First Sunday of Advent
We enter the season of Advent this weekend, a time of new beginnings. The simple liturgical symbols of this changing time are the appearance of purple vestments and a wreath and we mark the passing of the four weeks of this short season with lighted candles. Advent summons us to look forward in hopeful anticipation and also to be awake to the Lord who has come, is with us now and who will come again. We wait in hopeful anticipation preparing for the celebration of the Lord’s first coming at Christmas. We live in the confident expectation that the Lord will come again. Over these weeks the Cathedral Masses and services call us to wake up and listen for, and heed the voice of the Lord and to wait patiently for his coming. ‘Salvation is nearer now than when we were first converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon. Let us live in the light and let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ.’ We are to be ready for the Lord when he comes through acting justly, helping those in need and clearing a way in our hearts for Christ’s Word.
Along with our weekend masses for the First Sunday of Advent we have an afternoon service on Sunday at 5pm which takes the place of the usual Choral Evening Prayer. This is a service of word, hymns and Advent music – known as the Advent Sequence- and it offers us a an opportunity to enter into the Spirit of the season in a prayerful and reflective way.
On Thursday at 1pm the Cathedral will be full for the Schools Advent Service. In recent years there has been a cast of hundreds for this service with many of the schools who now take part in the Schools Singing Programme taking advantage of this occasion to form together into a grand joint children’s choir. This year the story of the Nativity is told through the eyes of the Innkeeper. With all the comings and goings and the signs in the sky will he come to realise the importance of the child that is born in the humble stable at the back of his inn? The greatest guest he could ever have welcomed to his home.
Friday is the Memorial of St Nicholas and there will be an extra mass at 9am in the Crypt for our Parish Primary School as they celebrate their Feast Day.
The NSPCC have their Christmas Carol Concert in the Cathedral this Tuesday evening and Clatterbridge have their Christmas Concert on Friday evening. Please see their websites if you wish to purchase a ticket.
Next Sunday at 3pm instead of the afternoon service the Cathedral Choirs and Mozart Orchestra will perform a Bach Cantata and excerpts from Part 1 of Handel’s Messiah.
Monsignor Anthony O’Brien
Cathedral Dean
