SAINT JEROME ACADEMY, INC.

Piccio St., Dueñas, Iloilo

SY 2020-2021

Advent Season

Introduction
The season of Advent begins in the darkened days of late November, several
weeks before Christmas. Advent is part of the Christian year a season of sustained
focus on particular aspects of spiritual formation. It is a season that points beyond
itself to Christmas and the joy it promises.
The core of Advent’s purpose is the discipline of patient, watchful anticipation. It
is the season where we train ourselves for watching and waiting.
Most of us these days are pretty lousy at waiting especially now that we are still
suffering on the effects of COVID 19 which curtails our freedom to do whatever
we want. We expect our food to come quickly, the weekends can’t get here fast
enough, and even a few seconds of delay can cause us to abandon a web search
in disgust. We want what we want and we want it now!
Waiting may seem like doing nothing, but a moment’s reflection reveals that
waiting is actually hard work. We groan, aching for what we need to finally come
to pass. And waiting for God to finish his work is a little like pregnancy: there is
preparation to do, but most of the work doesn’t come from us; we must simply
wait, and the expectation and eager need make the waiting feel like a kind of
work, an active, watchful, restrained patience.
This waiting is fruitful. It enlarges our capacity to receive and enter the joy of
Christmas. It right-sizes our perspective on our own efforts toward sanctification
as we walk with God and submit to his rule. It widens our ability to experience joy
even while we patiently endure trials, knowing that the day is surely coming when
we will pass beyond the trial. It opens our eyes to see God’s promises fulfilled in
ways we might miss were it not for a new alertness borne of the Holy Spirit, borne
of waiting.
This is the season of Advent.
 SAINT JEROME ACADEMY, INC.
Piccio St., Dueñas, Iloilo
SY 2020-2021

Advent Wreath
The wreath is in circle, it has no beginning and no end, it reminds us that God
keeps loving us and that we should always love him. The green color symbolizes
“life” and reminds us that God’s love for us never changes.
The four candles stands for four weeks. The weeks before Jesus will be born.
Three of the candles are violet. The color violets represents sorrow. During advent
we will say that we are sorry for not loving Jesus enough and that we will try hard
to do better. The pink or rose candle means joy or happiness, because Jesus will
be coming to us again at Christmas. When we light the candles, this stands for
Jesus will be coming being the Light of the World. His teachings are our guiding
light if we listen to Him forever.

The blessing of the wreath

Leader: Dear Father, we are gathered here in the name of Jesus, your Son, and so
we believe that you are here with us also. We ask you to bless this wreath which
reminds us that your love for us goes on and on, without any end. Yes, You loved
us so much that You gave us the gift of Your son, Jesus. Help us to prepare our
hearts to celebrate His coming on Christmas day. As we light this candle, help us
to remember that Christ is the only Light that can melt away the darkness in the
world. Please help us to keep His light in our hearts by being ready to love You in
the person we work with everyday.

FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT: EXPECTATION

When you expect something to happen, you wait for it to happen. We are waiting
for Christ to come to us at Christmas. Could we have Christmas without Christ? Of
course not. It is only because of Christ that we have Christmas. Since we know the
exact time of His coming, we know how much time we have to prepare for Him. If
we prepare our hearts and souls for Jesus, we will be ready for Him when He
comes.
 SAINT JEROME ACADEMY, INC.
Piccio St., Dueñas, Iloilo
SY 2020-2021

From the darkness of hundred years, there is faint voice of someone in the
wilderness calling,” I come.” In the four weeks of Advent, the cry become louder
and louder and our waiting should be more and more filled with expectations and
hope. Only as the light of promise, hope and faith which streams from Bethlehem
fills our minds and hearts shall we know the meaning and reality of Christmas.
Advent Song:
O come divine Messiah
O come divine Messiah O You whom nations sighed for,
The world in silence waits the day Whom priests and prophets long
When hope shall sing in triumph foretold
And sadness flee away. Break thou the captive’s fetters,
Redeem the long lost fold.
Dear Savior haste! Come, come to
earth You come in peace and meekness
Dispel the night and show your face And lowly will Thy cradle be.
And bid us hail the dawn of grace. All clothed in human weakness,
Thy Godhead we shall be.

Lightning of the First Candle

Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
All: as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever, Amen.
Leader: come let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Reading: (1 Thes 3:12-13)
A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians
May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and
more and become as great as our love for you. In this way He will strengthen you,
and you will be perfect and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our
Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to him.
The word of the Lord.
 SAINT JEROME ACADEMY, INC.
Piccio St., Dueñas, Iloilo
SY 2020-2021

(Thanks be to God)

INTERCESSION
Leader: Jesus Christ is the joy and happiness to all who look forward to His
coming. Let uys call upon Him and say:
COME LORD DO NOT DELAY
 We wait joyfully for your coming. Resp.
 Fill our hearts with your presence. Resp.
 Make us more thoughtful and loving. Resp.

All: Amen.
Our Father
CLOSING PRAYER
All powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may
find an eager welcome at His coming and call us to His side in the kingdom of
heaven, where He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever
and ever.
 SAINT JEROME ACADEMY, INC.
Piccio St., Dueñas, Iloilo
SY 2020-2021

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT: HOPE

In this week, we light the purple candle which stands for sorrow. Sorrow for
not loving Jesus so much, for not walking on His way of love. We are still waiting
for and preparing for Jesus’ coming. We hope to make Jesus a part of our lives,
not just at Christmas but all year long. We can prepare ourselves through prayer
and turning ourselves to love, hope faith, justice and kindness. Prayer opens our
hearts to let God’s love and faith in, and let out our hate and fear. Prayer is like a
window through which the light of God shines. Let us this week continue in hope
and prayer to keep this window open. Only the Prince of Peace rules in our hearts
will the star of hope burn brightly in the sky of our weary world.

SONG: O Come Divine Messiah

LIGHTING OF THE SECOND CANDLE
(MAY I REQUEST MA’AM MAE ESCRIBA TO LIGHT THE SECOND CANDLE)
LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
All: as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever, Amen.
LEADER: Come let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

READING: