Prepare your heart.  Prepare your mind.

Make way for our Heavenly King,
who humbled himself from Holy on High,
to earthly flesh - in a lowly manger to lie.

Th Author of the Universe,
born to live the perfect life and take upon Him man's own curse,
delivered to the cross to die.

Reconciled and freed from sin, now pure in God's own sight,
we give thanks and praise to Christ Jesus our Lord
who was born that first Christmas night.

Tonight I wait with joyful expectation
And join my voice with all creation
Now is the time to prepare and be bold
That we may not be left out in the cold
Prepare our hearts and minds for your coming soon
In our hearts let us make you room
A child was born on a cold dark winter night
To take us out of our darkness and into the light
A little baby so helpless and small
Would one day be the savior of us all
I wait with hope and joy so pure
And pray that this glow would have some allure
I wait for the star that guides me to your birth
And I pray you look with favor on this earth
We have turned from you; your truth, life and ways
We have let sin and death into our days
Help us do what is right and just
Give us the strength to do what we must
By the prayers of your people Lord
Come to our aid and let your mercy be out poured
Give us your great love for our fellow man
Let love take over our streets and land
Grant us peace of heart and mind
And that the good we seek, we may find
Fill us up as we empty ourselves for the King
And with the Heavenly Host now let us acclaim
The one was and is and will forever reign

Wake up, dear dreamer; the morning has come!
Weary student, the term is over; the holidays have begun!
Oh saint, the long Advent is over;  the season of feasting is here!
Fasting and waiting, purple drapings covered all the places
But look on this day, white and gold shine like the sun of a new day

Remember, oh Christian, that night in the town of David
When the Light of the World finally shone bright
When, for a brief and glorious moment, eternity flashed its beauty
Remember that night, dear parishioner, when hopelessness was banished
For the long-awaited Saviour had finally come!

This great season when we celebrate that God on High descended to Earth down low
That the Lord of Heaven became lowly man to make all things new
That He showed us a world which we only know from fairy stories
A world where rivers run with wine and trees bear fruit the color of gold
Remember the Lord that came to renew the life robbed from humanity

So celebrate, oh Christian, you who have been renewed
Remember your Holy Baptism in the Lord, you saint
Remember all that you have forgotten, and celebrate the Incarnation!
Tear away those drapings of darkness and the curtains of purple
The season of fasting has passed, and a feast is to be set upon our tables!
Celebrate these next twelve days and never relent!
Dress the world in gold and white, that she might remember He who has restored her

For behold, the Word has been made flesh!
Behold, He brings life to this dying world!
Behold, before our eyes, the Salvation prepared for the nations!
Behold the Incarnate Lord!

Trumpets will play at the sound of your name
All of creation will echo the same
Angels will sing out the praise of the king
Victor over sin and death; let freedom ring!
Shining star, Lord of Lords and Prince of Peace,
We come to you now. Let hope arise and faith increase.
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of Hosts,
Sharing in perfect communion: Father Son and Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary our Mother, how great was your "Yes"
Through your faith, and we are blessed.
Comfort and protect us oh Mother of ours
Be near us and save us. Before you, evil cowers.

Oh Joseph most Holy, be with us this day;
In our obedience and adherence to do as Jesus says.
May our hands and our feet be gentle yet strong,
Guide us and teach us as we walk along!

AMEN!

Advent Rosary

Dark Advent is a silent waiting time
When autumn chills into pale, year-end days
And joy seems smothered by hard-frosting rime:
Cold is the debt that spring to winter pays

The seasons link to seasons in a chain,
The chain of being that links, also, our souls,
Seasons and souls, not always without pain:
Summer’s wild lightning falls and thunder rolls.

Linked to us too, rose by mystical rose,
This holy Advent is Our Lady’s Grace
To us who wait in exile sad; she knows
Where souls and seasons sing, the Night, the Place.

Seasons and souls, linked to days dreary-dim:
Follow them with roses to Bethlehem

The First Sunday of Advent

A calling-crow-cold sky ceilings the world,
Lowering the horizon to itself
All silvery and grey upon the fields
Of pale, exhausted, dry-corn-stalk summer

The earth is tired, the air is cold, the dawn
False-promises nothing but an early dusk
As calling-cold-crows crowd the world with noise,
Loud-gossiping from tree to ground to sky

Soon falling frosts and fields of ice will fold
Even those fell, foolish fowls into the depths
Of dark creek bottoms where dim ancient oaks
Hide darkling birds from wild blue northern winds

Crows squawk of Advent disapprovingly,
As Advent-autumn drifts to Christmastide
When all the good of the seasonal year
Then warms and charms the house, the hearth,  the heart.

It's advent:
Angels invite you to
Adventures in worship in your
Annual observation in
Anticipation of the divine,
Awaiting, acclaiming the King.

The red coats are coming,
The red coats are coming
(but don't let them distract you).

This year,
although I know
that you're keen
to set up that nativity scene,
I'm advocating an alternative means,
a change in priorities
for your generosities.

I'm annointing a reversal,
suggesting you parcel
a hamper of staples
and so turn the tables
on advent doors
that ignore the poor. 

I'm asking that you choose
to proclaim the good news
beyond the pews,
to pursue a change of people's views
of what they thought they knew this meant.
Yes, let's reverse this advent
and make something heaven-sent.

They're lighting the
Candles
In front of the
Pulpit
And the edges of the
Music stands are
Wavering as the
Heat begins to rise.

The greenery
Around the
Cold windowsills
Just sits
There's a scar on my right
Thumb from that one
Time during Silent Night
When I got too close to the flame.

And I could reach out
And touch the table
They're sitting on
The purple and
Pink and
Waxen white.

I could come in the
Dead of night and
Light one
Flimsy match and
Watch all five candles
Drip down.

And then I could
Push the table over and
Watch the rug catch
And spread to the
Walls and watch the whole
Building take like a
Gasoline-soaked
House of cards.

But now somebody's
Passing the offering and
I'm scrambling for my wallet
The nickles and dimes add
Up to new windows but my
View never changes.