It’s not too late to throw together a celebration of Bambinelli Sunday for your parish, school or just group of friends. Every year, I do searches for parishes advertising their observance, and so here’s what I’ve got as of today:
St. John of the Cross, Euclid, OH
Corpus Christi – Anglican Ordinariate in Charleston.
Sacred Heart – West Des Moines, IA
Holy Spirit Catholic School, St. Paul, MN
St. Patrick and St. Anthony, Watertown, NY
More to come!
The third Sunday of Advent is known as the Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of Joy. Traditionally, every year in Rome, on that day, the Pope blesses the Bambinelli (figures of Baby Jesus) that people bring to St. Peter’s Square.
Last year, the Catholic Grandparents Association introduced this initiative in Ireland and, given its great success, they are repeating it this year, encouraging Parishes, Schools and Families to participate in this tradition and bring their Bambinelli to Mass to be blessed on 11 December.
This is a wonderful way of putting the birth of our Lord Jesus at the centre of Christmas.
Please find below the poster of the event, which you can adapt to your Parish.
The point is that Advent and Christmas are about welcoming the Word of God into our lives – which means our homes. The blessing of the Bambinelli – which we bring from our homes and return there – is an embodiment of this. As Pope Emeritus Benedict said in his 2008 prayer for the event:
God, our Father
you so loved humankind
that you sent 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,
who is about to come among us,
may be a sign of your presence and
love in our homes.Good Father,
give your Blessing to us too,
to our parents, to our families and
to our friends.Open our hearts,
so that we may be able to
receive Jesus in joy,
always do what he asks
and see him in all those
who are in need of our love.We ask you this in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son
who comes to give the world peace.He lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
Here’s a link to Rome Reports’ account of a previous year’s blessing.
