Communique #3 – Spiritual Development
National Second Vice-President and Chairperson of Spiritual Development Cathy Bouchard, November 10, 2021.
Dear sisters in the League,
November 28th, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the new liturgical year and begins Year C with the Gospel of Luke.
Two Advent retreats have been planned for members. The first, Prepare your Heart, led by Susan Campbell, director of Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre (Cochrane, Alberta), will help members enter into the season of Advent and will be available on November 28th. In Thy Dark Streets led by Friar Michael Perras OFM, will be available for the third Sunday of Advent (December 12th). The retreat links will be posted on their given date to the national website and Facebook page.
Please encourage your diocesan counterparts to share these resources to help members prepare for this important part of their church lives.
Advent Resources
“Hope and Joy at Advent” (December 1st), part two of Living with Christ Webinar Series, featuring Simone Brosig, liturgist and author of Holy Labours. “This season of preparation for Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, but often becomes a time of anxiety and worry. How can we prepare ourselves and our families to celebrate the true nature of the season?” Registration is $9.95 at en.novalis.ca/products/hope-and-joy-at-advent?_pos=59&_sid=7656055dc&_ss=r.
Creighton University Online Ministries’ Praying Advent offers various Advent resources for the liturgical year. Visit onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/ for more information.
Stepping Beyond, an Advent retreat offered by Pray as You Go, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti, on fraternity and social friendship. “Other words for fraternity include fellowship; friendship and companionship, all words that are central to the Christian message especially at Christmas. The weeks of Advent are a call to a deeper reflection on the life of Jesus as He stepped beyond His world into ours as our companion and friend. Advent is a time to help us prepare to welcome Jesus our Saviour, God made man in Bethlehem and to hear His call to Step Beyond ourselves” (Pray as You Go). Learn more at pray-as-you-go.org/article/advent-2021-stepping-beyond.
My Catholic Life! “… Presents the beauty and splendor of the Catholic faith in a down-to-earth and practical way.” Enjoy excellent materials for daily reflections, prayers, inspiring quotes and more that can be read independently or as a group from mycatholic.life/.
A Lesson in Waiting Advent Retreat from Busted Halo is suitable for individuals or a parish council meeting using a handout. The resource can be found at drive.google.com/file/d/1uAnS6sgSN6bOuyi_bhq0UfKih010sD0u/view.
Online Advent Book Discussion facilitated by the Henri Nouwen Society. The book selected for the Advent discussion that begins November 24th is the newly released Community by Henri Nouwen, edited by Stephen Lazarus. For more information, visit henrinouwen.org/resources/join-advent-book-discussion/.
Prayers for Advent by Loyola Press. Various resources are available, including an Advent prayer packet that provides two organized prayer services and a guided reflection on the name Emmanuel, “God with us,” and invites families to focus on where they most need God to be with them in their lives. Download these resources from loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/advent/prayers/.
Advent Stations: “… Takes [Catholics] on a tour of the Old Testament… and provides a way to ponder the mystery of how God prepared the world to receive His Son at the moment of the Annunciation” (Liturgies.net). They can be prayed with a group of faithful, family or alone. For more information, visit liturgies.net/Advent/adventstations.htm.
“7 Advent and Christmas Carol Quotes that You Can Pray with this Season” is an excellent resource for a parish council Advent supper. It offers reflections connected to specific religious carols with visuals and audio. Available from Catholic Link at catholic-link.org/7-advent-christmas-carols-quotes-prayer/.
Advent Examination of Conscience can be used for individual or reflection as a group. Available at waterloocatholics.org/documents/2019/12/HO-Advent%20Exam%20of%20Conscience.pdf.
Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe: Best for individual or small group reflection each day during the Novena from December 4th-12th. Available from Catholics Online at catholic.org/prayers/novenas/novena.php?id=13. A novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe is also available through downloading the Pray Catholic Novenas application at pray.app.link/ourladyofguadalupenovena.
I hope these resources will be helpful to you and your community of members.
Cathy Bouchard
National Second Vice-President and Chairperson of Spiritual Development