Prayers & Liturgy: Liturgical Calendar for Advent

December 2012

General: That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed with generosity and authentic love, especially by Christian communities.

Missionary: That Christ may reveal himself to all humanity with the light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of his Church.

2 Sunday First Sunday of Advent; (Jer 33:14-16; 1 Thes 3:12–4:2; Lk 21:25-28,34-36).

3 Monday St. Francis Xavier, priest, memorial.

4 Tuesday Advent Weekday St. John Damascene, priest-doctor; optional memorial.

5 Wednesday Advent Weekday.

6 Thursday Advent Weekday, St. Nicholas, bishop; optional memorial.

7 Friday St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor; memorial.

8 Saturday The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, solemnity (Gn 3:9-15,20; Eph 1:3-6,11-12; Lk 1:26-38). (Holy Day of Obligation).

9 Sunday Second Sunday of Advent (Bar 5:1-9; Phil 1:4-6,8-11; Lk 3:1-6).

10 Monday Advent Weekday.

11 Tuesday Advent Weekday, St. Damasus I, pope; optional memorial.

12 Wednesday Our Lady of Guadalupe, feast.

13 Thursday St. Lucy, virgin-martyr, memorial.

14 Friday St. John of the Cross, memorial.

15 Saturday Advent Weekday.

16 Sunday Third Sunday of Advent (Zep 3:14-18a; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18).

17 Monday Late Advent Weekday.

18 Tuesday Late Advent Weekday.

19 Wednesday Late Advent Weekday.

20 Thursday Advent Weekday.

21 Friday Late Advent Weekday, St. Peter Canisius, priest and doctor of the Church, optional memorial.

22 Saturday Late Advent Weekday.

23 Sunday Fourth Sunday of Advent (Mic 5:1-4a; Heb10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45).

24 Monday Advent Weekday.

25 Tuesday The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), solemnity. Holy Day of Obligation. (Vigil Mass – Is 62:1-5; Acts 13:16-17,22-25; Mt 1:1-25 or 1: 18-25. Midnight Mass – Is 9:1-6; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14. Mass at Dawn – Is 62:11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15 20. Mass during the day – Is 52:7-10; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5,9-14).

26 Wednesday St. Stephen, first martyr, feast.

27 Thursday St. John, apostle and evangelist, feast.

28 Friday The Holy Innocents, martyrs, feast.

29 Saturday Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas, St. Thomas Becket, bishop-martyr; optional memorial.

30 Sunday The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (Sir 3:2-7,12-14; Col 3:12-21; Lk 2:22-40).

31 Monday The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas, St. Sylvester I; optional memorial.

Observances: The beginning of the Church Year, the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2; Sts. John of Damascus, Ambrose, John of the Cross, Peter Canisius, doctors of the Church; Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12; Birth of our Lord, Dec. 25; St. Stephen, proto-martyr, Dec. 26; St. John, apostle-evangelist, Dec. 27; Holy Innocents, Dec. 28; Holy Family, Dec. 30.