Ideas for Celebrating Saints in the Season of Advent
Karen Berry, OSF
With December comes the season of hope, expectation, and peace. At least we hope that is the kind of season it will be! So much in our world is not peaceful, and so much of December’s excitement is commercial. This makes us want to find in our Church the messages and celebrations that give life meaning. We want this for ourselves and for our children. Therefore, this Advent let us teach our children to prepare for Christmas with a faith-filled focus.
Saint Nicholas, December 6
Explore the spirit of giving to take the children’s focus off receiving. While they wait for Santa Claus to come, teach them about the real person behind today’s mythic image. When telling the story of Saint Nicholas, emphasize his generous gestures that eased the suffering of people in need. Help children to see the difference between needs and desires as they learn about whom Saint Nicholas helped and why.
Let them create images of a “Santa Claus” for our time. Who would this person be helping and how? Encourage children to re-work their Christmas wish lists to include real needs and to eliminate anything extravagant. What are some spiritual gifts they could request from God through the spirit of Saint Nicholas?
More information on Saint Nicholas.
Saint John the Baptist in the Advent Gospels, December 7 and 14
On the Second and Third Sundays of Advent, John the Baptist (Feast Day, June 24) is presented as a messenger and a witness. The message he brings is about repentance as a way to prepare for Jesus’ coming. He says we need to straighten up our crooked ways so Jesus can open us to receive the Spirit. The witness he gives is that Jesus is greater than John and is the one God promised to send. In his humility, John is able to be an instrument God can use to make a great revelation. From the story of John, children can learn the importance of being sorry and being humble.
Discuss some “crooked ways” the children might want to straighten. What are their recent experiences of messing up, getting off track, heading the wrong way? Let them symbolize correcting these things by drawing straight roads, creating blooms on a desert path, making “I’m sorry” signs, etc. Have them make other signs that point the way to a distant figure labeled “Jesus.” Make this a movable figure who draws closer on the road as Christmas approaches.
More information about Saint John the Baptist.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12
The vision and miraculous experience of Juan Diego in Mexico touches the hearts of many today. The pregnant mother of Jesus, in this vision, has a message of hope for poor, simple people today whose faith keeps them strong when life gets hard.
Children love to act out the story of Juan Diego’s vision and his cloak filled with roses. Teach them through his experience that the mother of Jesus loves them, too, that God sees everything that is happening in their lives, that no one is unimportant, and that beautiful things do happen when we believe.
More information on Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Incorporate the children’s projects about Saint Nicholas, Saint John the Baptist and Our Lady of Guadalupe into Advent prayer services so the children will have an opportunity to connect their learning experiences with prayer. By leading children through Advent using themes of giving, repenting, witnessing, and believing, we are attempting to turn their focus from selfishness to sharing, from thoughtlessness to caring. We are giving them our faith stories so they can build peaceful lives on strong foundations of hope and love.
Important Note:
Some TLC articles provide links to other websites solely for the user’s convenience and reference. By providing these links, OCP assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse these websites, their content, their links, or their sponsoring organizations.
Sister Karen Berry, a Joliet Franciscan, is the director of a family program of religious education at Saint Frances Cabrini Parish in Tucson, Arizona. She is a freelance writer for Catholic magazines and the Diocese of Tucson’s newspaper. She has recently published a book, Prayer Services for Parishes, (tinyurl.com/5mzg6x) published by St. Anthony Press.
Saint Nicholas, December 6
Explore the spirit of giving to take the children’s focus off receiving. While they wait for Santa Claus to come, teach them about the real person behind today’s mythic image. When telling the story of Saint Nicholas, emphasize his generous gestures that eased the suffering of people in need. Help children to see the difference between needs and desires as they learn about whom Saint Nicholas helped and why.
Let them create images of a “Santa Claus” for our time. Who would this person be helping and how? Encourage children to re-work their Christmas wish lists to include real needs and to eliminate anything extravagant. What are some spiritual gifts they could request from God through the spirit of Saint Nicholas?
More information on Saint Nicholas.
Saint John the Baptist in the Advent Gospels, December 7 and 14
On the Second and Third Sundays of Advent, John the Baptist (Feast Day, June 24) is presented as a messenger and a witness. The message he brings is about repentance as a way to prepare for Jesus’ coming. He says we need to straighten up our crooked ways so Jesus can open us to receive the Spirit. The witness he gives is that Jesus is greater than John and is the one God promised to send. In his humility, John is able to be an instrument God can use to make a great revelation. From the story of John, children can learn the importance of being sorry and being humble.
Discuss some “crooked ways” the children might want to straighten. What are their recent experiences of messing up, getting off track, heading the wrong way? Let them symbolize correcting these things by drawing straight roads, creating blooms on a desert path, making “I’m sorry” signs, etc. Have them make other signs that point the way to a distant figure labeled “Jesus.” Make this a movable figure who draws closer on the road as Christmas approaches.
More information about Saint John the Baptist.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12
The vision and miraculous experience of Juan Diego in Mexico touches the hearts of many today. The pregnant mother of Jesus, in this vision, has a message of hope for poor, simple people today whose faith keeps them strong when life gets hard.
Children love to act out the story of Juan Diego’s vision and his cloak filled with roses. Teach them through his experience that the mother of Jesus loves them, too, that God sees everything that is happening in their lives, that no one is unimportant, and that beautiful things do happen when we believe.
More information on Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Incorporate the children’s projects about Saint Nicholas, Saint John the Baptist and Our Lady of Guadalupe into Advent prayer services so the children will have an opportunity to connect their learning experiences with prayer. By leading children through Advent using themes of giving, repenting, witnessing, and believing, we are attempting to turn their focus from selfishness to sharing, from thoughtlessness to caring. We are giving them our faith stories so they can build peaceful lives on strong foundations of hope and love.
Important Note:
Some TLC articles provide links to other websites solely for the user’s convenience and reference. By providing these links, OCP assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse these websites, their content, their links, or their sponsoring organizations.
Sister Karen Berry, a Joliet Franciscan, is the director of a family program of religious education at Saint Frances Cabrini Parish in Tucson, Arizona. She is a freelance writer for Catholic magazines and the Diocese of Tucson’s newspaper. She has recently published a book, Prayer Services for Parishes, (tinyurl.com/5mzg6x) published by St. Anthony Press.
| Title | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Songbook with CD | |||
| 20358 | Come to the Manger | $30.00 | Add to Cart |
Related Year B: Advent / Christmas / Epiphany Articles:
Come to the Manger
Fun, easy-to-learn songs with a variety of styles, rhythms and tempos that can be sung by groups or soloists.
Fun, easy-to-learn songs with a variety of styles, rhythms and tempos that can be sung by groups or soloists.