Advent / Christmas 2009
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ADVENT . . .
is a time for waiting and preparing, a time for making our hearts, our homes and our world ready for the coming of Christ at Christmas.
It is a time of love . . .
demonstrating love ourselves and receiving expressions of love from others.
It is a time of hope . . .
thinking about what kind of world we hope for, and how we can help to bring it about.
It is a time of joy . . .
being with family and friends, finding concrete ways to make our joy real through music, dance, and creative activities.
It is a time to pray for peace . . .
thinking about those places in our homes, neighbourhoods, and the world where we so desperately need the Prince of Peace.
The Advent Wreath
can be a way to involve even very young children in learning about Christian preparation - not only for celebrating Our Lord's birth, but to make our hearts truly ready to receive Him.
The wreath itself is symbolic. The circle of evergreen in which the candles are placed represents everlasting life. The seedpods, nuts and cones used to decorate the wreath are symbolic of resurrection, and fruits represent the nourishing fruitfulness of the Christian life. Gathering materials for the wreath - perhaps on an outing in the park or woods, or even in the backyard - and assembling it at home is an interesting family project in which even the youngest children can participate.
On the first Sunday of Advent, you may sprinkle the wreath with holy water and bless it before the first purple candle is lit. On the second Sunday two purple candles are lit; on the third Sunday, two purple and one rose; and all candles are lit on the fourth Sunday.
The gradual lighting of the four candles, one on each Sunday of the Advent season, combined with the liturgical colours of the candles (purple is the penitential colour used during Advent and Lent; rose is a liturgical colour used only on Gaudete Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday in Lent) help to symbolize not only our expectation and hope in Our Saviour's first coming into the world, but also in his Second Coming as Judge at the end of the world.
Children who are old enough can take turns lighting the candles. (The younger ones can blow them out.) It is helpful to place the wreath on a tray or platter so it can be moved.
On Christmas Day, all the greens and decorations are replaced with fresh ones, and four new white candles, symbolizing Christ, replace the colored ones and are burned throughout the Christmas season. The Advent season is a good time to pray the Angelus.
Blessing for the Advent Wreath
O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the Coming of Christ, and may receive from thee abundant graces. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Making an Advent Wreath
An enjoyable, symbolic experience for children of all ages!
Using an Advent wreath is a tangible way to mark the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Children can learn about the symbolism of the wreath as they make one together.
What You Need
1. Place the wreath form, the candles, and the candle holders on a low table and gather the children
around it. Give each child some evergreen branches.
2. Begin a discussion about Advent wreaths by asking the children what season of the church year is
just beginning. Children may respond that Christmas is coming. If they do, tell them that they are
right, but the season just beginning is the time in the church year that Christians get ready for
Christmas. It is called Advent.
3. Explain that the wreath is one way we mark the four Sundays until Christmas. Then ask the
following questions: What shape is the wreath? (round, a circle) Can you find the beginning of the
circle? (No, it is continuous.) Tell them that the circle reminds us that Gods love for us has no
beginning and no end it goes on forever.
4. Ask everyone to look at their evergreen branches. To begin a discussion about the symbolism of
the evergreen, ask the following questions: What kind of tree did your branch come from?
(Children may or may not know specific tree names such as cedar, pine, or spruce.) Ask if this tree
loses its leaves in winter. (No, its an evergreen.) Tell the children that the evergreen also reminds
us of life everlasting.
Invite each child to put his or her branch in the wreath. Dont be concerned about making the
wreath neat right now, just let children put in the branches in whatever way they like.
5. Hold the candles and ask the following questions: How many candles are there? (five) Why do we
use five candles? (one for each week until Christmas and one for Christmas Day). Explain to the
children that purple is a special colour that symbolizes waiting, the pink candle represents joy and
rejoicing.
Tell them that the fifth candle (white) can be lit on Christmas Day. Invite them to put the candles
in the wreath and in the centre.
6. When you have finished making the wreath, light the first candle and sing an Advent carol
together.
7. Add branches to fill in the wreath after the activity is completed
Why not make an Advent candle?
You will need a tall, brightly colored candle. Mark it with 24 short lines from top to bottom. Each day during Advent find a few quiet moments with your family when you can light the candle, read the little thought for the day, and say the short prayer together.
Response:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
December 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He created the sun, the moon, the stars and all the plants and animals. R.
December 2
God then created man and woman. He trusted them to take care of his creation and follow his ways but they let him down. R.
December 3
As men and women multiplied, so did their sinfulness. There were some good people, and one of them, Noah, was told by God to build an ark on dry land to save himself and all living things from a flood which was to come. R.
December 4
Noah did as God told him and built the ark. The great flood came but Noah and his family and all the animals which they had taken into the ark were safe. They did not drown and when the waters subsided they left the ark and populated the world again. R.
December 5
Many hundreds of years later, there lived a descendant of Noah called Abraham. Abraham obeyed God when he was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. At the last moment God stopped him harming Isaac. In return for Abraham's obedience, God promised him that his family would increase and spread. From his line a Saviour would come for all people. R.
December 6
When Isaac was grown up, Abraham sent out a servant to find a wife for him. The servant met a young woman at a spring; she drew water for him and for his camels. Her name was Rebekah and she became Isaac's wife. R.
December 7
Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Once, while Jacob was asleep, he saw in a dream a ladder set upon earth and reaching all the way to heaven. The angels of God were going up and down it. And he heard the voice of God promising to give him the land on which he lay and to send the Redeemer of the world through his family. R.
December 8
Jacob had twelve sons but he liked Joseph best of all. The rest of the brothers became envious of Joseph and tried to get rid of him. They sold him to merchants who were passing by and told their father that Joseph had been killed by wild animals. The merchants took Joseph with them to Egypt. R.
December 9
Joseph did well in Egypt and eventually become an important advisor to the king of Egypt, the Pharaoh. Meanwhile, many of his people and their families came to live in Egypt and settled there. A long time after Joseph died, when a new Pharaoh was in power, an order went out that all male sons of the Hebrews (Joseph's people) had to be killed. One such baby, Moses, was rescued from death by being found in the bulrushes by the king's daughter, who took him in and looked after him. R.
December 10
When Moses grew up he left Egypt, but whilst looking after sheep, he saw a bush on fire and from the middle of it he heard the voice of God telling him to return to Egypt and deliver his people from slavery. So Moses went back to Egypt and led his people out through the wilderness and the Red Sea. When they reached a mountain called Sinai, Moses spent time alone with God and then proclaimed the Ten Commandments. R.
December 11
Moses then led his people further through the wilderness. They got very thirsty and began to grumble about Moses, forgetting that God had promised to be with them always. God told Moses to strike a certain rock to find water, he did this and water came pouring out. The people were saved from dying of thirst. R.
December 12
For a very long time Moses continued to lead his people on through the wilderness and also through countries full of fruit. All the time they were looking for the promised land and a pillar of cloud guided them all the way. R.
December 13
As Moses and his people drew near to the promised land, the Lord showed it to Moses from the top of a mountain. Moses died before he came down from that mountain and so he never set foot in the promised land, although he had indeed taken his people all the way from slavery in Egypt to the very borders of where they were to settle. He had done what God had asked of him. R.
December 14
The people of Israel arrived at the promised land but when they came to the city of Jericho they could not enter it because it was fortified by strong walls and the people living there would not let them in. Joshua, the new leader, told the priests to carry the ark of the covenant which contained the Ten Commandments of God at the head of a procession around the walls. They blew trumpets and all the people shouted, and the walls came tumbling down. The people of Israel entered Jericho as God had promised. R.
December 15
The people divided the land amongst their twelve tribes (each tribe descended from one of Jacob's sons) and they elected kings. One of them, King Saul, was disobedient to God and God sent his prophet Samuel to name a new king. Samuel chose David, a young shepherd boy. R.
December 16
When Saul died, David became king and ruled successfully for many years. During his time he moved his court to Jerusalem. It was here that he decided that after he died, his son, Solomon was to be king. It is believed that many of the Psalms which we read in the Old Testament are from this time. R.
December 17
Solomon ruled with great wisdom and prudence. Under his leadership the people of Israel grew very prosperous and successful. Solomon built the first Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem but in spite of this, God's people became forgetful of God and all his goodness to them. R.
December 18
The people of God grew self-centered and greedy. They forgot that God had promised to send them a Saviour and many of them lost their faith. God sent many prophets to warn his people about the dangers of the way in which they were living. Sometimes the people took notice, but very often they ignored what the prophets said to them and continued to ignore God. R.
December 19
Many, many years later, a young girl, Mary, was living in the little town of Nazareth. She was to marry Joseph a local carpenter. Both Mary and Joseph were very good people. They both listened to God and tried to do all that he asked of them. An angel came to Mary and told her that she was to give birth to a son whose name was to be Jesus. He was the Son of God. Mary said, "Let it be done to me according to your word." R.
December 20
The angel had told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, was also expecting a baby. This was a surprise because Elizabeth was quite old but it was a sign that God is all-powerful. Mary went to see Elizabeth, and together they were able to share the great events that were happening to them. They praised God. R.
December 21
Elizabeth gave birth to a son whose name was John. He was to prepare his people for the arrival of their Saviour. John was the last of the prophets. When he was grown up he went to the river Jordan where he preached to the people and invited them to say sorry to God for the past and to begin again by being baptized. R.
December 22
When the time came for Mary to have her baby, an official decree had been issued by the government which said that everyone had to return to their own city to register. Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. R.
December 23
Bethlehem was known as the city of David after King David and it was very overcrowded with visitors who had come to be registered. Mary and Joseph couldn't find anywhere to stay and they had to shelter for the night in a stable behind an inn. R.
December 24
During that first night in the stable Mary gave birth to her son. This son was Jesus, the Saviour, who had been promised by God to his people throughout their history for so many years. Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Jesus came for everybody in the world. God sent us his Son to show us exactly how he wants us to live each day. R.
