St. Augustine's Advent & Christmas Calendar 2025

  Ps 89:1-29   Is 59:15b-21   Phil 2:5-11 Merry Christmas everyone! Today’s readings gave me pause because they are not what would first come to mind for Christmas Day: no nativity or wisemen or shepherds.  And I found a wonderful gift tucked away in the Psalm for today.  As I read and reread Psalm 89 my heart kept returning to the Magnificat, to Mary’s song. The first verse of the Psalm declares, I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations . And then it weaves its way through a litany of the powerful acts of a faithful God, keeping His covenant from one generation to the next and showing favour to His people: by Your favour our horn is exalted .  In her Magnificat, Mary begins by singing My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour… for He who is mighty has done great things for me , and then she too gives a litany of the strong actions of a faithfu...

  Isaiah 9:2–7   Psalm 96    Titus 2:11–14   Luke 2:1–14 (15–20) Christmas Eve holds us in a sacred space between waiting and fulfillment. The world may seem quiet, yet God’s work is already unfolding. Beyond lights, music, and traditions, God calls us to notice how His light breaks into our lives. Isaiah speaks to people walking in shadow—uncertain paths and heavy hearts. Into this darkness comes a child whose reign is marked by justice, righteousness, and lasting peace. God shows that true power transforms rather than dominates. Psalm 96 expands this vision, inviting all creation—mountains, rivers, and fields—to join in joy. God’s coming restores balance and goodness, reminding us that divine care extends far beyond human concerns. Luke’s Gospel brings this promise into history. God enters quietly, born in a stable, announced first to shepherds. Peace is declared not from a throne, but from humility, showing that God often works through what the worl...

  Ps 148, 150   Is 33:17-22   Lk 1:67-80  or  Mt 1:1-17 Matthew 1:1 - 17 (NKJV) 1 The book of the genealogy[a] of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: 2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her [b]who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot [d]Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. 12 An...

  Collegium Recordings 1 Sam 1:19-28   Is 12:2-6  or  Ps 113 or Ps 122   Lk 1:46-56  Magnificat Some time ago I was in a local restaurant and happened to read the message on our server’s T-shirt: It is impossible to lead a positive life with a negative mind set .    As I have been thinking about the readings for today this message has come back to me. All of them are filled with joy, gratitude, praise and wonder.   I rarely make a resolution at the New Year but in January 2025 I resolved to try and adopt an attitude of gratitude . Like so much else in our walk with Christ, just the attempt is honoured and rewarded. Slowly I have been aware in a shift in my general attitude. The world looks brighter, even if the news media is full of doom and gloom, wars and rumours of wars . After a lifetime of seeing t he glass as half empty I now, occasionally, see half-full glasses.   Today’s readings are filled with a multitude of joyous procla...

  Is 7:10-16  Ps 80:1-7, 16-18  Rom 1:1-7  Mt 1:18-25 Isaiah 7: 13-14 Isaiah said, Listen house of David!  Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men?  Will you also try the patience of my God?  Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.  By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating curds and honey . Long before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah was making strong prophecies of what would come in the face of political upheaval. I wonder what Isaiah’s listeners thought about the idea of a virgin giving birth. I must admit that I would have been very skeptical if I was there, hearing that prophecy. Can you imagine how you would receive that prophecy today as you scrolled through your Facebook feed? I know I would keep on scrolling, hoping to find something fun to read from someone who wasn’t crazy! And yet, this virgin birth is one of ...

  Is 7:10-14   Ps 24   Lk 1:26-38 The Gospel of Luke today brings us the story of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary with the news that she will bear a son. This moment is when the prophecy from  Isaiah 7:14 is fulfilled:   The Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel .    This name is so important, as it means God with us. What does it mean for God to be with us? It’s different from reigning over us. Instead of staying above us, our Lord joined us and spent time as a human being, starting out just as we all do, as an infant growing in his mother’s womb. He has brought himself fully into our world, but there is still a part for us to play.    Psalm 24 says:   Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in . Just like Mary, we must be open to receiving a sign from the Lord. He wants to come in and be with u...

      Cox Bay, near Tofino   Sophia Standen   Is 44:1-8.  Ps 87   1 Pet 2:4-10   Jn 17:6-19 or Jg 13:2-7, 24-25.  Ps 71:1-8   Lk 1:5-25 Advent is a time of waiting. As we wait for the chosen one, the cornerstone of our faith, we reflect and pray. It’s a busy time for all of us – Christmas concerts, decorating, travel plans, exams – so much to do and so little time to get it all done. It’s hard to take the time out of our busy days to remember the real reason for Christmas. This is why I have come to love these daily blogs.   In 1 Peter 2, Christ is described as   the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him . The passage goes on to say that we are all living stones to be built into a spiritual house. Christ is the cornerstone (which is part of the foundation of a building). For those of us who believe, the stone is precious but for those who don’t believe, the stone causes them to stumb...