Advent

Advent 2023: Prepare...

Advent is a time to prepare for the Lord's birth at Christmas and his second coming, but let's face it, it's not easy when the world is already celebrating Christmas in November. We're here to help...

Prepare with Archbishop Etienne

In this brief video, Archbishop Etienne gives some practical suggestions on how to prepare the way of the Lord this Advent.

Weekly Advent 2023 reflections

Look for new reflections from the bishops based on the Sunday scripture readings, added every week of Advent, to help you prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Scripture readings 4th Sunday of Advent

4th Sunday of Advent Scripture readings:

1st reading: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a

When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"
Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you." But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?'

"It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever."

Psalm: Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

2nd reading: Rom 16:25-27

Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

For today's readings, click here.

Scripture readings 3rd Sunday of Advent

3rd Sunday of Advent Scripture readings:

1st reading: Is 61:1-2A, 10-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

Psalm: LK 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.

R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R. My soul rejoices in my God.

2nd reading: Thes 5:16-24

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him, “Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

For today's readings, click here.

Week 3 reflection by Bishop Elizondo in English and Spanish

Watch Bishop Elizondo's Advent Week 3 Video reflection

Bishop Elizondo gives a message of joy this Gaudete Sunday.

Play Video

Scripture readings 2nd Sunday of Advent

2nd Sunday of Advent Scripture readings:

1st reading: Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.
A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Psalm: PS 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14

R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

2nd reading: 2 PT 3:8-14

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.
Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

For today's readings, click here.

Week 2 reflection by Bishop Schuster in English and Spanish

Watch Bishop Schuster's Advent Week 2 Video reflection

Bishop Schuster reflects on Advent and the three comings of Christ.

Play Video

Scripture readings 1st Sunday of Advent

1st Sunday of Advent Scripture readings:

1st reading: Is 63:16B-17, 64:2-7

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him. Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Psalm: PS 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power, and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

2nd reading: 1 COR 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

For today's readings, click here.

Week 1 reflection by Archbishop Etienne in English and Spanish

View or download a pdf of all the reflections in English or Spanish.

Ways to prepare...

Watch Archbishop Etienne's video for suggestions.
Read or download the Advent Traditions resource to find a new family tradition: English Spanish
Scroll down for inspirational articles from Northwest Catholic.
The Hallow prayer and meditation app for Catholics has its daily Advent Challenge that many people find helpful.

Prepare with the sacraments and adoration

There’s no better way to prepare and pray than through the Eucharist and Reconciliation. This Advent, consider spending some time every week in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Search for Mass, Reconciliation and Adoration

Advent resources

Advent traditions and prayers

As you prepare for for the coming of the Lord, try something new this year:

Check out the downloadable Advent Family Traditions resource to find a new family tradition.

Advent Prayers:

Blessings for the Advent Wreath, Nativity Scene and Christmas Tree
Prayer suggestions when you light your Advent wreath: Go to USCCB's daily readings in English and Spanish, and find other suggestions at Dynamic Catholic.
St. Andrew Christmas Novena (on page 2 of Family Traditions resource).
The “O Antiphon” prayers start December 17 and go through December 23. These are short prayers to add to your daily Advent wreath prayers.
The Hallow prayer and meditation app for Catholics has its yearly Advent Challenge that many people follow.

Ideas for children:

Holy Heroes free online Advent Adventure for children ages 5-12, with daily emails with short videos and printable coloring sheets.
Read Advent books to your children. Click here for suggestions
Jesse Tree tradition

For Catholic Advent supplies, from Advent wreaths and candles, faith-based Advent calendars (some with chocolate!), and more, click here.

For even more Advent ideas and inspirational Advent videos, go to the Archdiocese of Seattle's Faith Formation Advent resources page:
In English
In Spanish

Hispanic prayers and traditions

December 3-11: Novena to prepare for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12

December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 16-24: Posadas. In many parishes, the Hispanic community celebrates the Posadas. “Posadas” is Spanish for “lodging” or “accommodation” and is a traditional celebration of nine days before Christmas, telling the story of Joseph and Mary on their journey looking for a place to stay before their baby Jesus was born. Each day corresponds to one month that Jesus was carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

For more, read “Hispanic Religious Practices During COVID-19 Pandemic”:
In English
In Spanish

For more Advent resources in Spanish, go to the Archdiocese of Seattle’s Faith Formation Advent page.

Feasts and Solemnities during Advent

The following saints' feast days are observed during Advent:

St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30. Pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena from November 30 to Christmas.

St. Francis Xavier, December 3.

St. Nicholas, December 6. Learn all about this great saint here. Read this article from Northwest Catholic on ways to celebrate St. Nicholas Day.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8. This is a holy day of obligation. Learn more.

The feast day of St. Juan Diego is December 9. Learn more here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12. Read more here. Join our local celebration and Mass at St. James Cathedral on December 2.

St. Lucy, December 13.

John of the Cross, December 14.

Parish, ministry and school resources

Find everything you need to inspire your community to fully engage in the season of Advent with the following Advent resources.

Encourage your parish and school community to go to archseattle.org/advent for Advent inspiration and ideas.

Below is a list of assets and resources in English and Spanish (find links to each folder below list):

Communications plan with suggested messaging and how-tos
Family Traditions PDF to use as bulletin insert or shareable resource
Advent ad for bulletins to point to archseattle.org/advent
Social media posts
Web and and email banners
A PDF with the Sunday reflections and questions by the bishops
Pope Francis' Prayer to the Holy Family

Click here for the above assets in English

Click here for the assets in Spanish

Link to Archbishop Etienne's downloadable introduction to Advent video: https://vimeo.com/878843551/e93491ee30

Trying to encourage your parishioners to pray more more during Advent? The Hallow app has an Advent Challenge with daily prayer that can be served up daily to your mobile device. To learn more, click here.

Inspirational Articles from Northwest Catholic

Get inspired by the following articles from Northwest Catholic. Find even more at nwcatholic.org.

St. Andrew Novena: prayerful preparation for Christmas

"Unlike a traditional novena, which spans nine days, it lasts from the feast of St. Andrew on Nov. 30 to Christmas Eve." Click here to read article

Insta-culture and a powerful Advent lesson on delayed gratification

“...Delayed gratification” is simply not part of American life anymore — and that’s as true of Catholics and other Christians as it is of the average American." Click here for the article.

Let the warmth of Advent pull the bleak midwinter from you

"It’s up to us to decide how we might give our heart during Advent. We may need a plan."

Click here to read article

Sometimes called 'little Lent," Advent zeroes in on preparation, which can include penitence

"While Advent is sometimes called “a little Lent,” Catholic experts observe that there are important similarities and differences between the two, both of which lead up to major feast days and liturgical seasons..."

Click here for article.

What’s next?

Don’t forget that Christmas is more than a day; it’s an entire season. Think about how you want to keep the spirit of Christmas with prayer, celebration and new traditions.

Learn more