Christmastide - Maddie McBlain

What do your prayers sound like at this time of year? Please God, make time stand still so I can get ready
for Christmas. Please God, help me find a parking spot at the mall. Or, more seriously, Please God, turn this Christmas chaos into something calm.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and hope. It doesn’t mean that all longings are realized, though.

And even as the story of Jesus begins with the angel announcing the birth
of the Saviour to Mary and the world, everyone in the story is given a voice. And those voices are heard in five prayers, traditionally called “A Pentad of Prayers.” Five prayers named after the Latin word for the start of each prayer.

The Fiat mihi - Let it be with me ...
The Magnificat - My soul magnifies ...
The Benedictus - Blessed be the Lord ...
The Gloria in excelsis - Glory to God in the highest ...
The Nunc dimittis - Now dismiss your servant ...

Which prayer will guide you through this season? Let’s find out, together.