a gypsy caravan

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas season full of joy and peace.

Love, Rebecca and family

Remaining Days of Advent/Christmas Devotions

Some of you have asked what our family does when Advent is longer than this year's.  There are more days of the Advent devotions that I had hoped to post but I think they will have to wait until next year.   Also, there are Christmas devotions for use with the Advent log for the Twelve Days of Christmas but they will have to wait as well. 

Our family's Christmas Day devotions:

Light your Christmas Candle and enjoy the beauty of its light.

Retell your favorite version of the Christmas Gospel (Luke 2:1-20).

Offer your prayers as a family.

Sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus and enjoy His cake!

SING SING SING :) your favorite Christmas carols!

Have fun!

Advent Devotions, Week Three and Christmas Eve

These devotions are adapted from the book Celebrate While We Wait by Schroeder.

Sunday, Fifteenth Day of Advent

People Who Waited-Noah

How do you feel when it rains outside?  How would you feel if it rained and rained for more than a month?  What if you could not go outside because of the rain?  How would you know the sun was still shining above the rain clouds?

One man who knew these feelings first hand was Noah.  Read the story in Genesis 6:11-22;7:17-24; and 8:6-19.  Noah and his family understood waiting didn't they?  They were able to wait because they trusted God.  They trusted His promise to save them. They believed God was in charge and knew what He was doing.  They were sure of God's love for them.  They knew He would keep His word. 

And He did.  God is faithful to His people.  He keeps His promises.  As Noah discovered, God is certainly worth waiting for!

Prayer:  Thank you God for being faithful to Noah.  Thank You for being faithful to us.  Help us always to trust Your promises.  Give us the patience to wait for Your blessings.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Scripture Readings: Psalm 93, Psalm 98

Sing any Noah songs that your children may know.

In addition: Read Noah's Ark by Peter Spier or another favorite version.

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Monday, Sixteenth Day of Advent

People Who Waited-Moses and the Israelites

Israel's story is much longer than Noah's story.  Noah and his family had to wait through 40 days of rain. Moses and the children of Israel had to wait through 40 years in the desert before God kept a special promise He made to them.

Do you remember the story of how Moses helped the Israelites escape from Egypt where they had been slaves for 400 years? Remember how they made it to safety by crossing the Red Sea, while God held back the water? (Exodus 13:17-14:31).

God wanted to give the people a new country to live in.  But once the people were on their way to the new land, they began to complain and to doubt God and His promises.  Because they broke their promises to trust God, He delayed His promise.  He made them wait 40 years before He led them into their Promised Land.

Did God abandon His people for those 40 years?  No he did not.  God loved His people and took care of them.  When the people could not find water to drink, God gave Moses the power to work miracles and produce water.  When the people were hungry, God sent them miracle food (manna) to eat.  The Israelites were not very good at waiting but God was.

When the 40 years were done, God led the people safely into their new country, just as He promised.  They discovered that God was worth waiting for.

Prayer:  God, thank You for being faithful to Moses and the Israelites.  Thank You for being faithful to us.  Help us always to trust Your promises.  Give us the patience to wait for Your blessings.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Scripture readings: Exodus 15:1-13; Psalm 103

Practice a Christmas carol of your choosing.

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Tuesday, Seventeenth Day of Advent

People Who Waited, Mary and Joseph

Finally, it was just the right time for God to keep His promise!  After all those thousands of years of waiting, God decided it was the right time to keep His most special promise.  He sent an angel to earth to announce that the Messiah, the Promised Savior, would be born.

The angel came to a young woman named Mary. She was the one God had chosen to be the mother of Jesus.  Read what the angel said in Luke 1:26-35.  Talk about what it means to be "full of grace". 

What great news that was!  Can you imagine how Mary must have felt?  Even Mary had to wait, not 40 days like Noah, not 40 years like Moses, but 40 weeks like your own mother when she waited for you to be born. 

Mary had to wait to give birth to Jesus, but in the meantime she rushed off to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  Read Mary's happy song in Luke 1:46-55.  Notice especially, the last line. 

Mary was able to to wait because she trusted God.  She knew He would keep His word.  She was sure of His great love and mercy.  Are you?

Prayer:  God, thank You for being faithful to Mary.  Thank You for being faithful to us.  Help us always to trust Your promises.  Give us the patience to wait for Your blessings.  Help us to celebrate while we wait.  Amen. 

Scripture readings:  Isaiah 7:13-14, I Chronicles 16:8-34

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Wednesday, Eighteenth Day of Advent

Jesus Comes to Us by His Spirit

When Mary's 40 weeks of waiting were finished, Jesus was born, just as God had promised.  Jesus lived His life on earth, died for our sin, rose again in victory and returned to His father in heaven.  That all happened hundreds of years ago.

So Jesus has already come and gone.  And yet. during all these days of Advent, we have been praying "Come Lord Jesus, Come. " Do you know why that is? 

We know that Jesus won't be born again as a baby on Christmas Day.  We know Christmas is the celebration of His long-ago birthday.  But there are other ways Jesus will come again on Christmas. 

One of the ways that Jesus come to us now is by His Spirit.  Before He died, He promised His disciples that He would send His Spirit to comfort them and help them remember and understand His teachings, to keep them in faith and to give them power for sharing the Good News of the forgiveness of sins. 

After Jesus rose from the dead and went to heave, disciples waited and worried.  Then, sure enough, Jesus did send His Spirit to the disciples, just as He had promised.

That same Holy Spirit is with us now.  It is the Holy Spirit who works faith in us, who teaches us the meaning of God's love and forgiveness. It is the Holy Spirit who keeps Jesus' promise "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus, Come.  Come by Your Spirit to live in us all.  Fill our lives with Your love.  Give us the power to share your Good News. Amen.

Songs:  O Holy Spirit Enter In

Scripture Readings: John 14:15-27, 25-27; Acts 2:1-39

Review symbols for the Holy Spirit, wind and fire (Acts 2:1-4) and dove (John 1:29-34).  Discuss how these symbols will be evident at Christmas time (wintry winds, candles, fireplace, tree ornaments, Christmas cards, etc.) Discuss how these symbols can help remind you that Jesus comes to us today by His Spirit.

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Thursday, Nineteenth Day of Advent

Jesus Comes to Us in His Word

Jesus said, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Mark 13:31)

"The next sabbath, almost the whole city gathered together to hear the Word of God...and the Word of the Lord spread throughout all the region." (Acts 13:23-49)

Jesus comes to us today, on Christmas and forever through His Word.  Whenever we read and study the Bible, hear God's Word taught at Mass, speak it to one another and share the Good New (like right now) Jesus is right here with us.

Before He died, Jesus told His disciples, "If a man loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23).  That is a wonderful promise isn't it?

And we know God keeps His promises.  God keeps His Word.

Prayer:  Come Lord Jesus, Come.  Come to us through Your Word and make Your home with us.  Help us to treasure Your Word and share the Good News of our salvation.  Amen.

Scripture readings: John 15:3-11; Psalm 130, Revelation 22:6-9

Songs: Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet

Jesus Loves Me this I Know

include this verse:

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled.

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

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Friday, Twentieth Day of Advent

Jesus Comes to Us in the Sacraments

Here we are still waiting for Christmas, waiting to celebrate Jesus' coming long ago and waiting for Jesus to come today.

Review the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.  Talk about how what we see (water) (bread and wine)is not necessarily what is there(brand new white soul washed clean) (Body and Blood of Jesus).  Do you wonder how we know that the action we don't see is really happening?   How do we know that by His Spirit, Jesus is really coming to us in the sacraments? 

We simply have to take His Word for it.  We simply go on trusting that God always will be as He always has been, the God who keeps His promises and blesses His people with His love. 

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus, come.  Come to us through Your Sacraments.  Give us the faith to believe Your words of promise and trust in Your forgiveness.  Thank you for claiming us and keeping us in Your family. Amen.

Scripture readings: Galatians 3:26-29, Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Practice a Christmas Carol of your choosing

Talk about the history and celebrations of baptisms in your family.  Has everyone been baptized?  When?  Do you celebrate the baptism birthdays?  How?  If not, might you do so in the future?  How might you do it? (special baptism candle, crown to wear, scallop shelled cookies to eat, small gift, special family devotions, etc.)

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Saturday, Twenty-First Day of Advent

Jesus Comes to Us in People

Do you know of one more way that Jesus comes to us today, on Christmas, and every day?  Do you know what it is?

You are it! And so am I.  Jesus comes to us through people.  People read and study and teach His Holy Word.  It is people who are baptized and share in His Eucharist.  It is people through whom Jesus comes to us today.

'Where two or more of you are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)

"I tell you this, anything you did for the least of my brothers, you do for me." (Matthew 25:40)

That's one reason we send Christmas cards and give each other gifts.  When we do that for someone, it is like sending a card or gift to Jesus living in them. 

One last thought--do you ever have to wait for someone in your family?  If you remember that Jesus is coming to you through people, would it make waiting easier?  Would that person be worth waiting for?

Prayer:  Come, Lord Jesus, Come.  Come to us in people.  Teach us to recognize You in people.  Help us love each other as we would love You.  Help us receive each other's love as a gift from You.  Amen.

Scripture reading: Matt.  25:31-46

Practice a Christmas Carol of your choosing

Make some people ornaments if you did not do so on the second day of Advent.

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Christmas Eve, Twenty Second Day of Advent
Jesus Promises to Return

Hurray! Tomorrow is the day!  After all this waiting, Christmas is almost here.  Soon we'll be giving and opening gifts, singing those favorite carols and enjoying special treats.  Our waiting is almost over!

Or is it?  When Christmas is said and done, will there be anything else to wait for?

The answer of course is yes!  We have another special promise from God for which we wait.  It is a promise Jesus made before He returned to His Father in heaven. 

Jesus promised, "I go to prepare a place for you...I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:2-3).

That's quite a promise. A promise of eternal life.  It's a promise of glory and joy far beyond anything we can imagine.  St. John wrote a whole book just trying to describe a vision he had seen of what the return of Jesus would be like.

Jesus Himself also talked about returning to Earth with power and glory.  And then He explained, " The King will say, 'Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" (Matthew 25:34).

Imagine that!  We think we've been waiting a long time--God's been waiting for us since the beginning of the world!  And one of these days He'll come back--the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ruler of heaven and earth, in great beauty, splendor and power--and simply say, "Come home."

Now that's worth waiting for, isn't it?

Prayer:Come Lord Jesus, Come.

Scripture Readings: Matthew 25:31, John 14

Songs: The King of Glory

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Silent Night

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Merry Christmas! :)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea

The ever-creative Alice at Cottage Blessings has put together a lovely tea for Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day.  Do stop and take a look at her delicious ideas!

Advent Copywork and Coloring Pages

Katherine from A Living Education has posted some wonderful Advent coloring and copywork.  Thank you for this great resource!

Magnolia Cul-de-Sac

Have you stopped by Tracy's blog?  She has some lovely Advent traditions including her family's rendition of the Advent log.  I really like the forest green candles and the pine boughs. It is so exciting for me to see how everyone makes them unique and special for their own families!

Just a Reminder…

For those of you who will be following the Advent devotions for Week Two starting tomorrow, you will want to make your symbol cookies today or tomorrow before tomorrow's devotion time (we do ours in the evening).  You can use any recipe for roll out dough, even store-bought sugar cookie dough if you are in a pinch. 

Here is the recipe and patterns that we use.   I also want to mention that Rycraft has cookie presses of the lamb, star of David and sun that could be used year after year. 

Recent Advent Log Photo

I had promised to post a more recent photo of our Advent Log once I had our set up again for this season.  Here is a more recent shot prior to lighting the first candle on Sunday. 

As you can see, the log does not really show beneath the evergreen roping so it feasibly could be made out of whatever you'd like so long as it has twenty nine holes for the longest possible Advent.

Advent Devotions Week Two

This week of Advent devotions will center around the symbols of the Promised Messiah.  Our family bakes cookies in the shapes for each day of the week.  Bake your cookies all at once and store them in a tin for the week.  Here is our recipe and cookie patterns but you can even use pre-made sugar cookie dough in a pinch(or do no cookies at all if it is not possible for you).  These ideas and prayers are taken from the book Celebrate While We Wait by Schroeder (OOP).

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Sunday, Day Eight- A Crown

Light your Advent candle on your log or wreath.

While the people of Israel waited for a Messiah, they had much time to think about what He would be like.  God had given them messages through His prophets as to what the Messiah would be like. 

One of the most popular ideas about the coming Messiah was that He would be a great and powerful king.  The Israelites thought that He would physically rule over their own country.  They wanted to be a great nation who was respected and admired by other countries. 

The people of Israel had good kings to rule over them for s while.  One of those kings was David.  David knew he was not the special king God had promised the Israelites.   David wrote in Psalm 24:9-10, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!"

The prophet Jeremiah wrote, " Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.  And this is the name by which He will be called.  'The Lord is Our Righteousness.' " (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

A good symbol or picture to remind us of these kingly ideas about the promised Messiah is a crown.  When you eat your crown shaped cookie, or see a crown shaped Christmas ornament, you can think about Jesus who was born to be our King.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, Come.  Come and rule our hearts.  Come and crown our lives with Your love.  Amen.

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 28:1-6; Zechariah 9:9-16

Songs: King of Glory, Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Serve each member of the family a crown shaped cookie.  Make paper or foil crowns if you'd like.

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Monday, Day Nine- A Flower

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

The people of Israel had, at times in their history, their own government.  Other times, Abraham's nation did not have a land or government of their own.  For 40 years, the people wandered in the desert until God gave them the land of Canaan.  Many years later, they were forced to live in exile (which means they had been captured and taken from their land. They had to live among enemies. )

Imagine how God's people felt during that time.  They were sad and lonely.  They prayed to God to rescue them by sending His promised Messiah.  In the song "O come O come Emmanuel", some of the people's feelings and thoughts are brought to light.  Even in the desert, in exile, the people of Israel had God's promises and His prophets to comfort them.  They had hope.  Some of the promises told of new life, growth and blooming for God's people when the Messiah would come. 

The prophet Hosea wrote, "I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for My anger has turned from them.  I will be as the dew to Israel;he shall blossom as the lily...they shall flourish as a garden..." (Hosea 14:4-7)

Isaiah wrote, "in days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit" (Isaiah 27:6)

"The desert shall rejoice and blossom;like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly...They shall see the glory of the Lord...He will come and save you" (Isaiah 35:1-4)

For a symbol today, let us use a flower to remind us of God's promises.

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus, Come.  Come and rescue us from the desert of our sin.  Forgive us. Help us grow and bloom in Your love.  Amen.

Songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel, A Christmas carol of your choosing to practice and learn

Scripture Readings: Matthew 1:18-23, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 40:3-8

Serve a flower cookie to each member of your family. Make a flower shaped ornament.  Discuss the possibility of having a special floral centerpiece or blooming plant in your home for Christmas.

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Tuesday, Day Ten- A Scepter

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

On Sunday, we talked about a king and used a crown to remind us of those ideas.  Another symbol for a king is a scepter.  It is a very special rod often made of precious metal and jewels.  A scepter stands for power and authority.  Usually the person who holds the scepter is the one who rules the country. 

The people of Israel longed for some powerful leader to come and give them victory over their enemies.  They needed someone with power to give them victory over death, just as we do.

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (Genesis 49:10).  "I see Him, nut not now, I behold Him, but not nigh...A scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17)

In telling about the Promised One who would come as the scepter holder, Isaiah said: "To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called 'Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.' Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and for evermore" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Those are powerful names for a tiny baby, aren't they?  One of God's big surprises was the sending of a tiny baby named Jesus to be the Messiah, the scepter holder.  He turned out to be a king indeed, but a different kind of King than was expected by God's people.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, Come.  Rule our hearts and lives with Your love.  Give us victory over death.  Amen.

Songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel, Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Serve a scepter shaped cookie to your family.  Make scepter ornaments if you'd like.

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Day Eleven, Wednesday- A Rising Sun

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

How do you feel when you are in darkness? How do you feel when you are alone in the dark?  Would you want to be driving at night along a country road with no streetlights and have your car's headlights go out?  What would you do?

The Bible often uses darkness and night as symbols to help explain how it feels to be lost from God because of our sin.  What do you need most if you are lost in the dark?  Why, light of course!

As the people of Israel waited for the Messiah, they sometimes thought of Him as a great light, like the sunrise. 

"For you who fear My name the sun of righteousness shall rise." (Malachi 4:2)

Isaiah wrote: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples;but the Lord will arise upon you and His glory will be seen upon you.  And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world;he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

A sunrise is another good symbol for the Messiah.  It reminds us of God's promises and gives meaning to this prayer and hymn verse:

O come, Thou Day-spring from on high,

and cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, come. Brighten our lives with Your love.  Lead us through the darkness of death to a new day of life with You.  Amen.

Songs: O Come O Come, Emmanuel, Beautiful Savior

Scripture Readings: John 1:1-13, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 2:22-32, Isaiah 60: 19-22

Serve a sunrise shaped cookie to your family members.  Review the meaning of the candles on your Advent log or wreath.  Comment on the increasing brightness of the candlelight as we approach Christmas. Make sunrise shaped ornaments, if you'd like, to save for your Christmas tree.

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Day Twelve, Thursday- A Key

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

What does it feel like to come home and realize that you don't have a house key and the door is locked?  Have you ever been locked out of your car? 

A key is a most important tool. With the right key, no one can lock you out of somewhere that you want to be or lock you out of a place where you have the right to be. 

A key is a good symbol to help explain the meaning of the promised Messiah. 

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were locked out of His garden and sent away.  Ever since then, we and all people would have been locked out of God's kingdom due to original sin except that God had a special plan.

His plan was to unlock Heaven and bring us home to Him.  The key to open heaven for us is the Promised One, Jesus.  By dying for our sins, Jesus made sure that the door to God's kingdom can be open for us. 

Whenever we use a key, or eat an Advent cookie shaped like a key, we can remember the verse in Revelation 3:7-8.  "The words of the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.  I know our works.  Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut."

And we think of this verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:

O Come, Thou Key of David, come

and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high

and close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, Come.  Unlock our ears to hear Your Word.  Unlock our hearts to believe and trust Your promises.  Open wide our heavenly home and lead us safely there.  Amen.

Song: O Come O Come Emmanuel

A Christmas carol of your choosing to practice and learn

Scripture Readings: John 14:1-6, Revelation 4, Hebrews 12:19-23

Serve an key shaped Advent cookie and review its symbolism. Make key shaped ornaments for your Christmas tree.

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Day Thirteen, Friday-A Star

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

There are many nursery rhymes and songs that have to do with stars.  Can you name some? (Star light star bright, Twinkle Twinkle, Catch a Falling Star, etc.)  Why do people find stars to be so very interesting that we can sit outside an gaze at them for hours?

Stars may get so much attention because they are so far away and mysterious.  In one of the hints God gave the Israelites about the Promised Messiah, He mentioned a star.  The prophet Balaam said, "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh; a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel." Numbers 24:17

While these people waited for the Messiah, He may have seemed somewhat like a star, very far off and mysterious.  He was a bright spot in their futures but was very far away. 

Jesus said, " I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star," Revelation 22:16.  He was no longer far away and mysterious.  He came and lived among His people.  He loved them, taught them and preached to them. 

We do not need to say to the Star of Jacob, "How I wonder what You are" because we know. 

He is God's only begotten Son. 

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus, Come.  Come near to us so we can see clearly who You are.  Give us the faith to believe in You now and forevermore. Amen.

Scripture Readings: 2 Peter 1:16-19, Psalm 57

Songs: How Lovely Shines the Morning Star and a Christmas carol of your choosing to practice and learn.

Serve each member of the family a star shaped Advent cookie.  Make star shaped ornaments for your tree.

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Day Fourteen, Saturday-A Lamb

Light your candle on your log or wreath.

Review the six different symbols of the Messiah from Old Testament prophecy.  The most important idea or symbol came from the prophet Isaiah. 

Isaiah described a special servant of the Lord who would suffer and die for the sin of the people.  "Like a lamb that is led to slaughter," Isaiah said.  "It was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief; when He makes Himself an offering for sin, He shall...make many to be accounted righteous." (Isaiah 53:7, 10-11)

God had required the Jewish people to make sacrifices as part of their worship-- to show sorrow for their sins, to pray for God's mercy or to celebrate thanksgiving and praise. 

But the idea of God providing the sacrifice himself--His Son Jesus--to take away the guilt of our sin was a very new idea.  When St. John the Baptist recognized Jesus he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

Because Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sin and rose again in victory over sin, we can share the apostle John's vision of the Lamb of God, sitting in bright glory on His throne in heaven. 

Prayer: Come, Lamb of God, come. Come and teach us the meaning of Your sacrifice.  Help us believe that it was for us that You died.  Help us trust Your promise of a new life.  Amen.

Songs: Crown Him with Many Crowns, A Christmas carol of your choosing to practice and learn.

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Exodus 12:21-32, Revelation 5:6-14

Serve each member of the family a lamb shaped Advent cookie.  Make lamb shaped ornaments to save for your Christmas tree.

Advent Devotions- Week One

I have been wanting to organize our family's Advent devotions for years.  Those of you who asked what devotions we use with our Advent log have helped me to get organized.  :)

We use a combination of several books.  One, "Celebrate While We Wait" by Schroeder is, sadly, out of print.  Many of the prayers, Scripture readings and daily topics listed below come from that book.  We also have used prayers and ideas from "Celebrating Advent and Christmas", a Women for Faith and Family publication.  I also glean much from "The Year and Our Children" by Mary Reed Newland (also OOP) and "A Book of Feasts and Seasons" by Joanna Bogle.

I want to stress that this is what my family does.  Obviously, the following text does not carry an imprimatur or nihil obstat.  It is most certainly lacking in areas but it works for us.  Know that I share it because our family has thoroughly enjoyed these devotions but that we are always searching for ways to make the Advent season richer.

Each evening, we light a candle on our Advent log and do the following devotions, which I will be posting one week at a time over the next ten days or so.   

First Week

Sunday-First Day of Advent (Stir Up Sunday)

What exactly is Advent?

Advent is the liturgical season of the Church year that comes just before Christmas. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival”. Who is coming? What exactly are we waiting for?

Advent is four weeks of waiting for Christmas to come. It is a time for us to remember how people thousands of years ago waited for the Savior to be born.

Catholic families often use and Advent wreath or Advent log to keep track of the days in this special season. In our wreaths or logs, we place candles that are lit each week (wreath) or day (log). The candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. He lights our lives with his Love.

Advent is also a time to remember why Jesus came to this world. It is a time to think about the ways that we are unfaithful to God and to be sorry for our sins. We are thankful that God forgives our sins and loves us so very much. Remembering our sins and feeling sorry for them is called penitence. The color violet is a symbol of penitence. The candles on the Advent log or wreath are usually violet as are the priests garments during Advent. Because Jesus came to forgive our sins, we will live forever with Him in heaven. You can decorate your advent wreath or log with evergreens, either real or artificial, to symbolize eternal life.

Now you know what Advent is, a time to wait for Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

Prayer:

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 Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

(Many families use “Stir Up Sunday” to begin to “stir up” the fruits of the baking season. Here is a delicious, (not heavy) recipe for White fruitcake, which, if made early in Advent, will keep in a tin for Christmas)

Bible readings:

Isaiah 56:1, 59:19-21

Songs (The Von Trapp Family Blog has two great posts on Advent hymns:

O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Action: Turn out all the lights in your home and light the first candle on your wreath or log. Talk about the symbolism with your family.

Blessing of the Advent Log/Wreath:

Father: Our help is in the Lord.

All: Who hath made Heaven and Earth

Father: Let us Pray. O God, by whose word 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.

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First Week

Monday Second Day of Advent

We are part of a Family.

We all have families that love us. God has blessed us with a mother and a father, sisters and brothers. But Advent reminds us that we are also in God’s family. As we wait for Christmas to come, we remember that God the Father promised to send His Son to be our Brother. God always keeps his promises. Jesus made it possible for us to be in God’s family by joining our human family when he came to earth as a little baby.

If Jesus is my brother and your brother, and if God is your father and my father, then we are all related, in the same family.  This big family of Christians is called the Church. So while we are waiting together as a family for Christmas to come, we are also waiting together with the whole Church family of Christians around the world.

Our own family, in our home is important. What are some things that families do together? Are we a family who cares about each other? Do we pray for each other, worship together and learn together? Lets practice being that kind of family during the time of Advent. Lets get our hearts ready for Jesus’ arrival by being kind to the family God has given us.

Prayer:

Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Come into our home. Come into our hearts. Light up out lives with your love. Teach us how to love each other. Amen.

Bible readings:

Ephesians 1:3-10, 4:1-6

Songs:

O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Christmas Song of your choosing to practice learning

To Do:

Maybe your family would like to make Christmas ornaments of yourselves and your relatives and friends to hang on your tree. You can take old photos and fashion simple ornaments to hang from the branches of your tree.

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Week One

Day Three Tuesday

Waiting

Waiting can be hard. What makes waiting for anything-or anyone-- hard to do? Why are we impatient?

Can you name some “instant” things that we are accustomed to? (make your own list)

What are some things for which we must wait (besides Christmas) ? Are any of those things worth waiting for? Why or why not?

Before God the Father sent His Son to Earth, He waited. (Hundreds and thousands of years.) While He waited, His people did too. Sometimes they were impatient. Sometimes they did not believe that God would keep His promise.

Did God keep His promise? Yes, He did. While His people waited, they learned a lot about themselves and God. They learned how to wait.

Now, we are waiting too. What can we learn about ourselves while we wait? What can we learn about God? What can we learn about waiting? There are some clues in these bible verses:

I waited patiently for the Lord; He…heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1)

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. For You, I wait all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

The Lord is the everlasting God…He does not faint or grow weary….They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28, 31)

Prayer:

God, forgive us for being impatient with You. Teach us to wait for Your blessings. Teach us to trust in your everyday love. Come Lord Jesus, Come. Amen.

Songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Christmas song of your choosing

Bible Readings: Psalm 62

Isaiah 25:6-9

Isaiah 30:18

To do: Practice waiting your turn to speak when others are talking. Put yourself last in line to receive dinner or dessert. Try to wait patiently while your brother or sister plays with your toys.

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Week One

Day Four Wednesday

What Are We Waiting For?

Whose birthday are we celebrating on Christmas day? The word Christmas means Christ’s Mass. It is the birthday of Jesus, the Son of God and second person of the Blessed Trinity. Christmas is a birthday party, a very special birthday party.

But, how can we have a birthday party for someone who isn’t here?

Let’s think about birthday parties. What do we celebrate at a birthday party?

Is it the date we celebrate? No, not really. It is the person we celebrate, isn’t it? A birthday party celebrates that someone is, that someone is special, that someone is here , with us now.

Jesus still is. He’s certainly special and He is here with us now. He is in the hearts and lives of all those who love Him and believe in Him. So we can have a birthday party for Jesus by having a party with each other on Christmas Day.

That’s one reason we exchange Christmas presents. In a way, it is like giving presents to Jesus. The gifts also remind us of the great gift God gave us when He sent Jesus to live and die and rise again for us.

As we wait for Christmas, let us remember what we are waiting for, who we are waiting for. We are waiting to give a party for Jesus, not for ourselves. We’re waiting to celebrate once more God’s most special gift to us--his Son, our Savior. Let us show our love for Jesus by treating one another kindly, with charity, throughout the Advent season. That will be the best gift of all for the Christ Child on Christmas day.

Prayer:

Thank you God for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thanks you for giving us time to celebrate His birthday. Be in our hearts and bless us. Help us to be good gifts to each other. Amen.

Bible Readings: Matthew 25:31-40, Colossians3:14-17

Songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Christmas Song of your choosing

To do: Discuss your plans for Jesus’ birthday party. Will you have a birthday cake? What flavor cake and icing? Will you have decorations? Will ou have a gift? For whom?

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Week One

Day Five Thursday

Why Jesus Had to Come

Last evening, we talked about Christmas being a very special Feast day, the Birthday of Our Lord. We have not talked about WHY Jesus was born.

Do you know why? Why did God’s Son Jesus come to earth as a little baby, to live like people, like us? We call Jesus our Savior. From what did we need to be saved?

Let us look back to the beginning of time, when God made the world and all that is in it. He made a man and a woman, Adam and Eve, to be His special friends, to love Him. He wanted them to enjoy the world He had made and to live as His friends.

God gave Adam and Eve some very specific rules to follow. But they did not follow them. They wanted to live and do things their own way. God told them that because they had ruined their friendship with Him and sinned, they would die. He sent them away, out of the beautiful garden that He had made for them.

But Adam and Eve were very sorry. They needed to be saved. They needed to be saved from death and restore their friendship with God. What could they do?

Ever since that time, people have all had the same problem. None of us can fix the mess that Adam and Eve made by disobeying God. We all want to do things our own way from time to time. We do selfish things that spoil our friendship with God. And we all face the problem of death.

Think about yourself. Think of some of the ways you might have made God or other people sad. Do you see why you need a Savior? Are you beginning to see why Jesus the Savior was born? We’ll talk some more about “why” tomorrow night.

Prayer:

Come Lord Jesus, Come. We need you to save us from death. Help us always to be God’s friends and to obey Him.

Bible Readings: Genesis 3

Romans 3:10-24

Songs: Amazing Grace

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Christmas song of your choosing

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Week One

Friday Sixth Day of Advent

God’s Special Plan and Promise

Remember how God was angry when Adam and Eve sinned by ignoring His rules and doing things their way? He sent the people out of the Garden of Eden and warned them that they had brought death into the world. But while God was angry, He still loved His people. He did not knock them down dead on the spot. He let them live a long time and have families. He helped them fashion clothes before making them leave the garden.

But most important, God had a saving plan for those people and for all people. He did not tell people the plan right away. He did not make it happen right away. He took His time. While He was waiting, God gave his people hints about His plan. He gave them promises like the one He gave his friend Abraham.

God told Abraham that he and his son and their sons would be the beginning of a big nation of people. From that nation would come a most special blessing for the whole world. What nation of people was Jesus born into? The nation of Israel, Abraham’s people.

Through some other special people,called prophets, God told more of His plan and made more promises, like when Isaiah announced:

“ But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, My friend, …fear not for I am with you…I am your God…I will help you, says the Lord. Your Redemer is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:8, 10, 14)

God’s plan was for Jesus to be born as the Holy One of Israel, because of His great love for His people. Just how Jesus became our Savior, we’ll talk about tomorrow.

Prayer:

Thank you God, for loving us. Thank You for planning to save us from the curse of death. Help us to always believe Your promises. Come, Lord Jesus Redeemer, come. Amen.

Songs:

O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Christmas song of your choosing

Scripture Readings: Genesis 12:1-9, Jeremiah 31: 31-34

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Week One

Seventh Day of Advent Saturday

How God Kept His Promise

Many many years after Abraham died, when God decided the time was just right, He carried out His special plan. He sent His own Son Jesus to earth to be our Redeemer, just as He had promised. Take some time to read the story of Jesus’ birth, the Christmas story in Luke 1:26-35 and Luke 2:1-11 this evening.

After those many years of waiting, there He was, the Savior of the world, a tiny little baby without a bed. What a surprise! And what good news! Can you think of any better good news in the whole world?

But God’s plan wasn’t finished yet. He did not save us from the curse of our sin just by being born. That was only the beginning.

Jesus grew up and lived a full life, the way God His Father wanted life to be lived. Jesus cared for people, healed tham and taught them about the Father’s love and His plan to forgive them. Then He died, but not becaue He had broken God’s law or done anything wrong. Jesus died on purpose, to take our death curse for us and to conquer it. God gave Jesus the power to win over death by coming alive again.

Now the curse of death is broken. Our body will still die someday but our soul will live on.  If we live our life knowing, loving and serving God, with God's grace we will live with Him forever in Heaven.  That is God’s plan and promise for us. And that is what makes Christmas such a happy celebration!

Prayer: Thank you God for sending Jesus to break the curse of death for us. For his sake, forgive all our sins. Keep us safe in Your love that we may be Your friends forever. Amen.

Songs: O Come O Come Emmanuel

The King of Glory

Christmas song of your choosing

Scripture Readings: Romans 5:6-6:4, John 3:16

In addition: Personalize John 3:16 by adding your own name as you read it aloud. Repeat for each family member. “For God so loved ____that He gave His only begotten Son, that if ____ believes in Him, ____will not perish but will have everlasting life. “

To Do: Take time this week to go to Confession, to cleanse your soul for the coming of the Christ Child.

You will need to prepare sugar cookie dough for the upcoming Advent week.  Each person will have one cookie per person, per day.  In my family that is five cookie eaters x seven days=35 cookies.  The cookies should be cut into the following shapes: Crown, Rose, Scepter, Sun, Key, Star of David, Lamb.  Perhaps you can find cutters or do them free hand.  Make whatever amount of cookie dough that your family needs.  After the cookies are cut and baked, store them carefully in a tin for the upcoming week.  Starting tomorrow (Sunday, Day Eight thru Saturday, Day Fourteen) you will be eating the cookies while learning how these symbols apply to the coming of Christ.  Here are the cookie patterns and recipe.

Homemade Gifts

Our family has been busy preparing gifts to give as Christmas gifts.  I am not a very crafty person, though I can knit and make some other simple items.   We not only share gifts within our family, but also have two other gift exchanges with our extended families.  That means 6 people x 2 gift exchanges=12 additional gifts.  I have been making scarves for some of the family members this past week.

This one was knit using three different types of yarn, an eyelash, a boucle and a ribbon type.  Knit together, it makes a soft, fuzzy, very touchable scarf.

Below is another that I am making for a teenage cousin.  She likes funky looking things so I made hers in a brown eyelash, bright pink worsted weight wool and a bumbly ribbon of mixed colors.  While I am done with the knitting, I plan to add some pompoms at the end, where the fringe goes, for a fun effect.

I am also making some booties and other baby items.  Here is one, made in a variegated cotton of dark and light pinks, white and lavender.  Its mate is not yet finished.

Here is yarn for my next project, another scarf.  I like the soft purples and pinks.

I am fond of making these decoupage vases.  They are really very simple.  I choose colors and patterns from home decorating catalogs.  I cut out triangles of color from the pages and dip them in white glue and a bit of water.  Then, I smooth the triangles on a glass vase.  After drying, the vases can be displayed alone or with flowers inside.  They make a nice gift and can be made to match any decor. 

Ben likes to make rosaries and sacrifice beads.  He makes many different styles with various crucifixes and bead colors. 

We will be busy in the upcoming weeks, preparing more gifts for Christmas.  Our immediate family also has a tradition in which we draw a name among ourselves.  During the twelve days after Christmas, we do small acts of kindness for the person we chose and also give them a handmade gift on Epiphany.  My kids are up to their ears in my scarves (literally and figuratively)  so that means I will have to glean some new ideas from other creative moms who are participating in the Loveliness of Handmade Gifts!  Thank you, Dawn, for hosting!

Advent Log, Part 2

Many of you asked for more information about the Advent log.  Since I was able to retrieve my log  from our crawl space in the eaves this morning, I was able to take a closer photo of the holes, for any of you who are planning to make one for your family in the upcoming weeks.  Mine has been used for many years and is covered with wax drippings, which does not matter as the log is surrounded by evergreens anyhow.  Speaking of the wax drippings, it is a good idea to place the log on a sheet of waxed paper when setting it up for use in your home.  You will not be able to see the paper (evergreens again) but it will keep your mantel or surface from being marred with wax drippings. 

The log is drilled at even intervals with a large drill bit on a drill press.  I do not think a hand drill would work on this job.  I have a total of 29 holes in my log and it is approximately four feet long.  The holes are about 1 1/2 inches deep.  The holes must be large enough to fit the base of a standard taper candle without being too large.  (This is essential.  It is better to have a hole that is slightly too small and have to shave off a tiny bit of the bottom of the candle than to have a hole that is too large, thus making the candle wobbly and unstable.)   Before drilling, you must choose a log that will not roll when on a flat surface.  Keep in mind that it will be setting on your mantel or piano or wherever else you choose to place it.  It will have tall candles placed in it so it is VERY important that the log be stable and secure when laying on its base. 

The beauty of the log is not so very important because you can cover it with evergreens, either real or artificial.  Do not worry if the log you choose has funny knotholes or irregular patterns in the bark.  You can choose a type of wood you like from a tree that has fallen or one that you fell yourself.  I happened to choose the white birch because I love its peeling bark and pretty color. I suppose that a commerical piece of lumber drilled with the appropriate number of holes would work as well, especially if it is stained and varnished attractively. 

I will be posting our family's Advent devotions, one week at a time in the upcoming days.  These are large posts, with devotional material, daily bible readings, songs, prayers, recipes and a few activity suggestions.  Please bear with me while I compile them into a readable format, rather than scattered throughout several different books and photocopies that my family uses each Advent season.   This is a large undertaking but it will help me to have everything in one place, as well as allow me to share it with you.  Anyhow, I hope to have Week One posted on Monday. 

The Advent Log

The tradition of the Advent log is similar to that of the Advent wreath.  It is a means of counting the days until Christmas in anticipation of the birth of our Savior.  Ours is a birch log, approximately 4 feet in length.  It contains a candle hole for each day of Advent, plus one for the Christmas holy day itself.  Some years, when the Advent season is long (like last year), each candle hole is used.  This year, because Advent begins on Dec. 3, many of the holes will remain unused.

The log was lovingly drilled by my father (may he rest in peace) who helped fell the tree from which it came.  I wanted a white birch because its bark is so beautiful against the greens of the season.  My father's friend just happened to have a birch tree in his yard that was dying and was happy to have it removed. 

Traditionally, families use purple and pink candles for the Advent log, similar to the candle coloring of Advent wreaths.   Our family uses all burgandy colored candles with one white candle for Christmas day, for no other reason except that we like those colors.  We use 12 inch taper candles which are just the right length for about a 15 minutes nightly devotion for each night of Advent.  If you are nervous that you might run out of candle (by burning too quickly) by Christmas day, you can purchase 15 inch candles from various Catholic supply stores.  I decorate the area around the log with greens and red wooden cranberry beads. 

The candles are lit every evening.  On the first night of Advent, we light the far left candle.  It is by far my favorite night of the season!  We turn off all the lights in the house and light that single candle.  We read about Christ being the Light of the World and sing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel".  That tiny flame gives such a bright light in the darkness. 

As Advent progresses and Christmas draws near, the light becomes brighter in the room with each candle that is lit.  We light the candles in an alternating pattern, switching sides of the log each evening.  This pattern ensures that the candles will have a cascading effect with the tallest candle being the center one on Christmas day.

The Christmas candle is very special.  It is pure white, symbolizing God's holiness.  Each year's new Christmas candle is lit by the youngest in the house (with Dad's help) using the Christmas candle from the previous year. 

On Christmas Day, we leave the candles burning for a long time while we sing, open presents and celebrate.  The Advent log is used for the twelve days after Christmas as well, ending on Epiphany when it is taken down for the season.

During each evening of Advent, we read from the Scripture, have a devotion together, pray and sing some carols in preparation for Christmas.  I will post more about the devotions and practices that go along with the Advent log another time. 

The photo that I have posted of our log is of very poor quality.  It was taken in our apartment, early in our marriage when we kept the log on our mantel.  In this home, we display it on top of our piano.  You can see by the number of candles lit in the photo that it was taken on Christmas Eve, as the only candle unlit is the white Christmas candle.  I have a more recent photograph that I cannot locate.  I will try to update the picture when I can. 

The Christ Child and the Manger

In the upcoming weeks, I'd like to share some of our family's Advent and Christmas traditions.  One of my favorites centers around the Christ Child and His manger.

On the first day of Advent, an empty manger is set out in a prominent place in our living room.  Nearby is a basket containing soft bedding of hay, straw or paper Easter grass (in a natural color).  Throughout the Advent season, the children can place a piece of hay in the manger when they have done an act of kindness, made a sacrifice for others or said a prayer for someone in need. 

As the Advent season progresses, it is fun to see the children reminding one another to do kind things so they can make a soft bed for the Christ child's arrival.  The spirit is jovial and encouraging as they spur one another to be good. 

On Christmas Eve, the bed is made, filled with all their love and prayers for others in the form of hay.  They go to bed, awaiting His arrival (and OK, the presents too!).  On Christmas morning,  He has come!  We place his manger on our dining room table in the center of the feast.  Our statue of the Baby Jesus is almost life sized.  The little ones really take to Him, since He is the size of a real baby, kissing His little fingers and touching His head.   

This tradition is special to our family because it is a tangible way during Advent to show our love for others and, therefore, for Him.  The manger and Baby are on display until Epiphany, the day that we celebrate the Adoration of the Magi.  The statue remains, during the Christmas season, as a reminder of the real Christ child, born some 2000 years ago, who still fills our hearts and families with His love.