Calendars
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Advent calendar
Franciskus Julkrubba
Painting by Christina Lundström 2020
The original can be seen in Årsta church, Stockholm.
Advent icons i
Francis' Nativity Scene
Francis and Klara, together with the others in the Advent calendar, will walk with us through the Advent season. A journey that leads to the events and mystery of Christmas night. The calendar follows the days and their names in folk and Christian tradition. The icons illustrate people, the saint and stories with these names and their meaning.
December 1st - First Advent
A new church year begins.
OSCAR - Who is like god
Archangel Michael
Protecting you and me on our journey of life.
December 3rd
Lydia - Girl from Lydia
S:t Lydia
Saint, lived first century AD. Her house became the first Christian church in Europe and became a mission centre.
December 2nd
Beata + Lycklig
S:t Francis & St Klara
Saint, from Assisi, Italy in the 14th century. Founder of the Franciscan Order. Our first environmentalists highlight the importance of protecting our earth. To live in all simplicity with respect and in harmony with the nature of Creation and its animals.
December 4th
Barbara - Stranger who speaks an incomprehensible language
St Barbara
Saint, lived in the 3nd century. One of the four capital virgin martyrs - Barbara, Dorotea, Katarina and Margareta.
December 6th
Nikolaus + Victory of the people
S:t Nikolaus
Saints, 280-342 AD Nikolaus was known for his generosity and for not emphasizing that he himself was the giver.
Patron saint of seafarers.
December 5th, Sven - Young strong man
Sami girl & the white reindeer
The meeting of the white reindeer with the Sami girl symbolizes hope and faith in the young strong person - in trust and cooperation with Creation, under the protection of the Holy Spirit.
December 7th
Angela - Holy spirit represented by
The Dove - The Spirit
The holy spirit - The helper.
December 9th
Anna - The one who got mercy
S:t Anna
Saint, lived first century BC. Anna was the mother of Maria the Mother of God and grandmother of Jesus. Patron saint of expectant mothers.
December 8th - Second Advent
Verginia - Virgin
Archangel Gabriel
Comes with tidings of great joy will come to us.
December 10th Nobel day
Malin/Martin - woman from Magdala/Stridbar
Martin Luther King
Martyr (1929-1968). Was an American Baptist pastor and leading figure of the peace and civil rights movement. Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In the prior year, Martin Luther King gave the well-known speech I have a Dream, which became an expression of a society with equal rights for all.
December 11th
Daniel - God is my judge
Daniel
Saint and Prophet, 600-500 BC Daniel resisted all attempts to get him to worship pagan gods. He was condemned to death for his faith and thrown into a den of lions, but he survives through the protection of the Angel of the Lord.
December 13th
Lucia - Light bearer
St Lucia
Saint, 283-304 AD, Syracuse. In 304, she was martyred for her faith and for her vow of celibacy. A scorned suitor accused her after she refused to marry him.
December 15th - Third Advent
Gottfrid - God's peace
John the Baptist
who prepares us for our inner journey. O Προδρομος, the one who goes before and shows the way to the Lord, and makes his paths.
December 14th
Rock - Petrus - Cliff
St Petrus
Saint, lived first century AD. Peter was one of Jesus' closest disciples. Jesus predicts how Peter will indeed deny him "before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times". But he also says that you will build my church on a cliff.
December 12th
Alexander - The one who defends man through love
Roses that bloomed in winter
The legend recounts how Francis and Klara used to meet for conversation and prayer. When Klara asks "when will we meet next time?" Francis answers "when the roses will bloom". This happened in the middle of the winter. When Klara came down the stairs, she saw how the snow was lit up by blooming roses.
December 16th
Assar - One who gives the answers
Angel of the Lord
Angels are everywhere even if we don't see them. They bring messages of God's grace and tell of the kingdom come.
December 18th
Abraham - Father of many
Abraham
Patriarch, 2000 BC
Abraham becomes the ancestor of many. God reveals himself with promises of the future and hope. Abraham had two sons Ishmael and Isaac.
December 19th
Isak - He on whom god smiles
Isak
Patriarch, 2000 BC
Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, was the second of the three patriarchs. He married Rebecca and had sons Esau and Jacob.
December 17th
Stig - Wanderer
Francis & the white wolf
Francis walks the paths around Assis with his squire the white wolf. The legend tells of the town of Gubbio whose inhabitants were kept in terror by a wolf that attacked both people and animals. Francis sought out the wolf, spoke to it, called it brother wolf, and managed to develop peace between it and the city's inhabitants.
December 20th
Moses - The one pulled up out of water
Moses
Prophet, 1400-1500 century BC. When Moses was tending the sheep, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire that shot up from a bush. He saw that the bush was burning without burning down. Moses went there to see the wonderful sight. Then God spoke to Moses. Moses was a spiritual and worldly leader who freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
December 21st -
The turning point of the sun and the light
Tomas - Twin
St Tomas
Apostle, lived first century AD.
One of Jesus' 12 disciples, in a tradition called Doubting Thomas. Nevertheless, Thomas was the disciple who did not hesitate to follow Jesus when, due to the death of his friend Lazarus, he wants to go towards the then hostile Jerusalem. And the story of Thomas' doubts about Jesus' resurrection and how his doubts were removed.
December 22nd - Fourth Advent
Natanael - Gift from God
Maria mother of God
The representation of Maria the Mother of God without the baby Jesus does not belong to the usual motifs of Maria. She dares to say yes to what she did not understand and put her trust in God. Dare to say yes... Maria took all this to heart and pondered it. Maria is the comforting Mother of God who bears our sorrows and points to Jesus.
December 23rd
Adam - Man created from earth
The Creation
Adam and Eve were created by God as fully grown human beings and through the fruit of knowledge, they became aware of what life on earth meant.
God rules over everything and He is good.
December 24th - Christmas Eve
Eva - To give life
Eva
The Giver of Life is symbolized here by the trunk of the Tree of Life. Eva is expecting a child and her protective mantle spreads out in a root system over the earth. The tree of life is decorated with the fruit of knowledge in anticipation of the Messiah.
Thank God for the fruit of knowledge.
December 25th - Christmas Day
Mother of God of Tenderness
The Son of God is born.
Today a saviour has been born to you in the city of David, he is the Messiah the Lord.
Thank God for all our children and the child we carry within us.