Ist Sunday of Advent

Today is the First Sunday of Advent.

The Collect from the Roman Breviary:

Stir up thy power, O Lord, we beseech thee, and come: that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and saved by Thy deliverance. Who livest and reignest.

The Propers of the Mass, in Latin and English, can be found here.

Were it not Sunday, it would be the Feast of St Francis Xavier,C., IIIrd Class. Before the Johannine Reforms this Commemoration would have been said at Mass and Office:

Ant: Well done, good and faithful servant: * thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy Lord.

V. The Lord guided the righteous in right paths.
R. And shewed him the kingdom of God.

Let us pray.
O God, who by the preaching and wondrous works of blessed Francis didst unite unto thy Church the peoples of India : mercifully grant that we who venerate his glorious merits, may likewise follow him in all virtues and godly living. Through.

The article on him from the Catholic Encyclopædia.

From Tradition in Action.

From Catholic Forum.

From Goffine's Devout Instructions.

From Medieval Saints at Yahoo!