Join Missio this Advent and be part of God’s global family, in praying for Christ’s peace and joy to spread throughout the world!
With Christmas on the horizon, it is easy to get caught up in the whirl of preparations, presents, and paraphernalia. Increasingly, many people feel that Advent has become an extension of the Christmas season – losing its significance within our ever-more commercial world.
This year, Missio invites you to join us for a prayerful and reflective preparation, which fully observes and celebrates our time of waiting before the season of Christmas arrives.
Our Advent Calendar
To support you in your Advent observance, Missio’s online Advent Calendar includes daily scripture, a small reflection or thought for the day, and an invitation to join us in prayer and contemplation. We’re encouraging individuals and communities to pray for missionaries, and the people they accompany around the world, in each of the countries our missionary family here in England and Wales helps to support.
The Joyful Mysteries
Saint John Paul II suggested praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary on Saturdays, and we have incorporated the first three joyful mysteries into our Advent Calendar. The final two mysteries will be offered in the season of Christmas, for supporters who wish to continue to journey with us after Christmas Eve.
By using the Joyful Mysteries to reflect on the ways we might get ready to welcome Christ into our lives once more, we hope to proclaim the Good News of his coming; through visiting those in need of a friend, and through creating safe spaces for people with nowhere to go. These themes are illustrated through stories from our partners in India – Sister Nirmala and her fellow Sisters who run street schools and other projects for children and families in the ‘slums’ of Kannagi Nagar in Chennai.
Read more about Sister Nirmala and the Marialaya project here>>
Find our Advent Calendar here>>
Mission Together: Nurturing a deep faith in the younger generation
To help schools mark the season of Advent, Mission Together – the children’s branch of Missio – has been hard at work putting together a bank of free, engaging, and ready-to-use resources. These include our popular paper Advent calendar and a new digital Advent calendar, both of which help children to reflect and prepare for the coming of Jesus. There is also a new assembly for Advent: ‘Preparing for Christmas around the world‘. It explains how children from different cultures prepare for the birth of Jesus.
As we wait together in joyful hope, our small Missio team hopes that our seasonal resources will help our supporters – younger and older – to feel that they are truly part of God’s global family, and to pray for a peaceful and joyous Christmas season around the world.
Find our resources for schools and children on the Mission Together website>>