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Danielle Bean

Danielle Bean
Danielle Bean, a mother of eight, is Editorial Director of Faith & Family. She is author of My Cup of Tea, Mom to Mom, Day to Day, and most recently Small Steps for Catholic Moms. Though she once struggled to separate her life and her work, the two …
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Rachel Balducci

Rachel Balducci
Rachel Balducci is married to Paul and they are the parents of five lively boys and one precious baby girl. She is the author of How Do You Tuck In A Superhero?, and is a newspaper columnist for the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. For the past four years, she has …
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Lisa Hendey

Lisa Hendey
Lisa Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, a Catholic web site focusing on the Catholic faith, Catholic parenting and family life, and Catholic cultural topics. Most recently she has authored The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa is also employed as webmaster for her parish web sites. …
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Arwen Mosher

Arwen Mosher
Arwen Mosher lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband Bryan and their young children Camilla and Blaise. She has a bachelor's degree in theology. She dreads laundry, craves sleep, loves to read novels and do logic puzzles, and can't live without tea. Her personal blog site is ABC Family. …
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Rebecca Teti

Rebecca Teti
Rebecca Teti is married to Dennis and has four children (3 boys, 1 girl) who -- like yours no doubt -- are pious and kind, gorgeous, and can spin flax into gold. A Washington, DC, native, she converted to Catholicism while an undergrad at the U. Dallas, where she double-majored in …
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Robyn Lee

Robyn Lee
Robyn Lee is the managing editor of Faith & Family magazine. She is (yikes!) an almost 30 year-old, single lady, living in Connecticut with her two cousins in a small bungalow-style kit house built by her great uncle in the 1950s. She also conveniently lives next door to her sister, brother-in-law …
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Hallie Lord

Hallie Lord
Hallie Lord married her dashing husband, Dan, in the fall of 2001 (the same year, coincidentally, that she joyfully converted to the Catholic faith). They now happily reside in the deep South with their two energetic boys and two very sassy girls. In her *ample* spare time, Hallie enjoys cheap wine, …
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Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr John Bartunek, LC, STL, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and …
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Kate Lloyd

Kate Lloyd
Kate Lloyd is a rising senior, and a political science major at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire. While not in school, she lives in Whitehall PA, with her mom, dad, five sisters and little brother. She needs someone to write a piece about how it's possible to …
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Elizabeth Foss

Elizabeth Foss
Elizabeth Foss, an award winning columnist for the Arlington Catholic Herald, published her first book, Real Learning: Education in the Heart of My Home in 2003. The book is now in its third printing. Her popular blog, In the Heart of My Home is a source of inspiration and support for Catholic women …
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Beyond the Jesse Tree

10 Ways to Keep Christ in Advent

Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Monday, November 17, 2008 1:00 PM

With just under two weeks left before Advent begins, I thought I’d offer a list of some easy ways to keep your focus on Christ during this typically frenzied season.

Plan a gift for Jesus. Think of something special you can give Christ this Advent. Will you cut back on sweets, add a daily Rosary, or ... make room in your heart to forgive someone who needs forgiving?

Let it go. At least once each day, let something go. Don’t snap back when someone else loses his patience with you. Don’t nag your spouse or kids, even if they deserve it. Refuse to take part in family holiday drama. Leave something undone or done less than perfectly if “doing it right” is going to cost you peace in your home.

Read the Bible. Last year, I had my older kids each memorize a section of the Christmas story the second chapter of Luke. Spending our days practicing the words of the Christmas story kept the real meaning of Advent and Christmas fresh in our minds.

Bring the Nativity home. Preferably in the form of a touchable set. I fell in love with this Playmobil Nativity set last year.

Read to your kids. If you don’t already have a Christmas collection at home (or can’t afford the collection of your dreams) check your library for some Tomie DePaola classics: The Night of Las Posadas, Merry Christmas, Strega Nona, The Night Before Christmas, The Legend of the Poinsettia, and The Lady of Guadalupe.

Visit a nursing home. I used to work in the activities department of a nursing home. Let me tell you—a group of kids who show up with hand-made cards and some songs to sing or poetry to recite is always a welcome way to spend an a few hours. If you think your kids might be shy, plan some questions for your kids to ask the residents or bring along a simple, interactive game like Bingo or Old Maid.

Surprise someone. Be a secret Santa to someone in need. Leave cookies with a secretive note for a neighbor, leave an extra-large tip for a frazzled waitress, or do another family member’s chore without saying a word.

Give to babies in need. Remind your family that Baby Jesus was born a poor boy in manger. Then collect or buy baby items and clothing to donate to a crisis pregnancy center.

Plan a visit. Take the kids for a Holy Hour or to visit a nearby shrine at least once during Advent. Make it a special outing—maybe go after an early dinner and take your time on the way home to enjoy some Christmas lights.

Add prayer. Consider adding this Advent prayer to your family’s grace before meals: Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Christ Our Lord, Amen. Or choose a different one from this list of other Advent prayers.

How about you? What can you add to this list?

Comments
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Filed under advent, christmas, prayer

Comments

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Posted by Mary W on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 2:08 PM (EDT):

Thanks Danielle! These are great ideas. I was just thinking this past weekend about the stuff I wanted to do with my kids during Advent. To add to your advice to read the bible, my parish gives out “Five minutes with the Word” for Advent. That might be something all parish’s do, too, so for you mom’s out there that don’t know which passages to read to your kids or you yourself meditate on, this little book might help. I found it in the entry way to our church.

 
Posted by Mary on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 3:58 PM (EDT):

Danielle, First of all, I absolutely LOVE that picture of Baby Jesus!!!  Where do you find this stuff?!?!

I really can’t “add” anything but I definitely want to second the reading about Christmas & such during the Season.  We picked up many great Catholic Christmas books ~ one in particular from Neumann Press ~ and every single day we read at least one story, usually after supper when we light the Advent wreath & do our little “ceremony” at the dining room table (lighting, prayers, Bible reading, etc.).  It’s a perfect way to end the day before baths & getting ready for bed.  My 17 yr old doesn’t appreciate it the way he used to (and we don’t make him stay) but the younger kids LOVE it! 

God bless you all during this Advent & Christmas Season!!!

 
Posted by Kristi Carlson on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 4:50 PM (EDT):

Fantastic ideas!!! I’ve been searching for some ideas for Advent.

I was browsing Catholic Culture and some other sites to get some ideas and found some cute ideas. We will also be preparing the manger for baby Jesus by adding a piece of straw to a wooden box whenever we do a good deed. We will need to be very giving so baby Jesus can be comfortable:)

 
Posted by Therese on Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008 12:41 AM (EDT):

I, too, am inspired.  As a child I grew up with the Advent wreath and family prayers at supper time.  We continue the tradition with our own 4 kids now…and even if the older teens do not seem as “in awe” of it, they still participate.  Sometimes it is moments like these that we recall later in life that bring us faith and strength when we need it.

As a fourth grade teacher in our parish school, I decided, (after reading this post), to incorporate “Tuesdays in Advent”.  I am going to plan a short prayer service and adoration at church each Tuesday for my class, followed by a simple Advent “treat” or project in class.  I think that even if the kids do not fully understand it, they will remember that this time was special, and one day, that may make a difference in their lives.


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