the Closing of Advent

Advent is quickly coming to a close. So let’s look at the prayers after Communion from the four Sundays in Advent. Be cause it is in these prayers that we petition the Father for what we will need to help us as we leave Mass and head back into the world to share the Gospel.

The First and Second Prayers read:

Father, may our communion teach us to love heaven. May its promise and hope guide our way on earth.

Father, You give us food from heaven. By our sharing in this mystery, teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and to love the things of heaven.

Again there is a difference in the first and second week prayers from the third and fourth. In these two prayers we are reminded of the fact that our gaze needs to be heaven bound. All too often our hectic lives can have us looking at what is immediately in front of us our next event that we need to be present at, but we cannot allow a hectic lifestyle to keep us from cooperating with Grace. We need to be responsible for the events that we take on, but we also need to be responsible for acting in manner that gains us access to heaven. That is why I like the prayer from the second week. By sharing in the Mystery of the Eucharist, teach me to judge wisely the things of earth and to love the things of heaven. I enjoy having an iphone, but I love God. I enjoy checking on seekholiness from the iphone, but it is time before the Blessed Sacrament that makes my heart long for the Beatific Vision.

The Third and Fourth Prayers read:

God of mercy, may this Eucharist bring us Your divine help, free us from our sins, and prepare us for the birthday of our Savior…

Lord, in this Sacrament we receive the promise of salvation; as Christmas draws near make us grow in faith and love to celebrate the coming of Christ our Savior…

As we draw near to Christmas the prayers start to become very specific. We are to recognize Christ and His action in our lives. It is important to know that He was born an infant, but it is also important for us to recognize Him in the Sacraments, specifically in the Eucharist. These prayers remind us of the fact that this encounter is transformative. That as we meet Christ our lives will be changed. We look to the Father to help us by separating us from our sins so that we love God all that much more.

As Advent closes keep your eyes and ears open in anticipation of encountering Christ!