Advent

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Teresa9

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Dear friends

What will you give up at advent in preperation for the arrival of our Lord, what hopes do you have, what sacrifices are you willing to offer for something greater? This is such a time of anticipation, how must the Jews have felt waiting in hope of the Messiah, what a Sacred Night!!! What Holy and Sacred Night!!! and how we diminish it in material gains at Christmas, this is not what Christmas is, Christmas is the Messiah who comes to give hope for all generations in love mercy and sacrifice and yes we should celebrate and gift to each other, but make at least one gift a spiritual gift to someone you think may love and benefit from that…maybe an hour before the Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Season just for pure love of a friend and nothing else, pure love in Christ and of a friend or an enemy…this is the approach to such a hope in our faith, have hope and all of you please be happy and full of joy all year and KNOW God LOVES you xxx

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Dear Sister Teresa. Im not that far ahead at this moment. Im focusing my thoughts on Thanksgiving at this time. I have so much to be greatful for and I want to give all the thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ. Im here counting all my blessings that the Lord has given me. Look what the Lord has done in our lives. What a wonderful and awesome God we have.Im sorry I didnt mean to get off topic but I did. God Bless. 😃
 
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SPOKENWORD:
Dear Sister Teresa. Im not that far ahead at this moment. Im focusing my thoughts on Thanksgiving at this time. I have so much to be greatful for and I want to give all the thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ. Im here counting all my blessings that the Lord has given me. Look what the Lord has done in our lives. What a wonderful and awesome God we have.Im sorry I didnt mean to get off topic but I did. God Bless. 😃
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Dearest Spokenword

You are not off topic at all, what you have said is the true spirit of Christmas, happy in what the Lord has done for you , happy that He came down from Heaven to teach, love, have mercy and pity and redeem you, die for you, you are not off topic, what you have said contains such beauty dear friend. Thanksgiving is the true spirit of Christmas and advent, so thankful for all that is to come will be and that all can be; in Him is endless possibilities for the human spirit if we are in accordance with Him in belief…so endless the graces in the Eucharist, where we become more Christ-like every time we recieve if we allow His graces to fall upon us…

You …in the spirit of the Mass which is a thanksgiving in itself, have hit upon what Christmas should be, you wise and happy soul you!!!😃 The thankful soul always realises that none of this is by it’s own achievements but only by the grace of God.

God Bless you and much peace and love to you

Teresa
 
planning Advent for CCD, especially retreats, so it is time to think about it. One year was the jesse tree, one year joyful mysteries, last year advent customs and practices. attending liturgy committee meeting tonite, for the first time CCD will be part of general parish planning for Advent (which I have been trying for years to have happen). I think we will do las posadas, encouraging older generation to come in and teach the real traditions, which are being lost. the combined ideas of the vigils, las novenas, the pilgrimage, the prayers, songs and litanies–not to mention the fiesta and la nocha buena. We are having a parish wide OL Guadalupe celebration, planned and presented by high school kids, first time it will be open to all. We do not have an active group of Guadalupanas, perhaps we are too anglo and they go to neighboring parish. My goal is to invite the older generation in to hand on traditions and their meaning to the youngsters. 'would love to have the abuelas teach the kids to make tamales (that would save me having to buy them).
 
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Teresa9:
Dearest Spokenword

You are not off topic at all, what you have said is the true spirit of Christmas, happy in what the Lord has done for you , happy that He came down from Heaven to teach, love, have mercy and pity and redeem you, die for you, you are not off topic, what you have said contains such beauty dear friend. Thanksgiving is the true spirit of Christmas and advent, so thankful for all that is to come will be and that all can be; in Him is endless possibilities for the human spirit if we are in accordance with Him in belief…so endless the graces in the Eucharist, where we become more Christ-like every time we recieve if we allow His graces to fall upon us…

You …in the spirit of the Mass which is a thanksgiving in itself, have hit upon what Christmas should be, you wise and happy soul you!!!😃 The thankful soul always realises that none of this is by it’s own achievements but only by the grace of God.

God Bless you and much peace and love to you

Teresa
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Thank you Sister Teresa, Im so thankful that you have a beautiful spirit. A spirit of Gods love. Im proud that you are part of the Body of Christ and it gleams from where I am. God Bless you. 🙂
 
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puzzleannie:
planning Advent for CCD,.
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This may be off the subject but I had an idea for your CCD classes. Maybe you have heard of this but this is what I do with my own personal kids during advent:

Each of them has a small cradle made out of scrap wood. Small meaning you can hold it one hand. During Advent their goal is to fill the cradle with small pieces of hay. Everytime they do a good dead for someone else they get to put a piece of hay in their cradle. The more hay they get, the softer the bed for Jesus when he is born.
 
When we were kids we used to make birthday cards for Jesus on Christmas Eve (I think it originally started as a way to make us sit down & behave for the afternoon & to make sure Santa wasn’t our sole focus). Then that evening after the rosary in front of the crib and some Christmas hymns we would put our cards in the crib (Dad made a big one) together with some money we had saved as a birthday present for Jesus. That way when we went shopping for Christmas presents for our parents, grandparents etc. we would remember that we had to keep some money by for “Jesus’ present” The money would be included in Mam & Dad’s Christmas donation to charity (Aid to the Church in Need or Trocaire). Then the youngest would light a big red candle & would carry it in procession the sitting room at the front of the house to place in the window (to welcome Mary & Joseph or any other travellers that night). 🙂
 
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Jenlyn:
This may be off the subject but I had an idea for your CCD classes. Maybe you have heard of this but this is what I do with my own personal kids during advent:

Each of them has a small cradle made out of scrap wood. Small meaning you can hold it one hand. During Advent their goal is to fill the cradle with small pieces of hay. Everytime they do a good dead for someone else they get to put a piece of hay in their cradle. The more hay they get, the softer the bed for Jesus when he is born.
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Dear Jenlyn

This is a beautiful idea and you have inspired me to do this with my daughter, she will love to do this. Thank you very much.

God Bless you and much love to and peace to you and those you love

Teresa
 
Dear Ter

This is also beautiful and takes the focus completely off of the commercialism that has taken over advent, well pretty much all of October through to Christmas!! I think I will steal your idea also!! Thank you very much

God Bless you and much love and peace to you and those you love

Teresa
 
Advent in Ukraine and Russia is called Christmas or Filip’s Fast because begins after St Filip Day. Begins according to New Style Dates Nov 28 and Continues until Dec 24. Thus fast is like Great Fast (Lenten fast), 40 days long. Fast is both bodily but also spiritual. Bodily fast forbids meat during entire time. Fish, wine and oil also forbidden on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday it is permitted to use plant oils to make food. Fish is allowed onn Saturday and Sunday as well as the Feast of the Entrance of Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple and other major feasts. Last day of Feast (eve Christmas) is called sochelnik because of sochivo (boiled wheat) which is eaten only on this day very strict fast. Spiritual fast is most important: prayer and penance. Folk song of Fast says if fast will not bring you improvement then you will be separated from God as false, similar to evil spirits who never eat.
 
Advent sites, like this one:

catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0372.html

Advent candles!

My Fontanini nativity set!!

Advent calendar!!!

Reminds me… gotta order some Christmas cards with pro-life message in them from:

hh76.com/pro_life_products.asp?group_id=126&c=P45S

New! - Madonna and Child, red border
We are loved by Him, Formed by His hand, Created in His image, and carried in His heart. May He, who gives us life bless you this Christmas

Biblical Verse: You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at His birth. Luke 1:14
 
Traditionally, I have used Advent to offer up a sacrifice of something I’m very attached to, and that is coffee. It is a first thing to do in the mornings, and I would be quite upset to be without it.

My family suffered the horrible effects of alcoholism, and to understand the incredible attachment to this substance, I could honestly relate somewhat with my cravings for coffee. But in my case, there is no addiction, and no consequence of causing torment to another.

Therefore, my prayer in fasting from coffee, was that the grace would go to someone who suffers from addiction, in order that they may be released and have a nice Christmas – with Jesus truly being born within them after years of being without His comfort and the strength to overcome.

Carole
 
I’m going to make a concerted effort to avoid all of the “Hallmark holiday” aspects of Christmas this year. I am minimizing the gift giving, and will try to finish the gift shopping before the 1st Sunday of Advent. I want to Advent as a penitential season during Advent, and Christmas during Christmas (starting 12/24, not sooner).

I’m postponing putting up the Christmas decorations until near the 24th. I’ve been gradually moving my family toward celebrating Advent separate from Christmas for several years. Progress is slow but steady.😉
 
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Mary3:
I’m going to make a concerted effort to avoid all of the “Hallmark holiday” aspects of Christmas this year.
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Speaking of Hallmark… I am sending out Christmas cards this year made ‘Food For the Poor’. It’s their Banana Bark program which helps the “destitute of the caribbean by creating hundreds of jobs.” They have very catholic/christian messages inside them. No “Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings” which are very Hallmark. If you’re interested in these you can go to www.foodforthepoor.org and look for Banana Bark. 🙂

Sorry since you mentioned Hallmark, I couldn’t resist mentioning this program. I know what you mean by “Hallmark Holiday.” I am also slowly changing the mind set in my family.

Since my husband is the music minister at our church, he always left around 9:00 for church. Well that makes for a very rushed morning. I like to have a nice family breakfast and slowly open presents. So last year, I put up a screen which blocked seeing the living room. We came down and had a nice breakfast and got ready for church. We went out the back door. We celebrated mass, by sharing our gift of music with Jesus. Then we came home and went through the front door. Presents were then opened.

The kids were okay. They were busy with their responsibilties at church. Which is where their focus should be. We will do it again this year.

Jen
 
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