At the start of Advent, Holy Family will host 40 Hours with Mary waiting for Jesus. This 40-Hours Devotion from Friday, Dec. 2 – Sunday, Dec. 4, will invite us to pause, reflect, and patiently pray with Mary for the coming joys of Christ’s birth. The 40 Hours of Devotion is a special 40-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. It is an older custom in the Church for parishes to have periodic 40-hour devotions.
The number 40 has always signified a sacred period of time: the rains during the time of Noah lasted 40 days and nights; the Jews wandered through the desert for 40 years, our Lord fasted and prayed for 40 days before beginning His public ministry. The 40 hours of Devotion remembers that traditional “40-hour-period” from our Lord’s burial until the resurrection. Asx we look to Advent, the number 40 plays another important part – 40 weeks of a standard pregnancy. The conclusion of which in Advent is the wondrous Feast of Christmas. The ProLife – ProChild – ProWoman – ProFamily movement have hosted 40 Days for Life events. Our particular 40 Hours of Devotion and prayer will center upon the ProLife event of Jesus’ birth. The greatest of all lives and gifts, born from the most wonderful of all women, Mary.
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