C&SI - What did Mary do for Advent? - 1 Dec 2024 (S05 E01)

Welcome to the New Year here on C&SI and no, we havent mixed up  our calendars as today of course is the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the new liturgical year.

On this weeks podcast we start the season of Advent with a reflection from Ascension Press entitled 'What did Mary do for Advent?' It was a series of four videos which they published in 2018 and was a free series (plus one introductory video), one for each week of Advent. These videos are available at rejoiceprogram.com, but will also on YouTube. In this weeks reflection which we are sharing, Fr Mark Toups, Sr Miriam James Heidland and Fr  Josh Johnson share their own encounters with Mary and the effect she had on their lives. The talk will put us in the frame of mind to see Advent through Mary's eyes as we wait with her for the birth of Jesus.

We have our regular run through the up coming liturgical odds and ends for the coming week with the reminder that as December 8th this year is the second Sunday of Advent and takes precedence, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is transferred to December 9th and reminder to Irish listeners that unlike the confusion amongst the bishops in the USA, in Ireland, it is still a holy day of obligation on the Monday.

In part three as always we have our reflection on the Sunday gospel and as it is the beginning of the new liturgical year we switch to the gospel of Luke for the coming year. The gospel this week isnt the easiest one to settle down with for reflection, focusing on the Last Days and the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time, but if we were to take something from it, it would be the reminder to always be ready - you never know when the Lord will come for you!