Advent is a time when we recall the Son of God becoming a man for us, and we prepare ourselves for his second coming in glory. It is a time for active expectation, desire, prayer, communication, and joy.
During this time, ask for the light of the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire you. Pray for a very special grace to know the Lord more intimately in order to love and serve him more.
Follow the Purple Hearts!💜
Preparation
💜Take a few moments and close your eyes, preparing yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you during this prayer. As you sit with your eyes closed, use these or similar words: “Here I am, Lord. Here I am.” Pray for the grace to know the Lord more intimately in order to love and serve him more. When you are ready, open your eyes and focus on the weekly scripture verse.
💜Pray with the weekly scripture
First Sunday of Advent – 1 Corinthians 1:3-9.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my[a] God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of[b] Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
💜Review of Prayer
When you complete each period of prayer, ask yourself how it went:
1. What word of God touched me the most?
2. What feeling, sentiment, emotion, or effect predominated?
3. Did I feel some calling, a desire, or an inspiration?
4. Did I experience some difficulty or resistance?
💜If possible, write in a journal about the answer that seems most significant. Formulate it in a prayer of petition or thanksgiving. These same questions can be used in the faith-sharing group or in spiritual conversation with another.
💜Concluding Prayer
End this time with an intimate farewell to God, using the words of the Lord’s Prayer.
💜The Prayer of Loving Attention
(Also known as Examen of Consciousness)
At the end of the day, give a few minutes of loving attention, making yourself present to the Lord as someone who was graced by him during the day. 1. Thank God for everything that was good for you and for your brothers and sisters. 2. Invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, asking for light to discern how to use your liberty, how to decide wisely. 3. Take note of the situations, circumstances, and events of your day in which you allowed God to act, to be present in your life. 4. Review your actions that were signs of God’s presence and love for others. 5. Ask for forgiveness from Jesus, your faithful friend, for the good you did not do and for not allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit. 6. Entrust yourself and the coming day to the Lord and experience the joy and hope that come from putting all these matters into his hands.
Cited website http://www.ignatianspirituality.com
Bible Gateway
1 Corinthians 1:3-9New Revised Standard Version
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my[a] God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of[b] Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Out of the Chrysalis 