Liturgy Office
England & Wales
The Liturgy Office serves the work of the Department for Christian Life and Worship of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales providing resources, information and advice.
Advent
Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,
as we await the advent of Christ your Son,
so that, when he comes and knocks,
he may find us watchful in prayer
and exultant in his praise.
Roman Missal, Monday, 1st Week of Advent
Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.
Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 39
Each Gospel reading has a distinctive theme: the Lord’s Coming at the end of time (First Sunday of Advent), John the Baptist (Second and Third Sunday), and the events that prepared immediately for the Lord’s Nativity (Fourth Sunday).
The Old Testament readings are prophecies about the Messiah and the Messianic age, especially from Isaiah. The readings from an Apostle serve as exhortations and as proclamations, in keeping with the different themes of Advent.
The God who Speaks
News & Events
- The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
- Calendar Notes for 2023
- Liturgical Calendar 2021-22
- New liturgical texts for St John XXIII and St John Paul II
- The New Lectionary for England and Wales
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) — Prayers during a time of 'flu and illness
- Sunday of the Word of God
- Day of Prayer for Survivors of Abuse - 12 April
- St Paul VI added to liturgical Calendar
- StudyGuide to Catholic Liturgy
- Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest & Calendar Notes
- Chrism Mass & Adoremus Resources II
- Adoremus- resources I
- Bishops' Conference November 2017 - Magnum Principium
- Cycle of Prayer - Intercessions & Bible Sunday
- Holydays of Obligation
- The place of silence
- CDF Instruction on Cremation and the Burial of Ashes
- Liturgical Calendar 2017
- Forthcoming Liturgical Translations
- Feast of St Mary Magdalene
Cycle of Prayer — Advent – Christmas
- Openness to the Word of God
- especially on 2nd Sunday of Advent
- Migrants and Refugees
- especially on 3 December
- Expectant Mothers
- especially on 4th Sunday of Advent
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has an ongoing project in collaboration with the Bible Society on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’.
- Further details about The God who Speaks.
- Resources for: Liturgy and Scripture
Confirmation & Marriage
New translations of the Order of Confirmation and the Order of Celebrating Matrimony was published in January 2016 for use from Easter 2016.
- Press Release
- Order of Confirmation — Information & Resources
- Order of Celebrating Matrimony — Information & Resources
Roman Missal
Formation material for and texts from the Roman Missal have been re-incorporated back inothe Liturgy Office website.
Resources
Contact Details
- Director Liturgy Office
& Department Assistant Secretary - Mr Martin Foster
- Department Secretary
- Fr Paul Gunter OSB
- Liturgy Office
39 Eccleston Square
London SW1V 1PL - 020 7901 4850
020 7901 4821 fax - Liturgy.Office@cbcew.org.uk
Department for Christian Life and Worship
The Department for Christian Life and Worship is one of the six Departments of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. It is advised by three Committees:
- Liturgy
- Patrimony
- Spirituality