Christmas Novena Printables & Social Media Reminders

November 29, 2017 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Christmas, Novena 3 Comments

Praying the {St. Andrew} Christmas novena is a vital part of my family’s Advent plans as we observe a “mini Lent.”

This meditative prayer helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming.

It is piously believed that whoever recites the below prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Imprimatur +MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York, February 6, 1897

Below are images & printables to use as reminders in your home, tech gadgets, and social media outlets. You are invited to use the images for your personal use and share freely.

This image can be used on INSTAGRAM.

Christmas Novena Printable with Border

Christmas Novena Printable without border

This image can be saved on your phone or iPad and set as your lock screen and wallpaper.

This image can be saved on your phone or iPad and set as your lock screen and wallpaper.This image can be used as a FaceBook cover photo or a blog header.

This image can be used as a FaceBook cover photo or a blog header.

I’ve also formatted a page of printable holy cards for the Christmas Novena They can be used alone or used when making a Christmas Novena Chaplet.

Prayers for a blessed and fruitful Advent from my family to yours!

Advent Plans 2016

November 25, 2016 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 12 December, Advent Leave a Comment

The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord — both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time… The Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn’t end liturgically until the Octave of the Epiphany on January 14. It goes on in the spiritual sense until Candlemas on February 2, when all celebrations of Christ’s Childhood give way to Septuagesima and Lent.

Advent:

Nov. 27 – 1st Sunday of Advent
Nov. 30 – St. Andrew Christmas Novena
Dec. 3 – Journey to Bethlehem
Dec. 4 – 2nd Sunday of Advent
Dec. 6 – St. Nicholas
Dec. 7 – St. Ambrose
Dec. 8 – Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dec. 10 – Rorate Caeli Mass in Honor of Our Lady (at Parish)
Dec. 11 – Gaudette Sunday
Dec. 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Francis Xavier Cabrini
Dec. 13 – St. Lucia
Dec 14 – Ember Wednesday in Advent
Dec. 16 – Ember Friday of Advent
Dec. 17 – Ember Saturday of Advent
Dec. 17 – 23 – O Anitphons
Dec. 18 – Rorate Sunday
Dec. 21 – St. Thomas
Dec. 24 – Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord

Christkindl {Christ Child}

November 25, 2016 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Christkindl Leave a Comment

The beautiful thing about this particular custom is that the relationship is a reciprocal one. The person whose name I have drawn and who is under my care becomes for me the helpless little Christ Child in the manger; and as I am performing these many little acts of love and consideration for someone in the family I am really doing them for the Infant of Bethlehem, according to the word, “And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.” That is why this particular person turns into “my Christkindl.” At the same time I am the “Christkindl” also for the one I am caring for because I want to imitate the Holy Child and render all those little services in the same spirit as He did in that small house of Nazareth, when as a child He served His Mother and His foster father with a similar love and devotion.

~ Around the Year with the TRAPP FAMILY

christkindl-printable-2016-joyfilledfamily

This is such a simple tradition but it provides a beautiful and joyful anticipation within our home as we prepare for Jesus Christ. Each child gets a checklist to help them stay accountable (see printable link at the end of the post). The numbered boxes represents a day in Advent (this year Advent starts on Nov. 27) to Christmas Day.

Here is how it works!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Write names of all family members on pieces of paper. *
Place all family member’s names (on folded paper for secrecy) in a container.
Take turns drawing a name. The person whose name one has drawn in now in one’s special care.
From this day (Start of Advent) until Christmas, one has to do as many little favors for him or her as one can.
One has to provide at least one surprise every single day — but without ever being found out. Use the printable Christkindl checklist for accountability.

*Adjust who is included in your Christkndl as it works best for your family. For families that are smaller, include other distant family or friends. One could even adopt a neighbor, single or windowed parishioner, etc..

This creates a wonderful atmosphere of joyful suspense, kindness, and thoughtfulness. Perhaps you will find that somebody has made your bed or shined your shoes or has informed you, in a disguised handwriting on a holy card, that “a rosary has been said for you today” or a number of sacrifices have been offered up. This new relationship is called “Christkindl” (Christ Child) in the old country, where children believe that the Christmas tree and the gifts under it are brought down by the Christ Child himself.

Get your printable at the link below, share freely! I’d love to hear about your family’s experience with Christkindl or other favorite family traditions.

Print as a single page or 2 copies per page

Advent Plan {Printable}

November 24, 2016 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 12 December, Advent Leave a Comment

If our holy mother the Church spends the time of Advent in this solemn preparation for the threefold coming of Jesus Christ; if, after the example of the prudent virgins, she keeps her lamp lit ready for the coming of the Bridegroom; we, being her members and her children, ought to enter into her spirit, and apply to ourselves this warning of our Saviour: ‘Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and ye yourselves be like unto men who wait for their Lord!’ [St. Luke xii. 35, 36]. ~Dom Prosper Guéranger

We observe a “mini-Lent” throughout Advent, a “Lent” with a joyful Alleluia.

It is evident, from what we have said, that Advent is a season specially devoted to the exercises of what is called the purgative life, which is implied in that expression of St. John, so continually repeated by the Church during this holy time: Prepare ye the way of the Lord! Let all, therefore, strive earnestly to make straight the path by which Jesus will enter into their souls. Let the just, agreeably to the teaching of the apostle, forget the things that are behind [Phil. iii. 13], and labour to acquire fresh merit. Let sinners begin at once and break the chains which now enslave them. Let them give up those bad habits which they have contracted. Let them weaken the flesh, and enter upon the hard work of subjecting it to the spirit. Let them, above all things, pray with the Church. And when our Lord comes, they may hope that He will not pass them by, but that He will enter and dwell within them; for He spoke of all when He said these words: ‘Behold I stand at the gate and knock: if any man shall hear My voice will open to Me the door, I will come in unto him.’ [Apoc. ii. 20]. ~The Liturgical Year, by Dom Prosper Guéranger

Our days are not perfect but we seek to persevere in daily prayers, spiritual readings, and almsgiving – all in joyful waiting and desire to prepare our hearts for the coming of JESUS CHRIST.

Below is a printable that we use to help us along our Advent journey. You’re invited to use it as it best suits your family and Advent plans.