2019 Advent Days of Prayer December 5, 12, and 19

“God Hopes in Us”

We love because God first loved us 1 John 4:19

The virtue of Hope permeates the Advent-Christmas Season. We look with hope for the coming of our Savior; we also look with hope to the upcoming new year with all its challenges and promises. For some, hope seems to be in short supply, especially when loss or reversal of fortune takes place. Our Advent Days of Prayer seek to rekindle that spirit of hope and expectation that mark this liturgical season. The themes and presenters for each of these days are below:

December 5, 2019: God Hopes For the World – Presented by Jayne Krim
What is God’s hope in us this Advent season? We Belong to this world – How do we wake up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act? How do we honor our pain for the world? What is Hope? As Pope Francis writes: we look for “a spark of Divine light is within each of us,” by taking a clear view of reality.

December 12, 2019: God’s Unique Hope for our own Life – Prayer – presented by Kathy Berken
We identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we desire things to move in, or the values we like to see expressed. What is our true desire? What do we truly value? How are we called to hope and pray for this Advent season? How can we come to a wider sense of self?

December 19, 2019: Hope in the Future – Participation – presented by Br. Bob Roddy, OFM Conv.
How do we dare to believe that hope is possible in today’s world? How can we re-discover our interconnectedness, our kinship with others?

Hope is about discovering the strengths in ourselves and others. How do we not only see these things but remind ourselves and others of the miracles of God’s Providence that take place every day.

Where is the Holy Spirit drawing you to sacrifice yourself today so that others might live a fuller, more peaceful, and hope-filled life?

These Days of Prayer will provide you with an opportunity to enter into a time of Prayer, Reflection, and Action. Give yourself the gift of some reflective time during this holy season.

Participants need only bring their lunch for the day, and any reading material that they would like to have with them. There will be input by the presenter, a guided prayer experience, and ample free time for personal prayer and reflection. Weather permitting, retreatants may walk the outdoor Labyrinth or the outdoor trails. There will be an opportunity for Confession, as well as Stations of the Cross and the Liturgy of the Day. These day retreats are not sequential; one may attend all of these days or the day that best fits into one’s schedule.

The Schedule for our 2019 Advent Days of Prayer is below:
9:30 a.m. Gathering Time. Coffee available in Dining Room
9:45 a.m. Welcome [Chapel]
Followed by Opening Prayer and Conference [Chapel]
10:30 a.m. Opportunity for Confessions or Spiritual Direction
11: 30 a.m. Guided prayer experience [Chapel]
noon Lunch [Dining Room]
1:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross [Chapel]
1:45 p.m. Mass [Chapel]
Followed by departures

Suggested offering for the day: $20.00. Pre-registration is encouraged (so we know how many handouts and worship aids to prepare), but is not necessary.