UPDATED: New-for-2016 Free Online Resources for Advent Collated Here

Editor: To help each one of us prepare for the Season of Advent (27 November - 24 December), we have collated here a number of new- for- 2016 free online resources for your reading, listening, viewing, praying and reflection.

The Advent Reflection Guide for 2016 from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns contains reflections, questions, prayers, and actions based on each week’s Gospel reading and the discussions by Catholic peacemakers who attended the landmark Nonviolence and Just Peace conference in Rome in April 2016.

Click here to download (10 pps; PDF)

Advent 2016: In Praise of Light. Prepared by Terri Mackenzie SHCJ, Ecospirituality Resources
This four-session resource helps participants deepen their appreciation of the awesome gifts of L/light and energy, starting from their creation and continuing into this season devoted to anticipating the Light of the World. Sunday Scripture readings are explored as well as Scripture quotes about Light. Groups consider
~ Creation’s Light
~ the Christ Light
~ Darkness in need of L/light (Shadow sides) and
~ Light within each person and all creation

Quotes from Laudato Si’ join quotes from saints and scientists.

Click here to download (12 pps; PDF)

‘Lead Kindly Light’ Advent resource from The Columban Mission Institute’s Centre for Peace, Ecology and Justice.

Structure: Points for Prayer; Yearnings; Prayers of the Faithful, Profile; Action; Mission's Wide Embrace
Download the resource here (5pps; PDF)

A Champagnat Marist Prayer Resource for Advent has been produced by the Marist District of the Pacific

Structure: Prayer; Readings; Champagnat Marist Reading; Intercessions; Prayer
Download the the resource here (31pps; PDF)

Liberated by God's Grace. Leaders of the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Anglican Church of Canada and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared a reflection series for the four weeks of Advent. The over-arching theme is Liberated by God’s Grace. The other themes are: Creation—Not for Sale, Salvation—Not for Sale and Human Beings—Not for Sale.

Download the reflections here (8pps; PDF)

Advent Prayer Service from CAFOD: Maranatha!

Download it here (5 pps; PDF)

Reflections for 5 Advent Candles
Highlighting Longings of Refugees and Immigrants in the U.S

Download resource here (PDF)

Advent Calendars

Since 1988 the Rev. Thomas Mousin, Rector of St. John's Church in Charlestown, and The Rev. Merry Watters, of the Church of the Convenant United Methodist Church in Averill Park, N.Y., have been creating and sharing their hand-drawn Advent calendar. The 2016 calendar includes a simple, tangible action for each day of Advent.
The printable calendar is now online to download, print & share (b&w)

The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold, Assistant Rector at Grace Church in Medford, created a handpainted Advent calendar which focuses on the holy family as refugees, and includes images of refugee populations around the world, hose who are homeless and those whose homes and habitats are in danger. The back has a Bible passage to pray with each day.
The printable calendar is now online to download, print & share (colour)

CAFOD's interactive calendar has a daily prayer and reflection on issues of global justice.

Each door also contains a practical action for the day, with stories from CAFOD’s projects around the world.

Advent Calendar from the  Irish Catholic Bishops

Behind these calendar doors are videos, texts, music, quotes, 'faith bytes'....

Note: The virtual doors above cannot be opened ahead of their actual date.

Access it here

Carmel Glasgow Advent Adventure

Access it here

Praying Advent from Creighton online ministries

This site offers simple ways to enter into this Advent season, week by week, in the midst of our everyday lives.Materials include short prayers to longer reflections and audio retreats

Arts & Faith: Advent  from Loyola Press

Ignatian prayer and sacred art. A video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sunday Scripture is provided for each week of Advent. Use these videos to take a new look at this season of hope and preparation through the lens of sacred art.

Access the videos and commentary here

Art For Advent 2016: Christmas at the Cloisters

This series features works of late Gothic devotional art from the collection of the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These videos explore the relationship between faith and sight as evidenced in The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, a boxwood rosary bead, The Merode Altarpiece, and the Unicorn

Watch the Preview now online (04:59)

First Sunday of Advent, Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux (05:00)

Second Sunday of Advent, Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry (05:00)

Third Sunday of Advent, Rosary Bead (05:00)

Fourth Sunday in Advent, Mérode Altarpiece (05:00)

 Lectio Divina: Praying the Scriptures for Advent 2016

A PDF booklet for you to print prepared by the Diocese of Broken Bay, NSW, Australia

Download here (36pps; PDF)

Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer & Advent Retreat

Pray as you go is a daily prayer session, designed for use on portable devices, to help you pray whenever you find time. It combines music, Scripture, and some questions for reflection. It is founded in Ignatian Spirituality and uses the imagination to enter more deeply into prayer.

Online here Download the free app: *iTunes;  *Google Play

God With Us: An Advent Retreat with the O Antiphons can be accessed here

Music for Advent Year A by Michael Herry fms

Sheet music and mp3s can be downloaded without charge from his Marist Music site

Daily emails during Advent

• Advent word of the day from the Daughters of St Paul
• Daily reflections in your inbox from Word on Fire (Bishop Robert Barron). Available in English  Spanish.

Know of other new resources we can add to this list? Please email your suggestions to: the Editor

Additions since 6 December are being tagged with 'New'' icon

Image: iStock. Used under licence