The Institute for Christian Formation
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Advent Weekday
Friday, December 20, 2013
“Give me a sign.” Have you ever uttered these words, perhaps even in prayer? “If this is what you want me to do Lord, just give me a sign.” Our first reading at Mass today (Isaiah 7:10-14) begins with a different twist on this request. The Lord is telling Ahaz to ask for a sign from God, but Ahaz responds that he won’t do it…he doesn’t want to tempt God. This short reading concludes with the Prophet Isaiah saying that the Lord will provide a sign, and this sign will be the virgin conceiving and giving birth to a son named Emmanuel. The Virgin of the Sign is an icon of the Virgin Mary with her arms outstretched in the orans (traditional prayer) position. Christ in the circle symbolizes Christ in her womb. As part of your prayer today, meditate on this icon. What sign do you believe God is giving you in prayer today?
The Gospel proclaimed at Mass today is Luke 1:26-38, the story of the Annunciation. We heard this Gospel proclaimed at Mass on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a beautiful Gospel passage, and we often spend much time reflecting on Mary’s faithfulness – her fiat – her “yes.” Perhaps in our prayer and reflection this day we might also spend time reflecting on the Archangel Gabriel’s role in salvation history. There is a lovely Basque carol, “Gabriel’s Message,” which would be a nice addition to our prayer this Advent weekday. You can download the score for this hymn here.
The Annunciation
Detail from Mural by Gerhard Lamers, 1953
Annunciation Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
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"Archangel Gabriel - Annunciation"
by artist Gerhard Lamers
Annunciation Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
The name Gabriel means “God’s strength.” Gabriel, who made some important announcements in the Bible, is the patron of telecommunications and of the postal service. (Think of hearing an announcement on the television news, or of receiving an announcement in the mail!)
Invite children to reflect on the Archangel Gabriel. What do they think Gabriel looks like? Let them draw a picture or an icon of the Archangel Gabriel. Here is an Archangel Gabriel icon pattern from Betsy Porter Art and Iconography, which children can use as a coloring page. Enjoy a snack of Angel’s Food Cake. Perhaps you could serve the cake with raspberries and blueberries to bring a hint of Advent colors to your treat!
Today is December 20, which also means on this day our “O Antiphon” is “O Key of David,” or in Latin, “O Clavis David.” This “O Antiphon” is based on Isaiah 22:22. You can listen to this antiphon in Latin below.
Theotokos "of the Sign" of Yaroslavl
St. Alypy of Kiev Lavra
12th century
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Attention: We talked about the icon, The Virgin of the Sign, at the beginning of today’s reflection. For those serious about art, here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to create an icon of the Virgin of the Sign.
