Advent Online Resources
The Journey of the Magi. Stefano di Giovanno Sassetta (painted c. 1433-5). Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum.
We should remember that Advent is a season, not a quick trip. It is a progressive journey to Bethlehem. The American Presbyterian theologian and writer, Frederick Buechner, points out that Bethlehem is not an end but a beginning. It is not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.
But first, we must reach Bethlehem. It may appear like a long and uncharted journey, as it must have seemed to the Magi. Like them, we need some help along the way. Here, we introduce a range of varied and valuable online Advent retreats to light our Advent journey.
Some are one day events and some continue through the four weeks of Advent.
Click here for a wonderful and very brief exercise to do at the very outset of Advent.
But first, we must reach Bethlehem. It may appear like a long and uncharted journey, as it must have seemed to the Magi. Like them, we need some help along the way. Here, we introduce a range of varied and valuable online Advent retreats to light our Advent journey.
Some are one day events and some continue through the four weeks of Advent.
Click here for a wonderful and very brief exercise to do at the very outset of Advent.
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Manresa is a Jesuit Centre of Spirituality in coastal Dublin, Ireland. Well known for its residential retreats, Manresa has rapidly adapted to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and has been offering a rich variety of online spiritual guidance throughout. For Advent, Manresa offers a wealth of resources including one and three-day retreats, and Advent reflections. The heartbeat of this special Advent will be the daily Eucharist, available live online at 12:15 (GMT) each day from Sunday 29 November to Christmas Day. Click here for more information.
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The Arts & Faith series celebrates how faith is revealed and deepened through great masterpieces. For this fourth week in Advent, the painting chosen is The Annunciation by eminent American painter and sculptor, John Collier. The artist described how “when Mary is portrayed in first century clothing, it holds her at a distance - an emotional distance from her. It gives us an excuse to think of her as not like us.” His striking contemporary depiction of the Annunciation brings the story of Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel into our present reality. Watch the video for Week Four here.
'Many of us are in an ideal place to begin Advent, but we don’t know it. It can be tempting to think that, because we are struggling these days, we can’t enter into Advent without a big change in our mood or without distancing ourselves from our real experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Advent is about letting God come to us. We do the letting and God does the coming.' Creighton Jesuit University's online ministries provides a huge range of resources for praying Advent.
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In Advent the Church selects readings to draw us more deeply into the mystery of the season. In these four short videos Fr Noel Rooney introduces the reading, its context and characters, and helps us to connect it with our own Advent journey. Each video comes with the reading itself. Access the videos here.
Mary Lou Kownacki, who facilitates this eRetreat is a Benedictine nun and long-time peacemakr. Her wilderness is the inner city of Erie, Pennsylvania, surrounded by poor families trying to survive and keep hope alive amidst drugs, violence, and despair. From this outpost on the margins, she observes the world in poetic meditations, written with the passion of a prophet and the heart of a mystic. “I think poetry, music and art are the truest companions for our Advent journey of wonder and hope,” she says. During the four weeks of Advent, participants will receive a poem, a work of art, and a musical selection to reflect on, along with a writing prompt.
Note: there is a fee of $20 for the retreat. A free membership account is required at the Benedictine online movement, Monasteries of the Heart to sign up.
Note: there is a fee of $20 for the retreat. A free membership account is required at the Benedictine online movement, Monasteries of the Heart to sign up.
Lissy Clarke is an American, living in the UK. Coming from the Protestant tradition, she draws upon Ignatian spirituality and Lectio Divina for her guided meditation podcasts. Her Advent retreat on Zoom will run from 1st December every Thursday evening from 7.30-9.15 pm GMT. Using poetry, scripture and wisdom from the contemplative Christian tradition, she will explore topics including Letting Go, Waiting, Saying Yes in the Dark, and A Path in the Desert.
There is a suggested fee of £30, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Click here to find out more.
There is a suggested fee of £30, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Click here to find out more.