The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

POPE LEO'S PRAYER INTENTION FOR DECEMBER

In the last prayer intention for 2025, the Pope asks us to pray “that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation and hope.”

🎥 Watch his full message here:


By The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network: https://www.popesprayer.va/ The Pope Video: https://thepopevideo.org/ In collaboration with Vatican Media: http://www...

The National Office for Marriage, Family and Life has published the December edition of the Catholic Families for Life newsletter.

This month’s issue offers reflections, resources, and guidance to support and strengthen family life across our communities.

Read it here: https://marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk/newsletter/

As we begin Advent, Bishop Frank Dougan invites us to pause and reflect on what it truly means to welcome Christ at His coming.

Before we even think about Christmas, the Church asks us to first look ahead, to the Second Coming of Christ.

In this short reflection, Bishop Frank shares the opening prayer from today’s Mass and gently challenges us with an important question:

If Christ returned today… would we be ready?

The early Christians longed for the Lord’s return with eagerness and joy. So why do we sometimes hesitate?
Why do we find ourselves praying like St Augustine once did: “Make me good… but not yet”?

Take a moment today to listen, reflect, and prepare your heart as we begin our Advent journey.

Feastof St Andrew (transferred to 1st Dec)
He was born in Bethsaida, in Galilee, and worked as a fisherman. He may have been a disciple of St John the Baptist. He became one of the first to follow Jesus and introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to him. As one of the twelve Apostles he was widely venerated in ancient times, and became patron saint of Scotland because according to legend some of his bones were brought there and buried at the place where the town of St Andrew’s now stands.
From universalis

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Collect

We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord,
that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew
was for your Church a preacher and pastor,
so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Stained glass from Pont Scots College Rome