The Third Sunday of Advent, is also known as Gaudete Sunday, where the priest wears ROSE vestments as opposed to the PURPLE or VIOLET he wears on the other Sundays and weekdays of Advent. Since the pontificate of Pope John Paul the Great, it is also called Bambinelli Sunday to commemorate the blessing of the Gesu Bambino (baby Jesus). Children of Rome flock to Saint Peter's Piaza where the Pope blesses the figurines of the Baby Jesus which the kiddies bring from their homes and then return them in time for the family display of the Nativity Set (Christmas Creche). According to a Zenit article, the Nativity scene has been part of Italy's culture for almost 800 years now. According to tradition, St. Francis created the first representation of the birth of Christ in the little town of Greccio in 1223.
Many parishes across the globe now honor Bambinelli Sunday by having the Pastor, Parochial Vicar or Deacon bless the 'baby Jesus' which each family brings to Mass that weekend. We normally ask the youngest ambulatory child to bring up the figurine and sometimes they are accompanied by their siblings. Even the adults, however, bring their little baby Jesus from their Nativity Sets, and get them blessed every year. This can be done BEFORE Mass begins or AFTER Mass ends or it can be done later in the day at noon or three o'clock (hour of mercy). BTW, if your parish forgot to plan this in time for this weekend, no harm in doing it next weekend on the Fourth Sunday of Advent (just one time).
(we inadvertently left it out of last week's bulletin, so guess what ... ?)
5 comments:
How beautiful!
At Christmas, the priest blesses our little baby Jesus from the home nativity set.
And, at Easter he blesses our homemade bread...symbolic of Jesus who becomes our bread of life at every Mass.
When children participate in these events, it has a life-long impact. It is a rare occasion, as it should be, when the children are invited to just walk up to the altar!
What a wonderful tradition! I know our son would love taking the baby Jesus up for a blessing.
Put it on the bulletin, where do I find the blessing or do I get creative?
Fr.D
Discovered the answer from BXVI
Fr.D
(thanks to Fr. Ken Brighenti)
God our Father, you loved man so much to send us your only Son Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, to save us and lead us back to you. We pray that, with your blessing these images of Jesus, soon to come among us, might be, in our homes, a sign of your presence and love.
Good Father, give your blessing to us, too, to our parents, our families and friends.
Open our hearts, that we might know to receive Jesus in joy, always do what he asks of us and see him in all those who need our love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son, who came to give peace to the world.
You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
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