Advent Resources - new- for- 2017 free online

Editor: To help each one of us prepare for the Season of Advent (3 December - 24 December 2017), we have collated here a number of new- for- 2017 free online resources for your reading, listening, viewing, praying and reflection.

Share the Journey Advent Tookit.
Activities, videos and prayers will help faith communities to encounter the experience of our immigrant and refugee neighbors, and through it, find new meaning in the Journey of the Holy Family.

# The Advent Reflection Guide for 2017 from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns contains reflections, questions, prayers, and actions based on each week’s Gospel reading and the experience of Maryknoll missioners who have lived and worked with communities affected by forced migration in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Click here to download the resource (10 pps; PDF)

# Advent 2017: In Praise of Light. Prepared by Terri Mackenzie SHCJ, Ecospirituality Resources
A four-session resource available in English for those interested in deepening their understanding of the Christmas/ Incarnation reality in the context of the new creation story. The weeks’ topics include the following:
~ New Consciousness, New Christian Understanding;
~ The Cosmos Prepares for New Life;
~ Evolving Understanding of Humanity’s Place in Creation; and
~ Incarnation Revisited.

Laudato Si’ is among the suggested reading

English 2017 • Advent in the New Universe Story (10pps; PDF)

Spanish: 2014 version • Adviento en la Nueva Historia del Universo

# Advent Catholic Resource: "Whispers of God" (Year B, 2017) from The Columban Mission Institute’s Centre for Peace, Ecology and Justice.

Each Sunday focusses on a different topic and is linked with Laudato Si'

Download the complete resource (4 pps; PDF)

Advent Calendars

# Loyola Press invite us to slow down this season and discover the quiet moments of Advent hope.

Authors and bloggers Vinita Hampton Wright, Joe Paprocki, Becky Eldredge, James Martin, SJ, and others share resources to nurture your spirituality at this busy time of year. Access the calendar here

# The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops hosts this Advent calendar in English and in Spanishwhich provides daily suggestions for scripture reading, prayer and reflection. Access it and other Advent resources here

#CAFOD's interactive calendar for 20176 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.

Access the calendar here

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

#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 2017  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

# Lectio Divina: Praying the Scriptures for Advent 2017. Theme 'God with Us'

A PDF booklet for you to download, in whole or in sections, prepared by the Diocese of Broken Bay, NSW, Australia

Access the resource here (36pps; PDF)

# Pray As You Go  Advent Retreat

Advent Retreat for 2017 in collaboration with Sacred Space. 'Messengers of Joy':  the focus will be on the joy of Jesus entering our world, beautifully written by Donal Neary SJ.

# Music for Advent Year A by Michael Herry fms

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

Caritas Australia has resources for individuals, schools and parishes. Find those here

Catholic Relief Services USA provide Advent reflections, activities including a digital retreat 'Holy Family, Refugee Family' and prayers in both English and Spanish  here

GCCM has created a kit containing

• Creation-themed Advent calendars
• List of the top 5 ways to green your Christmas
• Kids’ coloring pages with Pope Francis and the Earth
• Advent Novena for the Creator and creation

Download it here

Mercy Partners

 Adsvent Moments can be accessed here

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

Image: iStock. Used under licence