O Adonai is today’s O Antiphon heard before the Gospel reading at Mass and the Magnificat at Evening Prayer. From now until 22 December there will be an O Antiphon as the Messiah is daily called by an Old Testament title. Today 18 December is known as the Expectation of Mary, or Our Lady of […]

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent sometimes called Gaudete Sunday after the introit at Mass which starts Gaudete meaning Rejoice. The candle lit on the wreath this morning represents John the Baptist and can be pink. Indeed the vestments might also be pink. This is an old custom  reminding us that we are about […]

St Lucy is the big focus this morning in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, as well as Siracusa, Naples and Venice. There will be outdoor processions in Sicily, Gran Canaria and Helsinki. The Lucia figure is appearing with her crown of lighted candles reminding us of how the saint lit the way helping persecuted Christians along secret tunnels […]

This weekend we have an opportunity to look back nine months to the Annunciation on Saturday 25 March. At the time we were all thinking about Mothering Sunday the next day. This December weekend sees the annual celebration at Loreto in Italy where the Virgin Mary’s Nazareth house is now found inside a basilica. The […]

Today is the Immaculate Conception when we focus on the VIrgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus. We are celebrating the conception of the Virgin  Mary by her parents Anne and Joachim. On 8 September in nine months, after the period of a pregnancy,  we celebrate Mary’s  birthday. Mary was immaculate because she was born […]

Today is St Ambrose Day when many will think of that great Italian city of Milan which is associated with this saint who was its bishop from 374 to 397. In Milan the Ambrosian Rite is the norm in church which not only means that the Mass is a little different but so is the […]

The National Trust has decided to be consistent by maintaining the name Father Christmas rather than Santa. The Trust has been under fire for issuing the guideline to staff across its many sites.  As body with high standards it is correct. The seasonal figure has been known in England as Father Christmas since Tudor times. […]

Copies of Keeping Advent & Christmas are on sale at Church House Bookshop in Westminster and Southwark Cathedral shop. Or online.

Today in many churches we light the first candle on the Advent wreath. It’s not Christmas yet and the wreath with its four candles reminds us that there are four Sundays before we celebrate Christ’s birth. Vestments today are purple except in Salisbury where they are blue by ancient tradition. Our church service is less […]

Advent starts at dusk as we prepare to light the first Advent candle tomorrow on Advent Sunday. Christmas is several weeks away. Tonight there will be the first Advent carol services, often by candlelight, at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, Durham Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral. In Oxford there are carols at Christ […]