Our Lady of Guadalupe offering Vespers

The season of Advent offers an opportunity to celebrate the evening prayer of the Catholic Church, Vespers. Vespers have been celebrated “at the lighting of the lamps” since the early Christian era and, this year, Vespers will be celebrated on the four Sundays of Advent at St. Ann’s Catholic Church’s mission church, Our Lady of Guadalupe on Route 17, five miles south of Route 26.

Each half-hour service will include hymns, psalms, a scriptural reading, prayers of intercession, and a canticle to Mary. The public is invited to attend these celebrations on Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, all at 4 p.m.

The Catholic Church celebrates the beginning of a new Liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent on Nov. 29. Advent – from the Latin “ad venio,” “to come,” is the liturgical season anticipating the coming of Christ.

“While the days grow shorter and colder, we prepare for the Christ who comes to kindle our hearts with His light and His love,” representatives of St. Ann’s said. “In the season of Advent, we await the coming of Christ on all the levels which we experience time: in the past — as a babe in the stable of Bethlehem; in the present — as grace in our souls; and in the future – as the Judge at the end of time.”

“The Advent season is filled with preparation and expectation. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas,” they added. “Too often, we are so busy with the material preparations that we lose sight of the real reason for our activity: the Word made flesh coming to dwell among us. Christians are urged to preserve the spiritual focus of Christmas in the midst of a secular and consumer-driven society.

“In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, let’s try to keep the spirit Advent, meditating on the love and humility of our God in taking on human flesh. If you’ve never experienced Advent vespers, you may find this prayer of the Church a meaningful way to prepare for Christmas.”