During the season of Advent Saint Bartholomew’s Parish in Ballsbridge and Holy Trinity Parish in Rathmines will be using an experimental ‘Office Book’ to aid prayer throughout the season. Advent is a time, similar in many ways to Lent, when we are asked to take the time to pray and fast and to prepare ourselves to meet with Jesus in the great festival of the Incarnation at Christmas. This ‘experimental’ prayer is a format for the season of Advent only, on which feedback can be given later. It is hoped in time to produce an office book of prayer that covers all the seasons and festivals in the Christian year, and a book that can be used for both public and private prayer in the Church of Ireland and beyond. The office can be used in small groups, families or individually for private prayer. It’s an exciting project for the two churches and one we hope will bear much fruit and interest and encourage people to cultivate a practice of daily prayer in their own lives and nurture their faith. Copies of the office, along with an introduction and the sets of readings throughout the week will shortly be available here in Saint Bartholomew’s. If you are interested in participating in this can you please let me know as soon as possible.