2012 Advent Podcasts & Resources

Deepen your Advent experience with spiritual resources from the New England Province of Jesuits and other online sources to prepare for Christmas. Our podcasts of Advent homilies and reflections offer perspectives and suggestions from Jesuits on enriching your Advent. Listen to, read, click through, and share with friends and family these 2012 Advent podcasts and resources.

Weekly Advent Homilies from the Provincial | Weekly Advent Reflections | Guided Advent Meditation | Additional Online Advent Resources

Weekly Advent Homilies from the Provincial

Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, provincial of New England, offers weekly Advent homilies tied to the Sunday readings and the concepts of gratitude, change, joy, and welcome. Download the audio to listen at home, on your portable music device, or listen here on the web.

First Sunday in Advent: December 2, 2012

Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thes 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
This Sunday, this beginning of Advent, is time to set our longing free but to do this with a spirit of gratitude. How do we find and recognize that gratitude in our lives? What role does gratitude play for us during our Advent preparations?

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Second Sunday in Advent: December 9, 2012

Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6
In this Second Week of Advent, the Word of God calls us from grateful hearts to change our lives with the help of God’s Spirit in ways that will allow Christ to enter completely and without barrier into our history, our world, our hearts. What are the barriers that need to be changed so Christ can be fully present in us during Advent? What does "change" mean in the context of Advent?

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Third Sunday in Advent: December 16, 2012

Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18
Gaudete! Rejoice! On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Church recalls the words of St. Paul to the Church at Phillipi: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Say it again: rejoice!” What is Advent joy, as Christians? How does this differ from other joy? And how do we seek it?

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Fourth Sunday in Advent: December 23, 2012

Micah 5:1-4a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45
Fr. Sheehan guides us on how to welcome Christ in the final week of Advent, amid the seemingly joyless world and recent tragedies.

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About the Homilist

Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, is the provincial of the New England Province of the Society of Jesus. Read Fr. Sheehan's full bio and updates on the Provincial Corner.

Advent Reflections Podcasts

Enjoy these podcasts throughout the Advent season as guides to deepening your Advent experience and Ignatian spirituality. Hear perspectives from several different Jesuits on topics relavent to our Advent journey. Listen here on the web or download the episodes to your computer, iTunes, media device, or smartphone for enjoyment at any time.

Advent Week 1: Anticipating Joy

St. Ignatius tells us to "seek God in all things." Advent is a time to seek God, and to look forward to Jesus’ coming into our lives anew at Christmas. Begin Advent with Fr. Jack Butler, SJ; Fr. Robert Farrell, SJ; and Fr. Michael Boughton, SJ as they speak about Ignatian Spirituality, Advent themes and practices, and "Anticipatory Joy."

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Advent Week 2: Using the Examen During Advent

God is at work at every moment of our lives and calls us to respond. The Examen helps Jesuits to become more aware of God's action in everyday life. Fr. Jack Butler, SJ, and Fr. Michael Boughton, SJ, explain how the Examen works, and why it can be useful during Advent.

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Advent Week 3: Imaginative Prayer

St. Ignatius developed a method of slowly reading and praying with Scripture known as "Imaginative Prayer." Set aside some time to join Fr. Joseph Laramie, SJ, in this guided meditation on the Incarnation and the Angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would bear "the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:32).

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Advent Week 4: Advent Gifts & Graces

"So many people today identify themselves by what they have. It's so important to identify ourselves by what we give away," says Fr. William Russell, S.J. Listen as he and Fr. Michael Boughton, SJ, offer their thoughts on living in gratitude, giving gifts, and caring for the poor during Advent and at Christmas.

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About the Presenters

Fr. Jack Butler, SJ, is the Vice President of Mission and Ministry at Boston College.
Fr. Michael Boughton, SJ, is the provincial assistant for formation the Maryland, New England and New York Provinces.
Fr. Robert Farrell, SJ, is a professor of English at Boston College.
Fr. William Russell, SJ, is the assistant prefect of St. Mary’s Chapel at Boston College.
Fr. Joseph Laramie, SJ, is the director of the pastoral department at Rockhurst High School.

The New England Province of Jesuits is also grateful to Boston College graduates Shane Ulbrich, for recording, editing and producing the Advent reflection podcasts and Peter Weicher for providing the music.

Guided Advent Meditation

The Jesuit Collaborative hosted a guided Advent meditation by Frances "Dixie" Burden on December 13, 2012 at the McDavitt Center in the New England Province office.

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About the Presenter

Frances "Dixie" Burden, a graduate of the Weston School of Theology and the Center for Religious Development (CRD), leads retreats and provides spiritual direction. She had worked at Eastern Point Retreat House for 14 years and is now part of The Jesuit Collaborative.

Additional Advent Resources

Novena of Masses: Christmas Cards from the New England Province of Jesuits

Have a Novena of Masses said by the Jesuits, between Christmas and New Year's in honor of or in memory of friends, family, and loved ones: a meaningful gift.
Request Christmas Novena and Mass Cards

Advent Examen: A 7-Day Prayer Cycle

An Advent Examen links the regular Ignatian Examen with another treasure of Church tradition, the "O Antiphons" from the Liturgy of the Hours for the week before Christmas. The O Antiphons give us a way of looking at Jesus and finding the events in his life that speak to us. This seven day prayer cycle and guided Examen is available on the web through the Jesuits of the Missouri Province: www.jesuitsmissouri.org/examen/

Advent Discernment Series

Ignatian-focused blog "God in All Things" is presenting a four-week Advent series on Ignatian discernment. Each Saturday, discover a reflection examining Ignatian discernment and decision-making in the light of the Mystery of the Incarnation. Sign up to receive the reflections weekly by email, for convenience: www.godinallthings.com/2012/11/26/advent-discernment-series/

Daily Advent Reflections on Catholic Social Teaching

The Jesuit Social Research Institute is publishing daily written reflections on Catholic Social Teaching in the context of Advent for every week-day during the liturgical season. Read the daily reflections at: www.loyno.edu/jsri/jsri-advent-series-cst

Daily Advent Retreat from Jesuit Refugee Services

First developed for JRS' 30th anniversary in 2010, the online Advent retreat allows participants to reflect prayerfully on the ways in which we discover the presence of God in our ministry with refugees and displaced persons. It involves daily reflections available at: www.jesuit.org/2012/12/03/ignatian-resources-for-advent/

Directory of Advent Resources by Loyola Press

Loyola Press has an organized compendium of other Advent resources including activities, calendars, prayers, and more on their website at: www.loyolapress.com/liturgical-year-advent.htm

Finding God Even in Waiting

Fr. Anthony SooHoo, SJ reflects on Advent giving meaning to the waiting in our everyday lives as well as our spiritual waiting. Read more >

Sacred Music for Advent

The Ignatian Schola is a Manhattan-based vocal ensemble composed of Jesuits and lay colleagues and rooted in Ignatian spirituality. Listen to their musical meditation for Advent, "Comfort, Comfort, O My People". www.ignatianschola.org/

USCCB's Advent Resources

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website offers a variety of advent resources including a calendar, blessings for Advent wreathes, Christmas mangers and nativity scenes, links to the daily readings, recommended Christmas movies, antiphons, and more at: www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/advent/