Let us pray with St. Teresa of Avila:

“O my God, Word of the Father, Word made flesh for love of us, You assumed a mortal body in order to suffer and be immolated for us. I wish to prepare for Your coming with the burning desires of the prophets and the just who in the Old Testament sighed after You, the one Saviour and Redeemer. ‘O Lord, send Him whom You are going to send… As you have promised, come and deliver us!’

I want to keep Advent in my soul, that is, a continual longing and waiting for this great Mystery wherein You, O Word became flesh to show me the abyss of your redeeming sanctifying mercy….Come, O Lord, come! I, too wish to run to You with love, but alas! My love is so limited, weak, and imperfect! Make it strong and generous; enable me to overcome myself, so that I can give myself entirely to You… What a consolation it will be, O Lord, at the moment of death to think that we shall be judged by Him whom we have loved above all things! Then we can enter Your presence with confidence, despite the weight of our offenses!”

(The Way, 40)

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Prayer for a Holy Advent:
Lord, another year has passed, and it is time for us to take stock of our spiritual strengths and weaknesses, our faith and where we lacked it, the times we loved You fully, and the times we lacked that focus and dependence on You. Advent is a double expectation. While we are preparing to commemorate Your Blessed Incarnation so many years ago, we are, with Saint John the Baptist, also preparing for when You come again. We ask You, sanctify this Advent so that by Christmas, You may find us more worthy of Your mercy and Your love. Amen.

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