
This Advent, put yourself in that ancient Jewish world. Containing an entry for each day of Advent and continuing through the Christmas season, Dr. Ted Sri will help you to discover spiritual treasures in the Gospels and gain a new understanding of the coming of Christ.
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Preparing For Christmas
$14.99Add to cartNow available in a trade edition, Richard Rohr’s Scriptural reflections for Advent are the perfect preparation for the Christmas season. This beautiful redesign provides daily reflections for the Advent season, along with each day’s Scripture readings and questions for reflection.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Vincent De Paul
$13.99Add to cartSt. Vincent de Paul was very faithful to meditation, which sets a good example for us in our busy world. Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Vincent de Paul endeavors to present his thoughts in a way that can help us to spend some quiet time meditating. His thoughtful words will lead to a deeper relationship with God, a better appreciation of our own Christian life, and greater love for all, especially the poor.
The writings of St. Vincent are mainly meditative in style, keeping with the peace-filled and prayerful season. Vincent de Paul, was keenly aware of the greater issues of our life in Christ, whose Incarnation is celebrated at this season. This book of seasonal meditations uses selections from his writings, along with scriptural reflections to encourage us on our Advent journey.
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Catholic Family Advent
$13.99Add to cartFor many families, the four weeks leading up to Christmas can be a time of great stress, unrealized dreams, a commercial blur, and a financial burden. Susan Hines-Brigger, the mother of four children, knows well that the days counting down to Christmas can easily become for parents and grandparents a nightmare of whiny behavior, crowded to-do lists, and a less-than-spiritual experience. That’s why this mother who has seen and heard it all in her own home during Advent created this resource with prayers and activities: She wants to put Christ back into the family holiday celebration and help families-even hers-become holier. Using A Catholic Family Advent on a daily basis will give Catholic families time together to pray, reflect on Scripture, and do a simple activity together. This daily source of inspiration can be used in the family setting as prayer before or after meals, as morning and evening prayer, or as family time in front of the Advent wreath or Christmas creche.
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Live Advent At Home
$8.99Add to cartThis day-by-day booklet for families is a perfect companion for the season of Advent. Each week begins with a reflection on the Sunday Gospel for parents and children to read together, followed by
DAILY REFLECTIONS,
ACTIVITIES, and
SIMPLE PRAYERS
for a meaningful and fruitful Advent.
With the busy lives of today’s families in mind, Patricia Mathson has created an inspirational, practical, and easy-to-use booklet that every family member will find enriching. -
Joyful Meditations For Every Day Of Advent And The 12 Days Of Christmas Yea
$8.99Add to cart“Christian joy is the constant awareness of the loving presence of Jesus, the Son of God, in our hearts. Advent is a time when we open our minds and hearts to search for the light of love, compassion, and peace in the Word of God. It is a time set aside for more intentional reading of the Word of God-reading that leads to personal reflection, prayer, contemplation, and humble service to others. Advent challenges us to remove the barriers of arrogance, sadness, selfishness, and greed that hinder us from welcoming Christ with joy and living in communion with him and our brothers and sisters.” –From the introduction The true meaning of Advent and Christmas finds its voice in Joyful Meditations for Every Day of Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas. This Lectionary-based volume of reflections, prayers, questions to ponder-plus ways to put each daily Scripture reading into practice-brings the Incarnation to life in the true spirit of the season. From the First Sunday of Advent through Christmas and Epiphany for each liturgical year (A, B, and C), this book will help you prepare for and deepen your experience of this holy season.
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Joy To The World
$8.99Add to cartHere’s a treasure trove of exciting ideas that will enable your family to focus anew on preparing for the holy time of Advent and Christmas! With a fresh, lively set of suggestions that will attract young and old alike, Joy to the World will help lay the foundation for long-lasting family memories.
Joy to the World takes a three-pronged approach to the season:
The Advent calendar, where daily activities are organized into four categories of Service, Spiritual Growth, “Homebody,” and Pure Fun
The Evening Ritual, incorporating the Advent wreath and the Jesse tree, and featuring simplified Scriptures that young children can readily understand
The “Good Deeds Manger,” which puts the family’s focus on preparing their hearts for the coming of Christ.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Thomas Aquinas
$13.99Add to cartThe holy seasons of Advent and Christmas are a time to reflect on God’s infinite love for us all and how through the birth of his son, Jesus Christ, Christianity was born. Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Thomas of Aquinas guides readers on their spiritual journey to be closer to God and understand how to live the life of a Christian.
Offering daily selections from St. Thomas of Aquinas for meditation and prayer, this book is a wonderful way to examine your faith and feelings during Advent and Christmas. The words of this revered saint help focus the reader’s reflections on the wonder of creation. These daily Scripture readings and meditations offer a better understanding of St. Thomas’ passionate beliefs on the importance of our relationship with God. Through the din of advertisements and gift-buying at Christmas time, we are reminded of his thoughts on virtue and the importance of charity and how it is the essence of our Christian life. These daily affirmations also offer a simple Advent action that you can do to keep the prayers and thoughts of St. Thomas with you all day.
Advent and Christmas are a time to prepare for and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Use these reflections and meditations of St. Thomas Aquinas to slow down and remember that because of God’ infinite love for us all, Jesus was born–and through him, salvation is ours.
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Advent Christmas And Epiphany
$36.00Add to cartPreeminent hymn writer and liturgist Brian Wren offers this new collection of worship resources suitable for a variety of worship traditions during Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. These theologically sound and creative worship resources include prayers, litanies, calls to worship, and complete liturgies crafted to encourage rhythmic public responses during worship. All material is drawn from the readings from all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary. This collection also contains Scripture selections from the nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke and the messianic sections of Isaiah and the Psalms, making it just as useful to churches that do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Additional features of this volume include a Scripture index that points users to materials drawn from passages, a topical index listing items that can be used on other occasions during the church year, and a searchable CD Rom.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Francis Of Assisi
$13.99Add to cartIt’s easy to get lost in the bustle of Christmas shopping and holiday parties, losing sight of God. Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Francis of Assisi gives readers a momentary cease in the chaos, allowing daily meditation. It is essential in today’s postmodern culture to remember the true purpose of Advent–the preparation for and celebration of the coming of Jesus.
Each day’s selection offers a new insight from one of the most beloved saints, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis serves as an appropriate model of virtue during the time of year when it is easy to become caught up in the materialized aspects of the holiday. Through his words, we are reminded of the simplicity in poverty, the reverence of God’s word, of showing gratitude, and practicing forgiveness. Along with the words of St. Francis are daily Scripture readings and prayers that mirror his philosophy. After reflecting, readers will find an Advent action–something simple they can do to keep the words and prayers alive with them throughout the day.
Christians looking for a way to energize their holiday practices will cherish this guide to refocusing on the true “reason for the season,” the birth of Christ.
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Watching And Waiting
$21.00Add to cartAwareness of the liturgical seasons of the year has increased greatly in recent years, as the popularity of the Common Worship Times and Seasons volume has illustrated. Churches are constantly looking for ways to enrich their seasonal celebrations, and the first point of better celebration is better understanding. Of all the seasons, Advent is the least understood, the least studied. An entirely Western phenomenon without much of a preaching or liturgical tradition, it is characterised as much by its folk customs – the advent wreath and the Feast of St Nicholas – as by its biblical themes. Here is a book that helps to create a fuller theology of Advent. Kenneth Stevenson characteristically draws on biblical, historical and liturgical evidence to show how the churches have understood and kept Advent down the centuries, and finds that the season has much to say to contemporary concerns in today’s church and world, from how we do mission to Richard Dawkins’ brand of atheism and a surprising number of issues in between.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From G K Chesterton
$13.99Add to cartAs one of the few relatively recent Christian writers who is admired and quoted by both liberal and conservative Christians, G. K. Chesterton was known as a remarkable and diverse but extremely influential British writer. His inexhaustible and wide ranging portfolio of works includes journalistic writing, poetry, biography, Christian, fantasy and detective genres. His style is distinctive and always marked by humility, consistency, irony, wit, and wonder. Some of his most enduring books include: The Everlasting Man, that led C. S. Lewis to become Christian and The Napoleon of Notting Hill that inspired Michael Collins to lead a movement for Irish independence.
G.K. Chesterton is sometimes referred to as the most unjustly neglected writer of our time. One reason might be his versatility and the inability for modern thinkers, theologians, and commentators to pigeonhole him. We challenge you to enjoy his remarkable style, eloquence, and faith-based writing at this joyous time of the year.
In this edition of Advent and Christmas Wisdom, each day’s reflection includes a selection from one of Chesterton’s finest works, a suitable bible verse, an appropriate prayer, and an action-oriented exercise. Readers will find the format stays the same, but this addition to our bestselling series is truly a refreshing, prayerful preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Pope John Paul 2
$13.99Add to cartBeloved Pope John Paul II was one of the most popular and inspirational religious figures of our time. In ‘Advent and Christmas Wisdom From Pope John Paul II’, the late Holy Father’s thought-provoking words lead readers through a journey of anticipation through the Advent season and the joyful celebration of Christmas – God becoming Man.
Each daily reflection – from the First Sunday of Advent through 12th day of Christmas begins with thoughts from Pope John Paul II on some appropriate theme, supported by Scripture, a prayer, and a suggested activity for spiritual growth.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Padre Pio
$13.99Add to cartPadre Pio was one of the most beloved and intriguing holy men of the 20th century. In this book his own words lead readers to Christmas with a heightened sense of the sacred. Reflections for each day–from the first Sunday of Advent until the end of the Christmas season–begin with selections from letters and messages of Padre Pio, followed by Scripture, prayer, a suggestion for an appropriate seasonal activity, and blessings.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom is ideal for those who want to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation as they prepare room in their hearts for his birth. During this joyous season readers can experience the special closeness to God that Padre Pio felt. -
Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Henri J M Nouwen
$13.99Add to cartThe inspiring words of Henri J. M. Nouwen guide the faithful on a spiritual journey through the Advent and Christmas season in this book of waiting, hope, anticipation, and celebration. Each day of the Advent season (28 in all, to accommodate the varying number of days in the season) and each day of Christmas (12 in all, ending with Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist) contain a pertinent excerpt from the writings of Father Nouwen, a related quotation from Scripture, a prayer for the day, and a suggested activity that offers a concrete response to mark the season.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom is indeed an easy-to-use, daily program to celebrate the momentous arrival of the Christ Child and the joyous news of our salvation. It is also an ideal book for the individual seeking active participation in the season and a renewal of faith for the start of the liturgical year.
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Advent And Christmas With The Saints
$13.99Add to cartAdvent and Christmas with the Saints offers spiritual sustenance from those holy men and women whom we honor because of their close spiritual relationship with God. Readers walk day-by-day with the saints, recalling the Scriptures they read, meditating on the thoughts they had, praying as they might have prayed, and talking openly with God. Christians looking for a way to re-spiritualize their Christmas practices, prayer groups, small-faith communities, Bible study classes, teachers, clergy, and religious will cherish this guide to refocusing on the “reason for the season,” the birth of the Messiah.
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Advent And Christmas With Thomas Merton
$13.99Add to cartReflections for each day of Advent and the Christmas season begin with a scriptural quotation and continue with a thought from the writings of Thomas Merton on a timely theme: the Incarnation, anticipation, angels, and many more. An appendix includes a suggested plan for using each days meditation as part of a morning or evening prayer.
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Advent And Christmas With Fulton J Sheen
$13.99Add to cartBeginning with the first day of Advent and continuing through the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, these selections from the immortal pen of Fulton J. Sheen encourage readers to explore the essence and promise of the season. Those looking to grow in their prayer life and become more attuned to the joy of Advent and Christmas will find a wonderful guide in this spiritual companion.
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No Trace Of Christmas
$11.95Add to cartWhat is the significance of Jesus’ genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew? Why do we put and ox and ass at our creches? Why did angels appear to the shepherds? In No Trace of Christmas? Christoph Dohmen explains why the answers to these and other questions regarding our understanding of Christmas are to be found not in the New but in the Old Testament.
For the most part Christians regard the Old (or First) Testament as pre-history, a preparation for, or a promise of the New Testament and its proclamation of Christ. This is especially true during Advent, when the Christian liturgy directs our attention to the promise and its fulfillment. Yet Advent’s status as the beginning of the Church year-as a turning point-calls us to look back in order to move forward. We read intensively from Old Testament prophecy texts with a special view toward their future meaning. Hence, Advent is the time of the year when Christians are reminded that they have one sacred Scripture in two parts, one Bible composed of the Old and New Testaments.
Since it was with the aid of the Old Testament that the early Church interpreted the event at Bethlehem, many of the images and biblical texts associated with Christmas can only be understood by following their Old Testament roots. Like the Magi who followed the star, we can, with Dohmen’s help, follow in the liturgy of Advent and Christmas the traces that lead us into the Old Testament. Following those traces, we can arrive at a Christmas that appears to us in a new light, that of the Old Testament.
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Essential Advent And Christmas Handbook
$17.99Add to cartThis reader-friendly companion provides everything Catholics need for a richer experience of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Whether readers wish to follow a traditional, contemporary, or family program of devotion and prayer for Advent and Christmas, this all-in-one resource will be a treasured guidebook.
The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook covers a wide range of topics including:
Morning and evening prayer services
A short history of Advent
The preparatory nature of Advent
Traditional hymns and symbols of Christmas
Traditional Christmas practices
A Christmas novena
Daily Christmas meditations
Family meal prayers for the holiday season
A glossary of key terms -
Advent A Family Celebration
$14.95Add to cartAdvent is the perfect season to begin praying as a family! Its wealth of traditions, such as the Advent wreath, the Advent calendar, and the Jesse tree, can be the perfect focal point for prayer. Advent: A Family Celebration will delight both children and adults with its ability to relate Scripture and prayer to real life events.
Each day’s meditation, designed to be said after the lighting of the Advent wreath, features a Scripture passage based on the Mass readings. A reflection and prayer then relates the Bible passage to a story or event.
Two sets of meditations are written-one for very young children and another for older ones.
Prayers for all three Sunday cycles are also included. In addition, the book includes special Scripture passages and prayers to say each day while decorating the Jesse tree.
In the frenzy of the busy shopping season, family prayer during Advent keeps the reason for Christmas ever before us and our children. -
Season Of Light
$14.95Add to cartThe Season of Light is a guide for families, households, classrooms, communities, and parishes who wish to make the lighting of the Advent candles a daily prayer. For each day of the season, from the First Sunday of Advent until Christmas Day, The Season of Light offers a brief liturgy that is based on the structure of Vespers or Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours: the lighting of the candles (the “lucernarium”), a reading from the Advent Scriptures, petitions and collect, and a final blessing.
The Advent wreath is one of the most enduring customs of the Christmas season. Rich in meaning, the four lights of the Advent wreath kindle “our blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13). It is a symbol of our faith: that light and life will triumph over darkness and death, that our hope in God’s providence and love will never leave us disappointed.
With this rich tradition in mind, Jay Cormier has structured the daily liturgies in The Season of Light as follows: “The Lucernarium,” the lighting of the candle(s); “The Word of God,” in which a lector reads a Scripture passage that reflects the Advent themes of joyful expectation and the restoration of justice and peace in the dawning of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World; and “Prayers,” in which the presider or leader offers petitions and all respond. Then the Lord’s Prayer is recited, and the final collect and the blessing (including a scriptural blessing and a table blessing before meals) are offered by the presider.
The structure and prayers in The Season of Light are offered as suggestions; adaptions are encouraged. For example, families may wish to make the intercessions an opportunity for spontaneous prayers offered by participants; groups with musical ability and leadership may want to incorporate hymns from the rich treasury of Advent and Christian hymnody; those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours regularly might consider including the Advent wreath custom with the psalms and prayers of the Hours.
Designed for all those who wish to make the Advent wreath a daily prayer and part of their Christmas observance and tradition, The Season of Light helps Christians celebrate that we are an Advent people: a people who live in the eternal hope and expectation of the ever-burning light of Jesus Christ.
