Advent & Christmas Devotions

ADVENT PRAYERS

(Recommended Prayers for the Daily Lighting of Advent Wreath)

Blessing of the Advent Wreath: (This is done either on the Saturday before Advent begins, or on the First Sunday of Advent)
O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (The wreath is sprinkled with holy water by the priest. The father in each home may do this simple ceremonial as well).

Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent

O Lord, stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come, that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and saved by Thy deliverance. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. (One of the purple candles is lit this day, and throughout the week).

Hymn: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

O come, O come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel.

Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent

O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare the ways of Thine only-begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with purified minds. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Two of the purple candles are lit today, and throughout the week).

Hymn: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

O come, O come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel.

Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent

Incline Thine ear to our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and make bright the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. (The pink and two of the purple candles are lit today, and throughout the week).

Hymn: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by Thine Advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice, rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel.

Prayer for the 4th Sunday of Advent

O Lord, we beseech Thee, stir up Thy power and come; and with great might deliver us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice, rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel.

Daily Advent Prayer

Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
(Imprimatur, Michael Augustine Corrigan, Archbishop of New York, Feb. 6, 1897)

The “O Antiphons”

(solemn invocations at Vespers)

Use these antiphons for prayer and meditation in this last week of Advent.

Dec. 19: O ROOT OF JESSE, Who standest as an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall not open their lips, to whom the nations shall pray, come and deliver us, tarry now no more.
Dec. 20: O KEY OF DAVID, and scepter of the house of Israel, who openest and no man shutteth, who shuttest and no man openeth, come and lead the captive from prison, sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Dec. 21: O ORIENT, Splendor of Eternal Light and Sun of Justice, come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Dec. 22: O KING OF NATIONS, and their Desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one, come and save man whom Thou formed out of the slime of the earth.
Dec. 23: O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Expectation and Savior of the nations, come and save us, O Lord our God.
Dec. 24: When the sun shall have risen in the heavens, ye shall see the King of Kings coming from the Father, as a Bridegroom from his bride chamber.

 


CHRISTMAS NOVENA

First Day: December 16

O God and Savior of our souls, sweet Infant Jesus, Whom the angels and shepherds adored in the stable of Bethlehem on that holy night when Thou wert born of the Virgin Mary, we offer Thee our profound adoration and our most earnest thanksgiving for having become man for our redemption and salvation; grant that we may apply all our powers to fulfill Thy gracious designs, that we may become perfectly renewed in heart and inflamed with Thy holy love.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Second Day: December 17

O merciful Redeemer, Who didst vouchsafe to remain in the chaste cloister of Mary’s womb, hidden and unknown, though Thou wast the Eternal Word, and the wisdom of the Father; grant that we may learn from Thee to love solitude and silence, and escape the evils that are of mind and of heart; grant that we may glorify Thee, and edify others by our purity and modesty.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Third Day: December 18

O Infant God, Who from the moment of Thy conception in holy Mary’s womb, didst offer Thyself to Thine eternal Father for the salvation of our souls, vouchsafe to give us a lively sense of the one thing necessary, so that we may labor zealously for others, and work out our own salvation in fear and trembling, yet with confidence in Thy love.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Fourth Day: December 19

O sweetest Jesus, Who didst go up to Bethlehem in the womb of Mary, to obey the commands of Caesar, who had ordered all his subject to be enrolled; grant us grace to obey with alacrity the most arduous commands from those who hold Thy place over us.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Fifth Day: December 20

O most adorable Jesus, Who, upon Thy arrival at Bethlehem, was rejected by all men; grant us to follow Thy example in sufferings and contempt, that we may welcome Thee joyfully into our hearts, when Thou seekest an entrance there, either by holy inspirations or by Thy divine Sacraments.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Sixth Day: December 21

O Divine Infant, Who, when excluded from Bethlehem, didst inspire Thy holy Mother to retire to a poor and wretched stable, in which obscure and humble place it was Thy will to be born, in order to confound our pride, and teach us humility. O grant that henceforward, conforming ourselves to Thy will, we may renounce all pomp and pride, and become truly meek and humble of heart.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Seventh Day: December 22

O Divine Word Who for the love of us, Thy poor creatures, wast pleased to be born under the most lowly roof, to be wrapped in the meanest swaddling-bands, and to be laid in a vile manger, amongst beasts, and to suffer a thousand evils. O grant that we also may renounce all worldly vanities, and embrace poverty of spirit, and mortification of the flesh, so necessary for our perfection. Grant that we may be thoroughly detached from creatures, and poor in all things save in Thy love and Thy grace.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Eighth Day: December 23

O Divine Savior, O King of peace, Who wast pleased to make Thy appearance amongst us when the whole world was in peace, vouchsafe to send us Thy peace, so that all our powers being brought into subjection to Thee, Thou mayest at the approaching slemnity be born anew in our souls.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Ninth Day: December 24

O Divine Savior, O King of immortal glory, Who, in Thy great mercy, didst come into the world to redeem us and to make us holy; grant that, denying all ungodliness and love of this world, we may live soberly in ourselves, justly toward our neighbor, and piously before Thee, that so we may be happy with Thee for all eternity.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.