Every advent, we sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Take some time to reflect upon the words as you sing it this Advent as a prayer flowing out from your own heart. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here. Until the Son of God...
Just hours before we approach the Crib, God speaks to us a liberating word. God needs my YES – AND — if it is not yet a perfect YES, I am not disqualified. The Archangel Gabriel didn’t get as faith-filled reception from Zechariah as he did from Mary. Zechariah...
“Jesus, Who is born tonight, is born thrice. He is born of the Blessed Virgin, in the stable of Bethlehem; he is born by grace, in the hearts of the shepherds, who are the first fruits of the Christian Church; and He is born from all eternity in the bosom of the...
During the second week in December, it is always the time to bring out the boxes in which the statues of St. Joseph, Our Lady, and the traditional donkey are readied for their appearance in our annual Las Posadas. Various areas are prepared to receive these...
We Sisters have just recorded a new album, “Mercy Rushes In.” With the Year of Mercy ending on November 20th, we wanted to capture its essence in a way that we could go back to over and over again! And that is something like Advent. Advent is a way to...
Advent is a time of stillness – a time of reflection. We need this quiet to enter within ourselves and discover anew each year the miracle of Christmas. Advent is, of course, the preparation for the coming of Christ. Not only in history, but into our hearts....
The hum-drum of daily life can sometimes become more and more, shall we say, monotonous? Most of us have the same daily tasks and for the most part we do them in just about the same way each day, don’t we? The seasons of the church year help us rise above the...
If you hear the word ADVENT what is the first image that comes to your mind? Candles? Wreath? Liturgy. Purple. the hymn “O come Emmanue?” These are some answers people have given over the years. What is yours? Mine is NEW YEAR’S resolution because...
By: Sister Mary IgnatiusThe Advent liturgy is a journey which recalls the thousands of years between God’s promise made in Eden and its fulfillment in Bethlehem with the birth of the Messiah. T.S.Elliott calls this Fulfillment “The still point of the turning world,”...
With this CD, we wish to share with you our cherished Advent tradition – the Christmas Novena of Las Posadas, meaning “the Inns,” originated in Spain, and became a highly-anticipated religious celebration in Mexico. Our Foundress, Venerable Mother...
By: Sister Antonia TeresaDuring the special time of Advent, Catholics around the world may participate in the Hispanic tradition known as “Las Posadas”. This devotion re-enacts the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of the Christ child....
“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Fall: Winter, Spring, Summer The cycles of nature coincide with the cycles of life. Those of you living today have relived these cycles countless times. We are presently...
Why does the Church year begin with Advent? The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ and each of her members are indeed parts of His Body. Each year the Church recalls those sacred events leading to and resulting from the Incarnation – that moment when the Word...
Originally Written For: http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2015/12/carmelite-sisters-watching-waiting-advent-in-carmel/ Advent in Carmel To experience Advent in Carmel is to enter into a rarified atmosphere that is filled to the brim with Carmel’s living legacy of...
