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JMJ
The season of Advent is a special time set aside by the Church for us to focus on preparing our souls for the coming of Our Lord; His coming at Christmas, but also for us to prepare for His coming at the end of our lives, as well as the end of time
Unfortunately, this time is also filled with holiday preparations and gift giving, and while its not a bad thing to be thinking of others, the focus on shopping and Christmas baking etc can make it difficult to detach from the things of this world.
When
I was in the convent, Advent was a very special time of year. We lived
and breathed the spirit of the Church and we had nothing to distract us
from it. As a result we felt rich; full to bursting at Christmastime.
Each
November, the newest members; the postulants would become a little sad. Perhaps it was their first time they would
be away from home for Christmas. They seemed a little skeptical when they were
told that this would be their best Christmas yet. They would say, “Oh
yes, it would be the best spiritually of course, and yet….”
The novices and professed knew better, of course, and so we would just grin and tell them, “Wait and see!”
Daily
Mass prepared our souls as nothing else can. Conferences were given to
help us in our meditations. Catechism classes during Advent were devoted
to the study of Old Testament history; those 4 thousand years before
the coming of Our Lord.
During
recreation, professed, novices and postulants would be assigned to
groups in order to prepare something special for everyone at Christmas;
the sacristans would work on the Nativity scene for the chapel, another
group would prepare a play, another some songs and decorations for the
refectory. Each group kept their projects secret from the others, which
added to the fun.
When
Christmas came, we were overflowing with the blessings of the Church.
There was Midnight Mass and Lauds, as well as the Day Mass. There were
treats and even a few presents, but they were nothing extravagant; a
notebook, a few pens, new socks, or soap.
Sometimes,
there were fun presents such as a dishcloth with the end of an old plug
sewed on to the corner; the kitchen sister’s automatic dishwasher =)
However,
none of these activities distracted us from the spirit of the liturgy. And every year, with huge smiles, the postulants heartily agreed that, “YES, this had been their BEST Christmas EVER!!!”
We lived the season of Advent and Christmas, and that inner peace and joy is something I've not experienced before or since.
Since
becoming a mother, I often wish I could give my own family that
experience. Much of what had been done in the convent could be done now with my own family and yet, shopping and other material concerns seem to drown everything else out- there just didn't seem to be enough time.
I thought it would be helpful to talk with my children about the history of mankind leading up to the coming of Our Lord, as we did in the convent; short talks that helped to put the focus back on Him.
It is with this intention that I put together an Advent series, outlining the Old Testament during the month of December.
Holy
Mother Church tells us that Advent is a time for prayer and penance.
This seems straightforward and self explanatory. However, if there is one thing I've learned in raising children, it is
to take NOTHING for granted!
With
that in mind, then, it would be a good idea to make it clear to our
children, exactly why we make sacrifices during Advent; something to the
effect of:
“God loves us and wants us to be happy. He made us to be happy and has prepared us a home in heaven that is so beautiful and good we can't even imagine it. God's plan for us was that we would be happy here on earth too, but when Adam and Eve turned away from God, their sin spoiled God's plan and damaged our souls. Not we are all born with the wounds of their sin on our souls. Instead of using God's gifts to come closer to Him, we feel the pull to do wrong, to turn away from God. We easily forget why we are here on earth. We forget that this is not our home; that we are here for a short time only, to know, love and serve God. Instead, we fall into the trap of thinking that the pleasures of this world are the most important thing to live for.
A wise man once said,
“It is no fool who gives up the things which he cannot hold on to…
For the sake of those things which he will never lose”
Baby Jesus is our treasure.
We
can compare our life to a journey, and our souls are like a suitcase.
Everyone knows that you can only fit so much into a suitcase. No matter
how much you sit or jump on it, there’s only so much that will go in.
It’s
the same with our souls. If our soul is crammed full with the love for
the things of this world; movies, clothes, treats in all forms…then
there will be no room for the love of God to grow.
The
purpose for the time of prayer and penance during Advent then, is to
clean out our souls - to make room for Jesus when He comes to us on His birthday.
Little
children know all about birthdays (in a traditional Catholic family
there are usually many birthdays!) But Jesus’ birthday is different. Our
sacrifices are our birthday presents to Him, but Jesus gives us
presents as well. Jesus gives us very special graces, but He can only
give them to us if there is room in our souls for them.”
However,
we also know that nature abhors a vacuum (certain members of
our family abhor a vacuum too, but that's another story), so we won’t change if we just get rid of things…. we must
also increase our attachment to God. It is so important that our
children find the true joy of living our faith. We cannot teach them the
detachment from the things of this world if we do not replace those
things with good, wholesome fun.
The
straws-in-a-manger for sacrifices done is a good idea for little ones
as they see their sacrifices turn into a warm bed for the Baby Jesus.
Children also love secrets and if their good deeds for others are done, “by a secret friend”, then penance can be a game.
Before
the First Sunday of Advent, the family could paint a large Jesse tree on a
poster and hang it on the wall. Personally, I like to picture the
Jesse tree as an evergreen, like a Christmas tree
Each day of Advent, when a part of the history of the Old Testament is read
Here is a list of the 25 topics we will cover along with some suggested pictures to draw;
Dec 1- Adam and Eve (tree)
Dec 2- Cain and Abel and Noah (Ark and rainbow)
Dec 3- Heber (tower of Babel) and Melchisedech (bread and wine)
Dec 4- Abraham and Isaac (bundle of wood)
Dec 5- Jacob (ladder) and Job
Dec 6- Joseph and Moses (basket in the bulrushes) .....also St. Nicholas
Dec 7- 10 Commandments (tablets of stone)
Dec 8- Israelites in the desert (manna or ark of the covenant)....also the Immaculate Conception
Dec 9- Brazen Serpent and Balaam's Talking Donkey (donkey)
Dec 10- Joshua (horns and a walled city)
Dec 11- Debbora, Jahel (nail) and Gideon (sheep fleece)
Dec 12- Samson (broken pillars) and Ruth (sheaf of wheat)
Dec 13- Samuel ("speak Lord thy servant heareth")
Dec 14- King Saul (crown) and Davis and Goliath (slingshot)
Dec 15- King David's reign and Solomon (temple)
Dec 16- Elias and the prophets of Baal (altar) and Eliseus (fiery chariot)
Dec 17- Jonah (whale, of course!)
Dec 18- Tobias and the angel Raphael (fish and staff)
Dec 19- Judith and Holophernes (his head!)
Dec 20- Daniel and King Baltassar (MANE THECEL PHARES)
Dec 21- Daniel (lion)
Dec 22- Nehemias (walls of Jerusalem) and Queen Esther (queen)
Dec 23- Machabees and Hanukkah (candalabra)
Dec 24- The Romans move in and Mary and Joseph make their way to Bethlehem
Dec 25 - The birth of Jesus - can read the account from the gospels (Bethlehem)
Our
children never need to feel deprived from the things of this world.
They have been richly blessed with the true faith. Make the time you spend
together special.
Remember
that Advent is a time to unclutter our hearts to make room for the
Christ Child; to get rid of those time and energy wasters, which
keep us from doing what is really important.
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