Celebrate the Triduum

The Three Days

The three days of the Triduum are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. They are considered the holiest days in our Church year. And while attending in person is a wonderful way to celebrate, if you have young children, it can be difficult. And doing some of these activities in your faith formation class can introduce some liturgical aspects of the Triduum to those who may not experience them otherwise.

Adapt these ideas for your group or family as needed. Gather at whatever time of day is best for you. Make the space you gather in special: place candles, a crucifix, if you have holy water, and a bible on a table. Use a white cloth for Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, red for Good Friday.

Depending on the age of your children, you can read from a children’s bible. If possible, have older children read the passage after practicing. Start each reading with A reading from the Holy Gospel of …” At the end, say, “The Gospel of the Lord” and respond with “Praise to you, Lord Jesus, Christ.”

Holy Thursday

Today is Holy Thursday. It is the day we remember and celebrate Jesus giving us Himself in Holy Communion. The readings for the Mass tell us about the Jewish Passover as Moses, and the people prepared to leave Egypt. The second reading is from St. Paul, and it tells the story of the Last Supper. The Gospel, though, tells us not about the meal but about what Jesus did after the meal for his apostles.

Read John 13:1-15; if that’s too long for your family, use verses 4-10; 12-15.

After reading the Gospel passage, have everyone close their eyes as you slowly read the following:

We are going to put ourselves in the room with Jesus and His disciples. Imagine you can see the room and the table and the cushions on the floor. Can you smell the food? Hear them talking? Jesus and his disciples have eaten their meal. They had lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread and wine. They sang songs and prayed. Jesus told them that He would be with them always. You can see them sitting around the table, feeling full and happy after a good meal. And then Jesus gets up and gets ready to wash everyone’s feet. This is strange. Dinner is over. Don’t you wash before dinner, when people first come into the house? Why is Jesus doing this? I think I understand why Peter says not to wash his feet. I would feel weird for someone as holy as Jesus to wash my feet. Jesus tells him that He must do so Peter can have a part in Jesus’ life and what He has in store for him. Okay, I want what Jesus has to give me, so He can wash my feet. Maybe it’s not so much about having clean feet. Jesus tells the apostles why He washed their feet. As an example. Examples are better than words; they help me understand. Jesus wants the apostles to wash other people’s feet just like He washed theirs. Does that mean I should wash other people’s feet? I think it does. Is it really about washing feet, though? Or is it about serving others? Being kind? Helpful? What else is it about? It’s about not thinking you are better than others. If Jesus, who is the Son of God, can wash feet, then I can do what I’m asked to do. That is what Jesus wants us to learn. To take care of others. How can I take care of others?

After a few minutes of quiet, have everyone open their eyes. Discuss with the class/family their feelings and thoughts. Here are a few questions to get started: What would it be like to have Jesus wash your feet? Why does Jesus show his apostles what to do? How can you wash other people’s feet? 4. How can we, as a family, wash each other’s feet?

Song to close: Servant Song

Good Friday

Today we remember the death of Jesus. The Gospel reading we read tells us what happened from Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane all the way to his burial. This mediation will focus on John 19:16-30.

After reading John 19:16-30, begin the meditation:

Let’s imagine that we are there with Jesus and his apostles. What are we thinking? How do we feel?

It is just one day after the apostles celebrated the Passover with Jesus. They went to the garden to pray, and then Jesus was arrested. The apostles were very afraid for Jesus. (pause) What was going to happen? Jesus had told them He would suffer and die. Was it going to happen now? From far away, they waited and watched. They saw Jesus being beaten and made fun of by soldiers. It was horrible to see. (pause) Why did they hurt Jesus so much? He was always good to everyone. All the people gathered to hear what Pilate would do to Jesus. He gave in to the crowd and told them that Jesus would be crucified. (pause) They gave Jesus a heavy cross to carry. He walked slowly, painfully up to the hill where criminals were crucified. But Jesus wasn’t a criminal. Why didn’t they know that? (pause) Why didn’t they love Jesus? (pause) Many people watched as Jesus walked up to the top of the hill. Some were sad and cried. Others made fun of Him. I don’t think I could watch Jesus like that. It would hurt too much. (pause) At the top of the hill, the soldiers laid Jesus on the cross He had carried and nailed him to it. The pain was horrible. But Jesus said nothing. How did He do that? Because His Father was with him. (pause) They put the cross up; all the people could see Jesus up on the cross. His mother, Mary, her sister, her cousin, Mary Magdalen and his apostle John stood at the cross, looking at Jesus. Praying. Crying. (pause) There was nothing they could do. Yet they stayed there until he died. That must have been very hard, but they loved Him so much they stayed. They were very brave and trusted on God to help them. (pause) Jesus told Mary that John would be her son now and told John that Mary was his mother now. Even as He was dying, He was taking care of those He loved. (pause) Jesus asked for a drink, and then, taking a last breath, He said, “It is finished,” and he died. (pause and then pray)

Let’s kneel down now and say a prayer, thanking Jesus for dying for us: Dear Jesus, you gave up Your life for me. You did that out of love. Help me to love you every day, remembering what you did for me. (Add your own prayers from family too now) Ask, “is there anything you want to say to Jesus?”

Close your prayer time with a song

Why by Nicole Nordman

Jesus, Remember Me

My Deliverer by Matt Maher

Holy Saturday

Once the sun has set, gather together to reflect on the Resurrection. To really focus on Jesus as the Light of the World, light one candle and then have each family member light their own. Tealights or pillars can work so there are no dripping tapers.

Read the Gospel, Matthew 28:1-10. Ask: What is the first word that comes to your mind? Listen as I read this meditation.

An angel came down from heaven while Mary Magdalene and Mary and the guards were at Jesus’ tomb. And there was an earthquake. I would be afraid. (pause) I just wanted to come and pray. Now, this happens! The angel says, “Do not be afraid.” OK, I’ll try. (pause) The angel says that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and I see the tomb is empty. Alleluia! Alleluia! Jesus rose from the dead. (pause) He told us he would, but we didn’t understand. Thank you, Jesus, for rising from the dead. Wait a minute. The angel tells Mary Magdalene to go and see the apostles to let them know that Jesus has risen. He wants to see them in Galilee. (pause) The women go, and wow, they meet Jesus on the way. I can’t believe it. How exciting. How joyful everyone is. (pause) They want to thank Jesus and give Him praise and glory. Jesus is happy to see them. He loves them. He loves us too! (pause) Then Jesus reminds them they have a job to do. He wants them to tell the apostles He is risen and to go to Galilee so He can see them. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus, for rising from the dead. You give us new life. A life that is full of joy and peace and hope. We want to share that joy with all those we love. Alleluia! Alleluia!

A few questions to ask:

How can we share the joy of the Resurrection with others?
What do we want people to know about Jesus?

Easter songs: Resurrection Power by Chris Tomlin

Christ is Risen by Matt Maher

Jesus Christ is Risen Today

6 Ways to Pray Your Way Through #Lent

By Karee Santos

With Ash Wednesday right around the corner, many of us are already pondering what Lenten resolutions we’ll choose or what resolutions we’ll suggest to our students. No resolution can succeed without prayer, however, so here’s six ways to improve your prayer life this Lent.

1. Make a daily prayer date with God. Best friends talk every day, so use the days of Lent to renew and deepen your friendship with God. If you don’t pray every day, pick a specific time and commit to spending just five minutes telling God what’s in your heart. If you already have a habit of daily prayer, add five more minutes to your regular time. For example, if you normally pray ten minutes a day, make it fifteen minutes a day for Lent. Scheduling prayer for the same time every day will help you keep your commitment. You wouldn’t break a standing date with your husband, or your mom, or your best friend, unless you absolutely had to. So try to make and keep that daily prayer date with God.

2. Add a rosary to your day. St. Louis de Montfort said that praying the rosary was like giving a bouquet of roses to the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, make your mother happy this Lent. Saying an entire set of mysteries takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how fast you recite the prayers. If that’s too much time, just say the fifth Sorrowful Mystery — one Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and one Glory Be while meditating on Our Lord’s crucifixion. Say it with your spouse and your kids, and include your whole family in this beautiful tradition of prayer.

3. Make a morning offering. Offer your entire day to God, and he will bless you for it. First thing in the morning, connect with him and ask for his support and consolation throughout the day. You can recite this exquisite formal prayer, penned by St. Ignatius of Loyola: Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. But you can also go a simpler route and create your own morning offering. Our family likes to say, “God please help me to do what you want today.” It takes just a few moments and can bring so much peace to your day.

4. Ask for God’s help more than usual. Sometimes when we feel stressed or overwhelmed, we forget to call on God’s strength. Mini-crises hit us more than once a day, on average, and they give us ample opportunity to request divine assistance. Even if your schedule is too harried to carve out specific times for prayer, you can choose a one-sentence prayer (also called an aspiration) to reach out to God throughout the day. Many people use the Jesus prayer, which is “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.” Other possibilities are “God, make haste to help me” or “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

5. Keep a prayer journal. If you decide to make Lenten resolutions, it’s a good idea to keep track of how well you’re doing. Writing down your success (or your failure!) is a great way to ensure accountability. So at the end of the day, you can note down in a journal whether you kept your resolutions that day or not. It will give you extra impetus to stay on track through the whole 40 days of the season.

6. Go to weekly confession. The Church encourages us to go to confession especially during Lent. Many people go at least once, but you don’t have to stop there. Going to weekly confession during Lent will bring you an avalanche of graces. Telling the priest about your progress with your Lenten resolutions will enhance your ability to persevere. Take the whole family with you on Saturday afternoons, and everyone can benefit from this powerful sacrament.

May God bless you during this holy season of Lent! And if you have other ideas for improving prayer life during Lent, please let us know in the comments!

Copyr. Karee Santos, 2014. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Strengthen Your Lenten Journey Through Fasting

By Ellen Gable Hrkach

When you hear the word ‘fasting,’ do you automatically cringe? Do you dread Ash Wednesday or Good Friday? Or do you embrace the self-denial of fasting on those days? If you’re like most people, you might not look forward to Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, the Church’s compulsory days of fasting. However, when you become accustomed to the regular practice of fasting throughout the year, these “compulsory” days are opportunities for abundant graces and spiritual growth.

Why fast?

Many people mistakenly believe that fasting belongs only in the Penitential Season of Lent. However, the regular self-denial of fasting is a positive and generous act that we can do all year round. After all, Jesus fasted — and He fasted before every major event in His life — and His apostles fasted. In Scripture, fasting is mentioned numerous times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Matthew 6:16-18

“But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it (demon) out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.’” Mark 9:27-29

Peter said to Jesus, “You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

Eternal Life

Eternal life…isn’t that our goal? How do we get there? A virtuous life, one that is sacrificial, one that is obedient to God’s laws, this is the way to eternal life. Lent is an ideal time to embrace the practice of fasting. And not just on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday! Fasting can happen on every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. The regular self-denial of fasting is definitely one of the ways to get to heaven and eternal life. Why?

Fasting opens our hearts to conversion, gives weight to our prayer intentions. Fasting strengthens us in resisting temptations, promotes peace in our hearts and peace with one another. Fasting teaches us the difference between wanting and needing. Fasting reminds us of the plight of the poor and those who are perpetually hungry. Fasting and prayer can free us from addictive behavior. Fasting invites the Holy Spirit in to heal our hearts, our relationship with God and our relationship with others. Fr. Slavko Barbaric said, “Fasting will lead us to a new freedom of heart and mind.”

St. Jean Vianney once said, “The devil is not greatly afraid of the discipline and other instruments of penance. That which beats him is the curtailment of one’s food, drink and sleep. There is nothing the devil fears more, consequently, nothing is more pleasing to God.”

There are so many great reasons to fast and Lent is an ideal time to begin this regular practice of self-denial. For the elderly and those who cannot fast from food, they can fast from TV, social networking, treats or coffee on Wednesday and Friday.

Lent is a time for change and sacrifice. If you can do penitential acts during Lent, you can do them all year round! To get started with fasting, please check out the graphic below. And always check with your physician before beginning any fasting routine.

Lenten Ideas

By William O'Leary

Lent is the perfect catechetical season. A catechist, as well as a parent, can find a plethora of ideas about how to practice and live out Lent. I would like to share ideas in 3 categories (be aware that some ideas will overlap): Family Ideas, Classroom Ideas, and Personal Ideas. I hope the following links will help assist you as a parent or a catechist in assisting your students to grow closer to Christ this Lent.

Family Ideas:

Prayer

~ Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet regularly as a family – on the way to/from school, or right after dinner.
~ Read the Bible/pray with your kids before bedtime during Lent.
~ Pray the Station of the Cross at 7pm each Friday at Ascension or at home: https://catholicicing.com/2011/03/printable-stations-of-cross-for/

Fasting

~ Have a day where the TV Stays off (Maybe Fridays during Lent)

~ Fast from Cell phone use, internet, video games from after dinner until bedtime.

~ Fast from going out to eat. Give the extra money to the poor.

~ Fast from gossip or negative thoughts.

~ Fast from eating between meals.

~ Fast from dessert a few times a week.

~ Fast from being lazy (that attitude that says: someone else will do it.

~Listen to Christian Music 97.3 FM or Catholic Radio 1090AM in your car during all of Lent.

Almsgiving

~Sign up for Holy Hero’s daily Lenten email: https://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Heroes-Lenten-Adventure-s/37.htm
~ Lenten Calendar: https://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/
~ Give money as a family to the poor: Operation Rice Bowl.
~ Spend more time with family.
~ Be positive (maybe charge .25 cents for every negative comment at home and then give the money to a charity).
~ Family Chart: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1018

Classroom Ideas

~ Lent Lapbooks: https://catholicblogger1.blogspot.com/2010/02/lent-lapbooks.html
~ Printable Lenten Calendar: https://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/
~ NOW Cross: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1019

Personal Ideas:

~ Take time to pray at lunchtime instead of going out with friends or surfing the internet.
~ Read a Psalm each day during Lent.
~ At 3:00 pm each day, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet or take a moment to pause in prayer to remember the hour that Christ died.
~ Pray the Seven Penitential Psalms – maybe one each day of the week throughout Lent (Psalm 6, 31, 50, 101, 129, and 142).
~ Go out of your way to do one kind deed each day.
~ Do things for people each week without them knowing.
~ Be positive and reflect joy during Lent.

Links to Inspire You!

By Deanna Bartalini

It’s February, and while the calendar says it is the shortest month of the year, for some, the dreariness of winter has gone on long enough, and February seems like the longest month. In February, we have Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and National Marriage Week from Feb 7-14. Right now, we are in Ordinary Time, but starting on February 22, on Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent begins.

Let’s Start with Black History Month

We have a Homeschooling Saints podcast episode for you with Lisa Mladinich and Lena Brown. Lena talks about A Catholic Perspective on Black History Month.

Take a look at this article on 8 Black Saints and Holy People of God Every Catholic Should Know, with prayers!

And The Saints of Africa by Vincent J. O’Malley tells the stories of over 60 saints, including 3 popes, 8 Fathers of the Church and 3 Doctors of the Church.

Next up – Lent

A few podcasts to listen to: Family Lenten Traditions, Is Lent a Time of Sacrifice or Action?

Holy Heroes has Lent Survival Kit to use in your home or class. I wish I had had one of these when I was working with children! It includes The Road to Calvary coloring book, calendars with activities, Lenten Adventure, Road to Easter (with stickers) and all you need to make your own Paschal Candle to celebrate Easter. Take a look!

A prayer service for grades K-3, Mind, Heart and Hand.

A video on Where Ashes Come From.

Would you like this content delivered to your inbox each week? Subscribe now and we’ll send you a free guide, “High Impact Lesson & Classroom Management Tips” as our thanks. SIgn-up in the sidebar on the right!

9 Questions for Lent

By William O'Leary

As you journey through Lent consider reflecting on these questions:

1. When I wake up on Easter Sunday morning, how will I be different?

2. Is there a habit or sin in my life that repeatedly gets in the way of loving God with my whole heart or loving my neighbor as myself? How do I address that habit?

3. Is there anyone in my life from whom I need to ask forgiveness or pursue reconciliation?

4. What practical steps am I taking to carve out time for daily prayer?

5. What spiritual discipline can I continue to improve upon?

6. What are some things in my life that I tell myself I need but I don’t? Can I give one or two of them up (at least for the remainder of Lent)?

7. How is what I’m doing this Lent helping me draw closer to Christ?

8. What can I tell myself even when it’s hard to deny myself?

9. What 2 virtues do I want to focus on this Lent (e.g., patience, charity, kindness, gentleness, temperance, etc.)

Even NOW, says the Lord, RETURN to me with your WHOLE heart….

The Liturgical Year

By Deanna Bartalini

As a south Florida resident for over thirty-five years, the change of seasons passes me by with little notice. When I lived in New York my favorite season was fall. The leaves, the crisp air, apple picking and pumpkin patches in actual fields. I think being aware of the seasons made the Church seasons less important to me. Now, the Church seasons mark time for me as the natural seasons did when I was younger.

What are the Church seasons?

We have five liturgical seasons or times; Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, the Triduum (a part of Lent, but different in tone), and Easter. We begin our Church year at Advent. Advent continues until Christmas, which leads us into Ordinary time on the first Sunday after January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. We stay in Ordinary time until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent ends on the Wednesday before Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday is called the Triduum, and then we enter into the Easter season, which begins on Easter Sunday and ends on the Feast of Pentecost. After Pentecost, which is fifty days after Easter, we are in Ordinary time again until Advent. These feast days (except Christmas) are on different dates each year, depending on when Advent and Lent begin.

Signs of Change

Just as in the seasons of nature, there are different signs of change so too in the Church. For example, each season has its own liturgical color. This means that during each specific season that is the color of vestments, altar coverings, and banners used. Ordinary is green, Advent and Lent are purple, while Christmas and Easter are gold or white. Red is used on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost and Confirmation as long as it does not take place during Advent or Lent. The color rose is seen occasionally, on the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent; though some priests choose not to wear vestments in that color.

The readings we hear at Mass also have a different focus depending on the season. During Ordinary time we hear about Jesus’ public ministry. Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus’ birth, while during Lent we focus on walking with Jesus in his final weeks leading up to his passion, death, and resurrection. Christmas tells us the story of the Holy Family, while in the Easter season, we read from Acts and focus on the early Church.

Prayer Life

In our own private prayer life, we can also follow the seasons. Ordinary time is a good time to focus on learning about Jesus or new ways to pray. Advent is spent in preparation and anticipation. Lent is six weeks to devote time to prayer, penance, and going deeper into our faith we are ready to suffer and then rejoice with our Lord. Christmas and Easter seasons are times of praising and thanking God and remembering to live as joy-filled, resurrected people.

Visual reminders are also helpful and a family prayer space that reflects the season is always appropriate. Children find it especially meaningful to have advent wreaths, candles, different saint statues, and pictures. If they can help with setting up this space, they will enjoy it even more. A great website to find books and prayer space items is Holy Heros.

Making the Church liturgical seasons a part of your life will make them as real and important to you as the natural seasons. It gives a rhythm and movement to our lives as Catholics and reminds us that our faith life has order; order that is needed in our often chaotic world.

FYI: The dates of our liturgical seasons in 2022-2023 are as follows: Advent, November 27, 2022; Christmas, December 25; Epiphany, January 8, 2023; Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 9, 2023; Ordinary Time, January 10, 2023. Lent (Ash Wednesday) February 22, 2023; Easter, April 9, 2023; Pentecost, May 28, 2023; Ordinary Time May 29, 2023.

What is Advent, anyway?

By Peggy Clores

The season of Advent begins on Sunday, November 27, 2022. For some of our readers, especially RCIA candidates, the meaning and traditions of this Season may be a brand-new experience. For others, you may not fully realize the meaning behind the beautiful things we do at this time of year. Here is a mini Advent lesson. Hopefully, you can find 10 minutes of “quiet time” to review the information and gain the most from this Season.

LESSON ON THE SEASON OF ADVENT

At this time, we are “waiting for the Messiah” and “preparing Him room” in our hearts.

We are to be open to what He wants to change in us in order to for us to become more of who we are intended to be.

This second link gives you a fairly complete look at the meaning and practices during this season.

https://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Advent.htm

Wishing you and your families a very blessed Advent Season!

Peggy

Seven Ways to Observe Advent with Children

By Amanda Woodiel

Photo by Stefan Schweihofer (2018) via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons

Perhaps you too have had the experience of preparing for Christmas, only to realize that amongst the candy-making, the letter-writing, the present-purchasing, the tree-trimming, and more, you never got around to spiritual preparation, even though you really meant to this year.

If you would like to add a more reflective or penitential note to your family’s Advent observance, check out the seven ideas below to get you started. Choose one (or two), gather what you will need, and start a new family tradition!

Jesse tree

The idea:

Recall salvation history. Use ornaments decorated with symbols to represent the events and stories leading up to the birth of Jesus and hang them on a tree of some kind (the tree is so named after Jesse, father of King David–see Isaiah 11:1).

What you will need:

You can order a kit. Check out Etsy for some beautiful ones.
You can do it yourself…you need something to be the tree, something to make ornaments, and a Bible or knowledge of Bible stories. I use a book that has reproducible ornaments. Each year I photocopy one set of ornaments for each child. I cut out a large Christmas tree shape from wrapping paper and tape it on the wall. Each day (when all goes well), the kids color their ornaments while I read to them the passage from the Bible corresponding to the symbol they are coloring. They then cut out their ornaments and tape them on the tree.
The tree can also be a bare branch set into a mason jar full of stones or sand, and the ornaments can be hung on it with loops of ribbon.

Advent stockings: good works

The idea:

The family does a spiritual or corporal work of mercy (or other charitable act) each day of advent. For example, we might give away a piece of clothing; pray for an end to abortion; pray for our priests; call someone who might be lonely, etc.

You need:

Slips of paper listing the good works you will do (see the end of this post for ideas).
Something to put them in. I have mini stockings with numbers on them, which we hang up. Every evening I put a slip of paper in the next day’s stocking, choosing the activity based on what can fit into our family calendar. But you could easily do the same with numbered envelopes or, if you are really adventurous, just put them all in a mason jar and see what you pull out!

Making soft Baby Jesus’ Bed

The idea:

Family members make sacrifices and do good acts throughout Advent. For each one, they lay a piece of straw or hay in an empty manger, trying to get the bed as soft as possible before Baby Jesus will be born on Christmas morning.

You need:

Raffia, hay, straw, grass, or strips of yellow construction paper.
Some sort of manger.
Baby Jesus statue.

Advent wreath

The idea:

Four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent. Three are purple to represent penance; the fourth is pink for Gaudete Sunday (the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Gaudete means “joy,” and the priest will wear rose-colored vestments). On the first Sunday of Advent, light the purple candle that is diagonal from the pink one. Say a prayer of longing for Our Savior. Every evening light this candle, accompanied by a prayer, and each successive Sunday light an additional candle.

You need:

An advent wreath/candle holder
Candles

Salvation history candle

The idea:

Similar to a Jesse tree but for the artistic. You will draw on a large candle (about 2 feet tall) the scenes from salvation history, starting with Adam and Eve at the top and Baby Jesus at the bottom. You will burn the candle throughout Advent.

You need:

A church-style large candle, 51% beeswax, about 2’ tall. Can be found at stjudeshop.com
Drawing implements

Planned read-alouds

The idea:

Read advent and nativity books during Advent: either one story per day in a book of collected Advent stories or separate books.

You need:

A book with a collection of 22-28 Advent stories (here is the one we have); or
22-28 picture books that are Advent-related, about saints whose feast day falls in Advent, or about salvation history. If you choose this option, you might want to wrap them in wrapping paper and number them, opening up one on each day.

Piece-by-piece nativity set

The idea:

Rather than give a little piece of candy in an Advent calendar, each day brings another object or person to add to the nativity scene, starting with the stable/cave and ending with Baby Jesus.

You need:

You can buy a set online that has the requisite number of pieces; or
You can make one yourself out of felt, bringing out one piece each day; or
Your children make their own paper nativity set, coloring a piece every day using free printables online.

____________________

Resources:

Here is a list of good works you might use for your family’s Advent stockings.

Do something nice for someone in secret today.
Look around your room. Is there anything you can give away to the poor?
Do an extra chore today.
Try hard to be cheerful in everything you do today.
Draw a picture of the nativity.
Read about a saint today.
Pray for your priest today. Could you offer up a sacrifice for the Church today?
Pray for an end to abortion today and give away something to moms in need.
Pray for the deceased today. Could you make a sacrifice for the souls in purgatory?
Pray for persecuted Christians today and learn about a country where they do not have freedom of religion.
Pray for people who do not know Jesus. Is there something you could do extra as an offering for them?
Pray for your family today. What can you do to help your family be more like the Holy Family?
Pray a Rosary today.
Pray the Chaplet of Divine mercy.
Do an examination of conscience tonight, and if possible, schedule Confession sometime soon.
Take a meal to someone in need.
Make a card to send to someone who lives far away.
Call or invite someone over who might be lonely.
Read the Nativity story from the Bible.
Make ornaments to send to the nursing home.
Do something for someone else that you normally don’t want to do (such as offer to play a game you know he likes).
Eat all of your food with a good attitude (even if you don’t like it) and be grateful you have it.
Sing a song to baby Jesus or make up a poem for Him.
Act out the nativity or part of the salvation story or do a puppet show.
Give money to the poor. You may do an extra chore and give away any money you earn.
Bake something and give away half.
Write or draw a thank-you card for someone.
Make a gift for your priest or staff at your parish church.
Give away food to the food pantry.
Give away a piece of warm clothing.
Work on memorizing a Bible verse.
Go to morning Mass.
Give up something you like to do or eat today and offer it up as a prayer for someone in need.
Wrap up something you have and give it to someone.

Why We Should Pray With Our Children From an Early Age

By Lisa Mladinich

Hi All!

This is my ten-minute discussion with Matt Swaim on the Son Rise Morning Show, today!

We cover why it’s important to pray with children from an early age, what they learn, and how to help our teens and young adults who have lost their faith. Just the simplest points are discussed, but we could go a lot deeper.

I’d love your comments, suggestions, and questions in the chat!

Here’s where you can order my book, “Heads Bowed: Prayers for Catholic School Days.”

I’m looking forward to your comments!

Blessings,

Lisa Mladinich

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