O Come, O Come Emmanuel:
Annual Advent Evening

Agape’s Annual Advent Evening, usually the second Saturday of Advent, begins with a circle in the dark around a bonfire, with readings from the Prophet Isaiah and a procession into Francis House, where participants are greeting with Princess Pine picked from Agape’s homestead where it grows abundantly.

Young and old participate in the blessing of the Advent Wreath, focused on the birth of the nonviolent Prince of Peace and petitions for mercy in our complicity as a country in war, antithetical to the nonviolent life and teachings of Jesus.

A yearly dramatic reading has consisted of original skits, as in recent years, the plight of prisoners at Guantanamo, the deaths of the American churchwomen in El Salvador, honoring Philip Berrigan and other prophets among us.

We chant together the O Antiphons, a series of seven versicles prayed during the last days before Christmas from December 17 until December 23rd.  Very few Christians know of this prayer. The seven O Antiphons are ‘ohs of ecstasy,’ cries of the heart, cries of rapture, awe, wonder, mystery and adoration. 

Liturgy of the word and a shared homily by a member of the community leads to prayers of petition and singing of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”  A pot-luck follows, with a sense of the wonder and beauty of Advent imbuing us all.