A Simple Office for
each day in Advent
Reflect on God’s blessing you have experienced today.
In thanksgiving, say -
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be;
world without end. Amen.
Reflect on when and how you could have served God better
in thought, word, and deed.
Ask God’s help to be the best person you can
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)
A prayer for hope and encouragement
Lord Jesus Christ, a world is waiting, hurting, longing,
searching for hope, crying out for meaning,
hungry for some reason to believe in the future.
We await you in your living power, bring new life to all.
Lord Jesus, where faith is dying, and dreams fade,
may hope flower again in me, in others, and in the world.
Nick Fawcett, Prayer for All Seasons Book 2
A Psalm of longing for God
O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary, to see your strength and your glory. Psalm 61(62)
Jesus’ promise to those who wait….
Jesus says: “I have come that you may have life,
and have it in abundance....” John 10:10
Read, reflect on, and pray the passages for the day -
First Sunday of Advent:
"Live in a way that pleases God –
and try to do even more.” 1 Thessalonians 3 “
"Watch at all times, and pray” Luke 21
MEDITATION – Nick Fawcett
The time is coming, they tell me:
the day of the Lord’s return,
when we shall stand before him
and he will separate the sheep from the goats,
the wicked from the righteous,.
So forget about the present,
think instead of the future,
for that’s what matters –
our final destiny,
the life to come –
nothing else.
Well, I’m sorry, but have I missed something?
For that’s not the way I heard it,
not what I thought Jesus was saying at all.
Keep alert, he warned, certainly,
for the day will dawn as God has promised,
but when that will be we’ve no idea;
today, tomorrow or far beyond – who can say?
It’s not the ‘when’ of his coming that should concern us,
but the fact that he will,
and the difference that makes,
not to the future, but to the here and now,
to the way we live every moment of every day.
We’ve a job to be doing,
a broken world out there needing to hear his word, and know his love
and that’s what will concern him when he comes;
not whether we’ve been looking forward eagerly
to his kingdom,
but whether we’re doing something to make it happen,
to help build heaven on earth.
So what will he find in you?
A life dedicated to his service,
continuing his ministry where he left off,
or an obsession about the future so strong
that you’ve forgotten about the present?
A life lived for others,
committed to bringing light where there is darkness,
and joy where there is sorrow,
or a preoccupation with yourself,
with securing your own salvation?
Don’t think I doubt his promise.
The time is coming, just as they say,
a day when we will be called to account,
made to answer for the way we’ve lived our lives,
but if I were you, I wouldn’t dwell on that too long,
I’d get down to the business of discipleship,
to walking the way of the Cross,
or otherwise you may find, when the moment comes
and judgement is pronounced,
that the verdict is very different
from the one you had in mind.
Prayer for help to be a better Christian
Help me to be a person of peace;
to speak about it in an uneasy world,
to live it among the people you, Lord, have put into my life every day.
Asking for the prayers of Mary and the Saints
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Blessing As we await His coming,
may the Lord bless us, protect us from evil,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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