Saturday, December 01, 2007

A Prayer for the First Sunday in Advent

From the Prophet Isaiah:

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined...the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].

Father in heaven, our hearts long for the warmth of your love.

Light of the World, shine on us!

We are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love

Light of the World, shine on us!

May this season of light coming into darkness find us rejoicing in your presence and welcoming the light of your truth. As we light our first candle, may we begin to ancipate the change you will bring to us.

Light of the World, shine on us!

May selfishness or greed not be found among us. May it not damage the joy of seeking You.

Our joy is in You, Jesus Christ.

We look forward with longing to Your return at the end of time. Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope which Your presence brings.

Our hope is in You, Jesus Christ.

All-powerful God, Your Eternal Word became flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Help us during this busy time to remember that true peace only comes as we surrender our lives and our plans to you.

Our peace is in You, Jesus Christ.

Light of the World shine on us. Open our hearts and minds to receive you as the Holy Spirit prepares us for Your coming.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

2 comments:

Jeni said...

Advent - as we await the Light of the World, one of my favorite church seasons -if one can have that.
Next Sunday, Dec. 9th, our church will pay homage to St. Lucia, patron saint of Sweden with the Festival of Light Pageant. Each year, for the past 27 years now, our parish has had this celebration. Our church's founders were predominantly Swedish immigrants and it is quite the honor for a different young girl from the church each year to wear a crown of lit candles on her head while serving Lucia buns. The story of St. Lucia is one revered not just in our church here, but in Sweden as well -even today. Just a beautiful service to remember the Light of Christ.

Diane M. Roth said...

I really like this litany.