Catholic ideas for Advent

Leer en Español: Celebrando el Adviento

During the four Sundays of Advent, churches across the world will be lit up with candles as congregations hold their Advent wreaths of evergreen, shaped in a perfect circle to symbolize God's eternity.

Advent means "coming," and during the season, Christians prepare for Jesus' coming.

The four Sundays preceding Christmas, which is when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, are recognized for four virtues. The candles on the Advent wreath symbolize hope, love, joy and peace. The candles are lit in that order, beginning today.

Some denominations consider the fourth candle to mean purity, and most use a fifth candle, called the Christ candle, that is lit on Christmas to remind Christians of the light Jesus brings to the world.

During the time of Advent you can choose one of the options that we present below to live each day of Advent and arrive at Christmas with a heart full of love for the child God.

1. Crib and straws:

In this activity, a manger will be prepared for the Child God on the day of his birth. The manger will be made of straw so that at birth the child God is not cold and the straw gives him the heat he needs. With the good works of each of the children, the manger will be prepared. For every good work the children do, a straw is placed in the manger until the day of Christ's birth.

2. Birth Window:

In some drawing in which the Birth is represented, the children will be able to color some part of it each time they carry out a good work to complete it for Christmas.

3. Traditional Advent Calendar:

This activity is about children making themselves an Advent calendar where they mark the days of Advent and write their own purposes to fulfill. You can draw on the cardboard on Christmas day with the scene of the birth of Jesus. Daily children will review the purposes to prepare their hearts for Christmas. This calendar can take you to the Church on Christmas day if you wish.

The following purposes are suggested:

• I will help at home in what costs me the most.
• I will pray as a family for the peace of the world.
• I will offer my day for children who have no parents or a house to live in.
• I will obey my parents and teachers with joy.
• I will share my lunch with a smile who needs it.
• Today I will fulfill all my homework without complaining.
• I will help my brothers in something they need.
• I will offer a sacrifice for the priests.
• I will pray for the Pope.
• I will thank God for everything he has given me.
• I will carry out a sacrifice.
• I will read some passage of the Gospel.
• I will offer a spiritual communion to Jesus for those who do not love him.
• I will give a toy or clothes to a child who does not have it.
• I will not eat between meals.
• Instead of watching television, I will help my mother in whatever she needs.
• I will imitate Jesus in his forgiveness when someone bothers me.
• I will ask for those who are hungry and I will not eat sweets.
• I will pray a Hail Mary to show the Virgin how much I love her.
• Today I will not fight with my brothers.
• I will greet with affection any person who finds me.
• Today I will ask the Blessed Virgin for my country.
• I will read the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke 2, 1-20.
• I will open my heart to Jesus to be born in him.

4. Those who expected Christ:
This activity is about making a list with 24 or 28 names (depending on the number of days of Advent) of Old and New Testament characters waiting for the coming of the Messiah. They will be searched in the Bible, the characters will be drawn and cut out. Behind, they will be named who they are and what this character said or did. It can be used as a game.

Some characters that can be included:

• Abraham: God told Abraham that his offspring would be numerous like the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea, and yes it was.
• David: God told King David that the Messiah was going to be his family.
• Isaiah: God told the prophet Isaiah that the Messiah was to be born of the Virgin.
• Jeremiah: God told the prophet Jeremiah that when the Messiah was born, He was going to give men a new heart to know and love him very much.
• Ezekiel: God told the prophet Ezekiel that the Messiah was going to rise.
• Micah: God told the prophet Micah in Bethlehem his Son was going to be born.
• Hosea: God told the prophet Hosea that from Egypt he was going to call his Son.
• Zechariah: God told the prophet Zechariah that his son was going to enter Jerusalem riding a donkey.
• Wise Men or Wise Men: they awaited the coming of the Savior of men.
• The shepherds: They were notified by an angel of the great event.