PRIEST: We gather on this Bible Sunday, at the beginning of our second week of Advent Preparation and Prayer. On this Bible Sunday, we come together to listen to God’s Holy Word in the Bible, so that we may allow His Word to be made Flesh in our lives. That same Word will be spoken over bread of the earth and wine from the hills, with such power that the Word will become the Flesh and Blood of Christ in Eucharist.
Let us now praise the Light of God’s Word as we sing…
(‘The Lord is my Light’)
[ proceed to the wreath ]
Let us pray…
O God, from all eternity You have spoken forth Your Word, so that all creation may experience Your Love. Your Word first created Light at the dawning of time. In the fullness of that time, Your Word became Flesh in the poor Virgin of Nazareth. For Your People everywhere, Your Word remains the Light that guides our journey, the Lamp revealing the path before us. Bless our Advent Candles, and this our parish family, so that the Light of Your Word may grow in our hearts, inspire our lives, and guide our community,
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER + THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
… Amen!
READER: Too often, Lord, we allow the false lights of our world to guide us,
rather than the Light of Your Word:
forgive us when we fail to root our lives in the Word of the Gospel…
LORD HAVE MERCY …
Lord, for the many times we do not listen to Your Word in the Bible,
for the ways we leave it an unopened book, a treasure sadly neglected
CHRIST HAVE MERCY …
Lord, the neglect of Your Word makes us less a People of Faith;
it weakens our witness to Your Presence and Your Kingdom:
so for the ways our lives do not shine with the Light of Your Word
LORD HAVE MERCY …
PRIEST: O Lord, stir up our hearts to prepare the way of Your Son,
the Word made Flesh, so that through His Coming on earth
we may serve you with lives filled with the Light of His Word,
for He Who will come again lives for ever and ever…
AMEN!
As our children gather here we echo the Prophetic words of Isaiah
(‘Prepare the Way of the Lord…’)