Catholic Advent

Week 1
November 30 - December 6

The anticipation is only beginning for the little ones
as you light the first candle on the Advent wreath.
Their eye's watch the flickering flame while their brother's
and sister's voices join in with their parent's as they say their night time prayers.

Collects for Advent

These prayers, faithful translations of the Latin Collects, or opening prayers, may be said every evening when the Advent wreath is lit.

First Week
Stir up thy power, O Lord, and come, that by thy protection we may be rescued from the dangers that beset us through our sins; and be a Redeemer to deliver us; Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Sp[rit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Advent Activities:

Start Christmas card preparations.
If you have Art CD I or II there are plenty of beautiful Nativity scenes to make your own cards.
A pack of cardstock and envelopes might be cheaper than buying pre-made cards, and so much more personalized.
One year the girls and I got busy with glitter pens, scissors and glue and created the most beautiful cards.
You do have to start early, but what better Advent craft to get you thinking about all your friends and relatives who are celebrating this glorious feast with you! We also got in the habit of offering a little prayer for each recipient as we decorated their cards.

Gingerbread Recipe

Coloring pages

Advent Coloring Pages

Start a new tradition!
One year, in the hopes of getting the kids to understand the penitential aspect of Advent, I drew a picture of Baby Jesus in a bare little manger.
"He has no straw!" I told the children, "It's up to you to do good deeds every day for mom and dad and also for each other! Every time you do a good deed for one another, I will glue a piece of straw (crumpled strips of yellow construction paper) to Baby Jesus' cradle."

That poor little Baby! He went through 4 years of shivering in his manger before He got even half a manger of straw!

Though, in defense of the kids I have to confess that many times I told the kids after they came to me with news of a good deed they did, "Good job! I'll put a piece of straw in His cradle later!" and then forget to do it!

Gift Giving - The Old Fashioned Way!
Remember the days of making gifts for your parents in school? Why not try it again!
I love getting homemade gifts, whether they are things to eat, like dozens of scrumptious cookies or pasta baskets, or maybe a homemade necklace from a creative relative!
One year we made little sewing kits for all our female cousins. It wasn't very hard.
We cut green and red felt rectangles - about 3x5 - and hand sewed them together with red embroidery floss. Then you fold them in half, making it look like a little book. We added two red satin ribbon bits so they could be tied shut in a bow.
Then we bought a small package of miniature wooden thread spools from a craft store. These we carefully sawed in half and glued to the front. Then with a few needlepoint stitches we made flower stems coming out of the thread spool, and the flower blossoms? About 3 little buttons sewed in place.
Fill the little sewing kit with needles and a teeny tiny pair of scissors (make a slit in the inside felt to fit the scissors in)
Voila! Easy homemade gifts that little girls (and big girls!) will cherish!

December 6th is the feast day of St. Nicholas!
Celebrate with some yummy treats!

St. Nicholas Cake

St. Nicholas.org- a great resource for recipes and activities!

From a pastoral letter by Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

The season of Advent

___Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father, for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. In his infinite love for us, though we, were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of. Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.

___Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has. shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ's coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.

___The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.

___In her concern for our salvation, our loving mother the Church uses this holy season to teach us through hymns, canticles and other forms of expression, of voice or ritual, used by the Holy Spirit. She shows us how grateful we should be for so great a blessing, and how to gain its benefit: our hearts should be as much prepared for the coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world. The same lesson is. given us for our imitation by the words and example of the holy men of. the Old Testament.

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