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"1. There is in human nature a fatal tendency to procrastinate, especially when that which we know we ought to do is something to which we are naturally disinclined. All men are naturally disinclined to do violence to themselves, and force their pride and self-will to yield before the sway of Christ, to put on His yoke and carry His cross. Hence men put off and make excuses to themselves and fancy that what is difficult to them to-day will be easy to them tomorrow. O fatal mistake ! Each day that we postpone the task of submission it becomes more difficult, more distasteful. Why then do I not hasten to submit myself entirely to Christ?

2. From day to day the careless soul thus goes on putting off, crying : “ To-morrow I will amend my ways ; ” and when tomorrow comes, it still cries : “ Tomorrow.” How fatal is this folly! To-morrow may never come, or, if it comes, you may have forfeited the grace. “ Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

3. This postponement is always accompanied by some deliberate disobedience to the commands or to the holy inspirations of the Spirit of God. Thus the careless soul becomes more engrossed in earthly things and more and more disinclined to make the necessary effort. Thus it is that so many will be surprised by the coming of their Judge at the moment when they least expect Him, and are quite unprepared to meet Him. O Jesus, save me at any cost from the deadly state of the careless soul ! "

Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)

Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests

Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.

Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.

Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more

"1. One of the signs of the second coming of Our Lord being nigh at hand will be that no one will expect it. All the world will be satisfied that things will go on as hitherto for many a century, and they will ask : “ Where is the promise of His coming? ” In this too the life of the individual is often a miniature of the history of the world. Christ comes again to many an unexpecting soul when sudden death, through some accident or unsuspected disease, carries off in a moment the man who thought he had long years to live. “ Blessed is he whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching.”

2. Another warning of Our Lord’s approach will be the coming of Antichrist. He will be one whose authority and power will be a counterfeit of that of the Vicar of Christ. His distinguishing marks will be overweening pride, hatred of the Catholic Church, widespread dominion, a spirit of rebellion which will enlist in his service all who revolt against the authority that comes from God. Examine yourself to see if there lurks in you any of this dislike of lawful authority, and pray for the grace of loyalty to men for God’s sake.

3. Before Our Lord’s coming there will be a terrible persecution of the servants of God. In these days, when there is an ever-increasing spirit of tolerance, it is hard to understand this. But under the spirit of what is called religious liberalism lurks a deadly hatred of the Church of Christ. It breaks out from time to time, as in the French Commune. It slumbers now, but will blaze up again some day. Pray for grace to withstand all the assaults of the persecutor. "

Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)

Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests

Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.

Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.

Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more

CONSIDER, first, that the Church, in the office appointed for this holy time, frequently puts us in mind of the mission and preaching of St. John the Baptist, and of the manner in which he endeavoured to prepare the people for Christ; to the end that we may learn, from the doctrine of this great forerunner of our Lord, in what dispositions we ought also to be, if we would duly  prepare the way for Him. Now, what the Baptist continually preached to the people was, That they should turn from their evil ways, and do penance, because the kingdom of heaven was at hand: that they should bring forth fruits worthy of penance, if  they would escape the wrath to come; and this without delay; for that now the axe was laid at the root of the tree, and that  every tree that did not bring forth good fruit should be cut up, and cast into the fire: that they should not flatter themselves with expectation of impunity, or security, because they had Abraham for their father; for that God was able to raise up from the very  stones children to Abraham; and therefore, without a thorough conversion from their sins, they were to expect that the kingdom of God, and the grace and dignity of being children of Abraham, (the father of all the faithful,) should be taken away from them, and given to the Gentiles.

He added, that he baptized them, indeed, with water unto penance, but that another should come after him, that should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with fire; that his fan was in his hand, and that he should thoroughly cleanse his fioor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he would burn with unquenchable fire, St. Matt.3  This was the way St. John prepared the  people for Christ; and it is by our conforming ourselves in practice to these his lessons at this holy time, we must also prepare  the way of the Lord, and be prepared for Him.

Consider, secondly, that the great theme of the preaching of St. John, in order to prepare the way of the Lord, was the virtue of penance; inasmuch as this was the only means by which sinners could ever effectually be reconciled to God, after actual mortal sin; and, therefore, this same was at all times perpetually inculcated, by all that were ever sent with commission from God to  reclaim unhappy souls that had gone astray from Him. It is, then, by this virtue of penance, we also are to prepare the way of  the Lord at this holy time; this is the proper devotion for the time of advent. Now, this virtue of penance (which always was, always is, and always will be, absolutely and indispensably necessary for the bringing back sinners to God) implies three things; first, the renouncing and detesting of all our sins, by which we have offended so good a God; secondly, a turning of ourselves to  God, with our whole heart, and dedicating ourselves henceforward to Him, both for time and eternity; and thirdly, an offering of ourselves to Him, to make Him what satisfaction we can for our past offences, by a penitential life. 

Christians, this is our great business at this holy time: if we hope to prepare ourselves for Christ, this is the proper exercise for it; to pass over in our mind, in the bitterness of our soul, all our years that have been spent in sin; to bewail and lament, every day of this holy season, all our past treasons against the divine Majesty; to turn now to God with our whole heart; to offer our whole souls to Him, to exercise ourselves in His love; and to enter into new articles with Him of an eternal allegiance, with a full determination of rather dying, than being any more disloya  to Him; and letting not one day pass without offering Him some penitential satisfaction for our past guilt, to be united to, and sanctified by, the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

O, how happy are they that employ the time of Advent in this manner! O, how willingly will our Lord, at the approaching Christmas, communicate  Himself to such souls as these!

Consider, thirdly, that, at the approaching solemnity of Christmas, the  Church, by thrice celebrating the sacred mysteries, in the same day commemorates three different births of Christ; His eternal birth from His Father; His temporal birth from His mother; and His spiritual birth, by which He is born by grace, in our souls. Hence the best devotion for the time of Christmas, is that which conduces the most to bring Christ into our souls by this spiritual birth; and consequently the best devotion for the time of Advent, is to cleanse and to purify our souls, that He may find nothing in them that may disqualify them for His visits, or hinder  Him from coming to be spiritually born in us; for He will never come into an unclean soul, nor be born in a mansion where Satan resides. See then, my soul, what measures thou art to take at this holy time, to prepare thy inward house for the spiritual birth of  this king of glory. First, thou must cleanse it and purify it from sin and Satan; secondly, thou must adorn it with virtue and piety;  and, thirdly, thou must daily invite thy Lord thither by fervent prayer. Thus shalt thou prepare the way of the Lord, in the manner that is best pleasing to him.

Conclude to put in practice all these lessons, to the best of thy power, at this holy time. An Advent spent in this manner, in  devotion and penance, cannot fail of bringing thee a happy Christmas." Considerations upon Christian truths and Christian duties by Bishop Challoner

Consider firstly, that the time of Advent  (so called from being set aside by the Church for worthily celebrating the Advent, that is, the coming of Christ) is a penitential time, and a time of devotion; in which we are every day called upon by the Church of God, to prepare the way of the Lord , to make straight His paths: to enter into the like dispositions to those which St. John the Baptist required of the people, when he was sent to preach to them conversion and penance, in order to prepare them for their Messias; that so we also, by turning away now from our sins, by sorrow and repentance, and turning ourselves to the Lord our God with our whole heart, by love and affection; may dispose our souls to welcome our Saviour, whose birth we are about to celebrate; and to embrace in such manner the mercy and grace, which He brings with Him at His first coming, as to escape hereafter those dreadful judgments, which His justice shall execute upon impenitent sinners, at His second coming. See then, my soul, that thou dedicate this holy time to suitable exercises of devotion and penance, that thou mayest answer the end of this institution.

Consider 2dly, in what manner we are all summoned, by the Church, at the beginning of this holy time, in the words of St. Paul, {Rom. xiii. 11, read in the epistle of the first Sunday in advent) to dispose ourselves now for Christ. "Knowing the time", says the apostle," that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The flight is passed, (or far spent) the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness , and put on the armour of light : let us walk decently, as in the day, &c".

Oh ! my soul, let us consider these words as particularly addressed to us, in order to awaken as, and to stir us up to begin a new life. Alas! have we not hitherto been quite asleep, as to the greatest of all our concerns? Are not far the greatest part of Christians quite asleep, by their unaccountable indolence in the great business of the salvation of their souls, and of a happy eternity! Are they not sleeping too, which is worse, in the very midst of dangers, and of mortal enemies, who are continually plotting their destruction; and even upon the very brink of a precipice, which if they fall down, will let them in a moment into hell? O let us then all hearken seriously to this summons and rouse ourselves now, whilst we have time, out of this unhappy lethargy; and from this hour begin to apply ourselves in good earnest to that only business for which we came into this world. O let us cast off now and for ever the works of darkness, and put on Jesus Christ!

Consider 3dly, that on the first Sunday of Advent, the terrors also of God's justice are set before our eyes in the description given in the Gospel of the great accounting day: to the end that they will not correspond with the sweet invitations of God’s mercy, and awake from sleep at the summons addressed to them in the Epistle; may be roused at least by the thunder of His justice, denounced in the Gospel: and be induced by the wholesome fear of the dreadful judgments, that are continually hanging over the head of impenitent sinners, to make good use of this present time of mercy; lest hereafter there should be neither time nor mercy for them.

Ah! sinners, if this day you hear the voice of the Lord either sweetly inviting you with the allurements of His mercy, or terrifying you with the threats of His judgments; see you harden not your heart. For now is your time. Sleep oh no longer; lest you come to sleep in death: as it happened to them of old, who by refusing to hearken to God's voice, provoked Him so far that He swore to them in his wrath that they should never enter into His rest.  O remember that the day of the Lord, and His judgments, shall come as a snare upon all them that will not watch, (Luke xxi. 35.)

Conclude to enter now into the true spirit of this holy time, which is a penitential spirit and to prepare the way of the Lord; by putting away all thy
sins, and purifying thy soul for Him: thus shall thou welcome Him at His coming ; and shall be welcome to Him." Considerations upon christian truths and christian duties, Bishop Challoner

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)

Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests

Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.

Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.

Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more