Advent at Home 2021

Making Room for Jesus this Advent and Christmas

Advent is upon us again! As we prepare for Christmas, let us make room for Jesus in our Hearts, Homes and in our Community. The Offices and ministries of St Mary of the Angels have come together to prepare and celebrate the season as a parish, as well as within our families - our own domestic churches. We have created resources that will help you and your family in your liturgical and spiritual preparation, and also community programmes and activities for Advent leading up to Christmas. This page will be updated regularly as we include more content, so do check back for the latest updates.

 
 

Let Us Make Room for Jesus …

... In Our Hearts 💕❤️

 

Let us first prepare and make room for the Christ child in our hearts! Pray & reflect as an individual or with the family with our Advent booklets.

 
 

Your Guide Through Advent

We have prepared various resources and activities for you and your family (the domestic church) to participate at home. These include creative hands-on ideas, liturgical reflections and different opportunities for everyone to participate, reflect and pray as we make room for Jesus this Christmas. Use these booklets to guide you through the prayers and activities, as well as the links provided in the sections below.

Download these Advent Booklets:

PART 1: Creating a Prayer Space
PART 2: Activities for the Family
PART 3: Reflection & Prayers

 

... In Our Homes 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Engage in these suggested Advent family bonding activities to help us to look forward and anticipate the arrival of Jesus in the weeks leading to Christmas.

Advent Wreath & Candles

Get crafty: Make your own wreath to to house your Advent candles, which can be bought or collected from our church.

St Francis’ Almond Cookies & Cathedral Jelly

Try your hand at baking some St Francis' Almond Cookies or making a special Cathedral Jelly! Then, spread the Christmas joy by gifting these to your neighbours and friends! Daisy and Joan from St Mary's Faith & Evangelisation Office show you just how easy it is to make these sweet treats.

Door Wreath & Mini Christmas Tree

Make these creative decorations to brighten your homes using plastic bags and old magazines! Carol from the Faith & Evangelisation Office shows Lauren and the kids how to make a fluffy festive Door Wreath and a mini Christmas Tree from materials you can easily find at home!


Jesse Tree Ornaments

The Jesse Tree is an old tradition depicting the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical figures who were the ancestors of Jesus. Make your own ornaments for this tree and understand what each mean from these videos.

 

... In Our Community ⛪

Don’t forget our less fortunate brothers and sisters and the oft-neglected groups of society. Please also support us in the Merry Beary Franciscan Christmas Sale for the upkeep of our church so that St Mary’s can help serve the parish community better.

Merry Beary Franciscan Christmas Sale!

In support of our Church Maintenance Fund, do check out and order our specially curated items for the Christmas season. Perfect as gifts and for keeps. Place your orders soon as some items are have limited stocks! Click to view the full catalogue.

Collection dates are on 11 & 12 Dec, 18 & 19 Dec. Do come down to view more items and enjoy a cup of latte as well!

Advent Outreach Programmes

Bringing Hope, Peace, Joy & Love to the less fortunate, elderly and homebound in our community. Thank you for all who have signed up for the following programmes.
> Christmas Wishing Tree (5 Dec): Fulfilling the wishes of 110 needy recipients
> Elderly Outreach (6-12 Dec): Visiting the lonely elderly
> Bring Jesus to the Homebound (19 - 31 Dec)
(register by 29 Nov) : Bring Jesus to the housebound.
Click for more info and to register.

Youth Advent Series : Journey to Bethlehem

4 sessions on Sundays 28 Nov, 5, 12 & 19 Dec
Organised by the Youth & Young Adults Office, this series will allow youth to spend time in reflection, walking in the shoes of biblical characters who made their way towards the crib, and to rediscover what it means to find hope, peace and love in our lives.


Catholic200SG Concurrent Mass

Saturday 11 Dec 2021 from 5.30pm (3rd Sunday of Advent). If you were unable to book a Mass slot to attend in person at St Mary’s, watch the Mass livestreamed from the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at the Archdiocese YouTube channel. Come celebrate as one Church with all the other 32 parishes of Singapore!

Christmas Blessings for Migrant Workers, Domestic Workers, Students, and Hospitalised

The Outreach Office invites the above to join in this specially arranged Christmas Blessings get-together via Zoom by our Friars. More info HERE.

 

Other Advent Resources

O Antiphons (17 - 23 Dec)

As we approach the last seven days to Christmas, we pray the “O Antiphons”, reflecting on the titles given to the Messiah from the book of Isaiah.

O Antiphons on radio.catholic.sg:

From 17-23 December, you can also pray the ancient O Antiphons at radio.catholic.sg. This series was produced by the Faith & Evangelisation Office at the Church of St Mary of the Angels. Broadcast times:

Daily on 17-23 Dec: 5.15pm, 6.45pm, 8.30pm

 

Advent to Christmas Reflection Booklet (O.N.E.)

This resource by the Office of the New Evangelisation is intended for families, RCIA groups, parish organisations and ministries, small Christian communities and neighbourhood Christian communities. It may also be used for individual reflection.

 

Advent Sunday Masses (Online)

1st Sunday of Advent
28 November 2021

2nd Sunday of Advent
5 December 2021

3rd Sunday of Advent
12 December 2021

4th Sunday of Advent
19 December 2021

It's Christmas 🎄! Let's Welcome Jesus!

We will be having online Christmas Masses for those who are unable to book or attend in-person Masses on Christmas. Links will be provided here nearer the dates.

Christmas Midnight Mass (Online)

Friday 24 December @ 8PM

Christmas Mass at Dawn (Online)

Saturday 25 December @ 6AM

Holy Family Mass (Online)

Sunday 26 December @ 6AM