Advent is a season of waiting, conversion and hope.

At the start of the Advent season, until the 16th December, we are waiting in expectant hope for the second coming of Christ. The readings and prayers at Mass reflect the history of God’s people as we waited for the coming of the Messiah. From the 17th of December onwards our focus is on waiting to celebrate the first coming of Christ – the Nativity of the Lord – and the prayers and scripture focus on our immediate preparations for Christmas and Christmastide. During the season of Advent we are preparing our hearts and minds to welcome Christ into our lives and, like Mary, to always be ready to say yes to God.

Advent is a time of conversion. The scriptures remind us to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3: 2 ESVUK) and we look for ways to transform our own lives to: live in hope, act in peace, rejoice and love our neighbour and our God. Advent is the start of the Church’s new year and we often have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or to attend a Reconciliation Service, allowing us to receive God’s forgiveness and mercy for our actions in the past and to look forward, renewed and hopeful of our future.

Beginning with a week of hope, Advent is a time in the liturgical year when we can remember with joy the hope that the incarnation of God (Jesus, in human form) brings to each and every one of us through the salvation of Christ. God became man and lived among us so that, one day, we too can be like Him (John 1: 14, 1 John 3: 2). As we begin a new liturgical year we spend the four weeks of Advent preparing ourselves to be more like Jesus.

The season of Advent culminates in the celebration of The Nativity of the Lord on Christmas Day. You can check out our Christmastide resources here, which take us all the way up to the celebration of the Epiphany.

Resources for the season of Advent in your school can be found below. You can let us know what you’ve been up to via the comments box!

CAFOD Advent Primary School Resources

CAFOD Advent Secondary School Resources

Primary School Advent Resources from Missio

Resources from the Liturgy Office:

  • A helpful summary of the season of Advent, table containing a summary of all the readings over the four Sundays of Advent, prayers and pastoral notes to consider during the season of Advent can be found here.
  • Resources to support the prayer themes of Advent can be found here, (Openness to the Word of God; Migrants and Refugees; and Expectant Mothers).
  • Gospel acclamations and the ‘O Antiphons’ during Advent can be found here.

12 ways to celebrate Advent in School can be found here.

Are you celebrating a Mass on the 8th December? You can find the readings for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary here.

Click here for a liturgy planner produced by the Society of Saint Gregory which includes the Sundays of Advent, the Masses of Christmastide and the first few Masses of Ordinary Time.

For helpful resources to create your own Jesse Tree with the relevant scripture references, please see the Loyola Press website.

Enjoy our Advent Scripture Carols based on Advent/ Christmas scriptures (GNT translation) set to well-known nursery rhyme tunes:

Advent Scripture CarolsDownload

For help creating an Advent Prayer Focus check out our SEE resource:

Advent and Christmastide SEE – prayer focusDownload

Keep checking back here for more Advent resources!