Advent Season

For Christians, Sunday, December 1st marks the beginning of the Advent season.  In simple terms, Advent means "coming," and the season is about our waiting for the 

most inexplicable and magnificent coming of all- into our hearts, our needy lives. 

 For my needs, I will be using the Magnificat Advent Companion plus a new (to me) Advent book called Sacred Space: for Advent and the Christmas Season 2013-2014.

The latter is by the Irish Jesuits and is published by Ave Maria Press.

What prompted me to buy Sacred Space was Father James Martin, SJ's book My Life with the Saints that we are studying in Women at the Well this year. 

No artist is credited for this art work . 

The date given is the last of the 15th century.

Just below is a site for those

desiring more information concerning Advent.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01165a.htm

Advent, Latin ad-venio, to come to

According to present (1907) usage, Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30) and embracing four Sundays.  The first Sunday may be as early as Nov. 27, and then Advent has 28 days, or as late as Dec. 3, giving the season only 21 days.

With Advent the ecclesiastical year begins in the Western churches.  During this time the faithful are admonished:

To prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,

thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and

thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death, and at the end of the world.

However you intend to observe Advent this year, 

I wish for you and me to come closer

 to Our Lord and Savior as a result of it.

I'm adding this beautiful image
to Rebecca's inspiring
A Virgin A Day