Join the parish community at St Thomas' in Neilston for Mass by candlelight each Wednesday of Advent at 7:30am.

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Mass will conclude before 8am, and is a beautiful way to prepare for Christmas before heading off to work.

The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight. Because it is a votive Mass in Mary’s honour, white vestments are worn instead of Advent violet. In the dimly lit setting, priests and the lay faithful prepare to honour the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the church becomes progressively brighter, illumined by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ.

The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel, and call on all to raise the gates of their hearts and their societies to let Christ the King enter; asking for the grace to receive eternal life by the merits of the Incarnation and saving Resurrection of Our Lord.

Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.