The Second Advent is as ancient and new as the Church herself, for it is quite simply her longing and waiting for the return or second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ the King. 


Pope John Paul II has spoken continually of a "New Advent" throughout his papacy in both Encyclicals and Apostolic Letter, beginning in 1979 with "Redemptor Hominis" and culminating in the recent "Tertio Millennio Adveniente." He has designated the years preceding the turn of the century as a time of intense preparation and prayer for the coming of the Third Millennium of Christianity. This time leads up to a "Great Jubilee" to be celebrated throughout the world in the year 2000. 


an author has provided a prayer, or nine day novena which begins on the feastday of Our Lady of the New Advent, and ends on Christmas Eve. 


This Novena can be used privately by an individual, by a family, couple or small prayer group, or in the family and community of the local church. The novena of prayer with Our Lady of the New Advent is simply a "sketch" with suggested readings, prayers and the hymn of Advent "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Three readings are given for each day, though one or two may be sufficient depending upon the inspiration and needs of the individual or group... 
"The Spirit and the Bride say 'come!'
Amen; come, Lord Jesus."  Revelation 22 


"Our Lady of the New Advent: The Gate of Heaven"


First Day
SUGGESTED READING: Genesis 28:10-17 
Now Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it." And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven." 


SUGGESTED READING: Revelations 12:1-17 
And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And all the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying. Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" 
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon was angry with the women, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring on those who keep the 
commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. 


SUGGESTED READING: Ecclesiasticus 2:1-12
My child, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honored at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen in the furnace of humiliation. Trust in him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn aside, for fear you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him, and you will not be robbed of your reward. You who fear the Lord, hope for those good gifts of his, everlasting joy and mercy. Look at the generations of old and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever, steadfastly fearing him , was forsaken? Or who ever called to him and was ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins and saves in the time of distress. 


HOMILY OR GROUP REFLECTION 


Prayer to Our Lady of the New Advent
O Lady and Mother
of the One who was and is and is to come,
dawn of the New Jerusalem,
we earnestly beseech you,
bring us by your intercession
so to live in love
that the Church, the Body of Christ,
may stand in this world's dark
as fiery icon of the New Jerusalem.
We ask you to obtain for us this mercy
through Jesus Christ, your Son and Lord,
who lives and reigns
with the Father in the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
Amen. 


Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give use this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. 


Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 


Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 


CLOSING HYMN:  O Come, O Come Emmanuel 
1. O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God Appear. 


Refrain: REJOICE! REJOICE! EMMANUEL SHALL COME TO THEE, O ISRAEL! 


2. O come, Thou Wisdom from, on high, Who ord'rest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. 


3. O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times didst give the law, In cloud and majesty and awe. 


4. O co me, Thou rod of Jesse's stem, From ev'ry foe deliver them That trust thy mighty pow'r to save, And give them vict'ry O'er the grave. 


5. O come, Thou key of David come, And open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path of misery. 


6. O come, Thou dayspring from on high And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadow put to flight. 


7. O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all human kind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our Prince of Peace. 






If the Novena is held in a church or group setting, each day's readings may be followed by a homily, group reflection on the particular "theme" of the day. This is followed by the prayer to Our Lady of the New Advent written by the Sisters of St. Walburga's Abbey in Boulder Colorado. After this, a recitation of the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be to the Holy Trinity. The closing hymn could be the full set of verses of "O come, O Come Emmanuel" or hymns to the Mother of God might be used. 
"O Wisdom!"