PARISHES of St. MARY'S

On the 8th of December we celebrate “The Feast of The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary”.

This means we celebrate that Mary was always without sin, from the moment she existed.
She was without sin so that she could be full of goodness and worthy of being the mother of Jesus.
The prayer we say today is
“Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”
Or you can say Mary’s favourite prayer, the Hail Mary.

Advent is a season in the Church’s life intended to renew the experience of waiting and longing for the Messiah. Though Christ has already come into the world, the Church invites us to renew our desire for the Lord more deeply in our lives and to renew our desire for Christ’s triumphant second coming into the world.

Advent is the time in which we prepare for Christmas, the memorial of Jesus Christ being born into the world. Preparations are practical, like decorating trees and gift giving, but they’re also intended to be spiritual.

During Advent, we’re invited to enter more frequently into silence, into prayer and reflection, into Scripture, and into the sacramental life of the Church — all to prepare for celebrating Christmas.

May we prepare our hearts and minds to greet the Lord.

Lord, help us to enter the spirit of Advent,
this Season of Grace, of the Lord’s favour.
Sacred season of the Lord’s mercy,
Joyful season of salvation.

Click for Daily Reflections

The four weeks of this year’s online Advent calendar will draw on the themes of love, joy, peace and hope. The video content, and short daily prayers, will be provided by the staff and friends of the Irish Bishops’ Conference’s secretariat in Maynooth, the Church’s safeguarding office, and the overseas development agency, Trócaire. The online calendar is designed to prepare individuals, families and faith communities to reflect on the hope that Christ brings to the world.

The period of Advent hosts big personalities such as John the Baptist, the Magi and, of course, Mary Our Blessed Mother, who embraced God’s will completely and made a special place for God in her life. All are encouraged to include the online Advent calendar as part of their prayer space for God in their lives.