Advent Inspirations 2024 Edits

Receive Advent Inspirations in your email inbox each morning of Advent. It's a great way to prepare your heart for Christmas.

Receive Advent Inspirations in your email inbox each morning of Advent. It's a great way to prepare your heart for Christmas.

Advent Inspirations 2025

Welcome to Advent Inspirations! You'll get a one-minute Advent-themed reflection from Father Rocky, each day of Advent. You can subscribe for free at relevantradio.com/advent.

Welcome to Advent Inspirations! You'll get a one-minute Advent-themed reflection from Father Rocky, each day of Advent. You can subscribe for free at relevantradio.com/advent.

Advent Inspirations

The First Christmas Carol

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Do you remember when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to earth? I know, that was 50 years ago, but everyone’s still talking about it. That celebration lasted for weeks, with ticker-tape parades all over the country.

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Sending three men into the heavens and bringing them back to earth was really something, but sending God to earth as a man and then back to heaven was even bigger! That’s why we celebrate Christmas every year for at least two weeks, from Christmas Day, December 25, until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after Epiphany.  And those Twelve Days of Christmas when your true love gave something to you?  Go ahead and count them: they are the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany, January 6.

So how do we celebrate?  Easy.  Parties, good food, fine wine, singing, movies, games, sledding, tobogganing, fireworks, air horns, visiting relatives, and visiting Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament at your local Church for twelve days just to say thank you!

And ... is it possible to over-celebrate? Yes. If you put on more than twelve pounds in those twelve days, you overdid it. But don't worry, Lent will be here soon enough.

Do you remember when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to earth? I know, that was 50 years ago, but everyone’s still talking about it. That celebration lasted for weeks, with ticker-tape parades all over the country.
Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.
Sending three men into the heavens and bringing them back to earth was really something, but sending God to earth as a man and then back to heaven was even bigger! That’s why we celebrate Christmas every year for at least two weeks, from Christmas Day, December 25, until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after Epiphany.  And those Twelve Days of Christmas when your true love gave something to you?  Go ahead and count them: they are the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany, January 6.
So how do we celebrate?  Easy.  Parties, good food, fine wine, singing, movies, games, sledding, tobogganing, fireworks, air horns, visiting relatives, and visiting Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament at your local Church for twelve days just to say thank you!
And ... is it possible to over-celebrate? Yes. If you put on more than twelve pounds in those twelve days, you overdid it. But don't worry, Lent will be here soon enough.

Two weeks to celebrate Christmas

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of goodwill.” You won’t hear those words at Mass during Advent, but you can’t miss them on Christmas!

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

The “Gloria” is omitted at Mass during the Advent season because we are in a penitential season of preparation. Like it says in the Old Testament, “There’s a time for weeping and a time for rejoicing.” We rejoice on Christmas Day by singing what the choirs of angels sang the night our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. And the Shepherds heard them sing and never forgot it.

When you go to Mass on Christmas, pay close attention to the words of the Gloria and put your heart into it – it’s the easiest way I know of to fulfill the First Commandment, which is the most important Commandment, and that is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and soul.

I think the most beautiful and sublime score for the Gloria comes from the Gregorian Chant “Missa cum Jubilo”. It is so stunningly beautiful, that the greatest composer of all time, Mozart, wished he could have taken credit for it. But he couldn’t. No one knows who composed it. Maybe the angels did?

&ldquo;Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of goodwill.&rdquo; You won&rsquo;t hear those words at Mass during Advent, but you can&rsquo;t miss them on Christmas!
Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.
The &ldquo;Gloria&rdquo; is omitted at Mass during the Advent season because we are in a penitential season of preparation. Like it says in the Old Testament, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a time for weeping and a time for rejoicing.&rdquo; We rejoice on Christmas Day by singing what the choirs of angels sang the night our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. And the Shepherds heard them sing and never forgot it.
When you go to Mass on Christmas, pay close attention to the words of the Gloria and put your heart into it &ndash; it&rsquo;s the easiest way I know of to fulfill the First Commandment, which is the most important Commandment, and that is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and soul.
I think the most beautiful and sublime score for the Gloria comes from the Gregorian Chant &ldquo;Missa cum Jubilo&rdquo;. It is so stunningly beautiful, that the greatest composer of all time, Mozart, wished he could have taken credit for it. But he couldn&rsquo;t. No one knows who composed it. Maybe the angels did?

The Gloria at Christmas

So when should you open the Christmas gifts? Christmas Eve?  Christmas Day?  Before Christmas Mass or after Christmas Mass?

Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

Families have traditions, and Christmas traditions are among the most enduring.  Growing up in my family, we opened the bonanza of Christmas gifts on Christmas morning, but only after we had gone to Mass and had Christmas breakfast, which was extraordinary with bacon and eggs and ham and strudel and grapefruit and coffee and champagne and Milk Duds.

So, if you open the gifts after Mass, if you’re a kid, your prayers at Mass will be prayers of petition: please, please, please, but if you open your gifts before Mass, your prayers at Mass will be prayers of thanksgiving: thank you, thank you, thank you! It works both ways.

So when should you open the Christmas gifts? Christmas Eve?&nbsp; Christmas Day?&nbsp; Before Christmas Mass or after Christmas Mass?
Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.
Families have traditions, and Christmas traditions are among the most enduring.&nbsp; Growing up in my family, we opened the bonanza of Christmas gifts on Christmas morning, but only after we had gone to Mass and had Christmas breakfast, which was extraordinary with bacon and eggs and ham and strudel and grapefruit and coffee and champagne and Milk Duds.
So, if you open the gifts after Mass, if you&rsquo;re a kid, your prayers at Mass will be prayers of petition: please, please, please, but if you open your gifts before Mass, your prayers at Mass will be prayers of thanksgiving: thank you, thank you, thank you! It works both ways.

The First Christmas Carol

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