Advent – Page 7

How should this solemn time (Advent) should be spent by Christians?

December 1, 2020 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent Leave a Comment

The first week of Advent is underway.

  Our candles in the window have been set on a timer, unbeknownst to me. Our bare tree is up to remind us of the Christ Child. Our family Advent plans have been set and most of our spiritual reading has been gathered.

 But we’re not on point. My husband just blessed our Advent wreath this evening and we lit our first candle today. Our Christmas Novena was prayed by all in the home while two others helped their big sis with a new milestone — serving. We will start the Jesse Tree tomorrow and select the family ChristKindls once all of our children are home.

  From there, we’ll continue to slowly work into our Advent plans in a manner that best suits our season of life and spiritual needs.

 We do not follow a strict Advent schedule each day, perse. We have simply let our Advent devotions take root organically over the years.

My #1 tip is to assign specific devotions or activities to your children. Allow them to be responsible for making sure that your family adheres to your Advent plans.

This will help lighten your load and your children will most likely be one invested in the season.

We do not seek perfection. Our ultimate goal during Advent is to grow closer to Christ and purge sin.

Dom Prosper Guéranger tells us how this solemn time (Advent) should be spent by Christians. 

“They should recall, during these four weeks, the four thousand years in which the just under the Old Law expected and desired the promised Redeemer, think of those days of darkness in which nearly all nations were blinded…and drawn into the most horrible crimes,…
Then consider their own sins and evil deeds and purify their souls from them by a worthy reception of the Sacraments, so that our Lord may come with His grace to dwell in their hearts and be merciful to them in life and in death.
…Unjust to themselves, disobedient to the Church and ungrateful, indeed, to God are those Christians who spend this solemn time of grace in sinful amusements without performing any good works, with no longing for Christ’s Advent into their hearts.”

The Way of the Cross

November 30, 2020 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 11 November Saints, Advent, Christmas Novena, St. Andrew Leave a Comment

Below is a brief but powerful meditation inspirers by St. Andrew whose feast we celebrate today, November 30.

Father Francis Xavier Weninger, in The Livesthe Saints from 1876, writes the following reflection.

Saint Andrew manifested great joy on beholding the cross that had been prepared for him; he greeted it warmly, and embraced it lovingly. He wished not to be released from it, but prayed to be allowed to die on it.

You are not bound to a cross of wood like Saint Andrew, but the All-Wise sometimes lays a cross of suffering upon you, because He wishes to prepare you for heaven.

How do you regard your cross?

How do you carry it?

I fear to ask you how you greeted, embraced and kissed it.

Perhaps you have carried it, as Simon of Cyrene carried the Cross of the Lord, because you were forced, and could not help yourself. You have suffered only because you were obliged. You suffer murmuringly and complainingly, and perhaps even endeavor to free yourself from your cross by improper means.

Oh! how differently did Saint Andrew act. He esteemed himself happy, because he could die on the cross like his Saviour, and because he had heard, from the lips of Christ, that the way of the Cross is the surest road to eternal life.

You know all this; but you do not think seriously enough of it. In future, keep these truths before your eyes: first, the way of the Cross is the way to heaven; secondly, Christ died on the Cross for love of me.

Whoever rightly considers these two points, will in his sufferings, not give way to resentment, murmurs or complaints, but will bear them if not cheerfully, at least patiently.

Hence Saint Paul admonishes us, saying: “For, think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.” (Hebrews 12)

Let us continue to mediate upon the life of St. Andrew throughout Advent as we pray the Christmas Novena in preparation for the Christ Child. .

An Advent PSA & Ways to Keep it Simple

November 24, 2020 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 11 November, Advent, Advent Planner, Christkindl, Christmas Novena, Jesse Tree 1 Comment

When you’re out shopping for Thanksgiving Day, digging in your garage for your decorations, or just kicking your feet up for a much-needed break — remember to pick up the necessary items for any of the traditions that you’re seeking to observe this Advent.

This is an Advent Calendar (in list form) for 2022. The current year Advent Calendar is included in Advent Planner.

Help your children discern their Advent Resolutions or discern as a family.

You can print out a blank Advent plan to record the family plans or each family member can have their own. I usually print 4 per child (2 pages/sheet) to cover the entire Advent season (in most years).

Advent Wreath — candles (they need not be purple and pink), wreath, and you can print out the prayers from here.

Advent/Christmas candles for your home window. I opted for battery-operated candles covered in real wax that can be controlled by remote. They were left over from our daughter’s wedding. If you don’t know about this tradition, you can read more here . I’ve also used a stick-candle-like option.

Christkindl cards for all those children, family, or friends that will be participating in this lovely tradition to serve & keep Christ at the center of the season.

Christmas Novena prayer cards or sheets are also helpful to have handy ahead of time. The actual devotion starts on Nov. 30, a day after the start of Advent this year. Be certain to get beads if you plan on making a Chaplet or ribbon if you perfected Novena lacing cards.

Jesse Tree — get a tree to use, branch, or twine to tack up to the wall. Ornament hooks or clothespins are needed. If you don’t have ornaments on hand, print out a simple set for free and follow along with an easy guide. A Bible is a must even if you have the readings.

Jesse Tree Devotional with Traditional Catholic Reflections & Scripture from the Douay Rheims Bible & Cut/Color Jesse Tree Ornaments

Jesse Tree Readings from the New Catholic Picture Bible – Shower of Roses

Jesse Tree Schedule for the Year and printable Jesse Tree Ornaments – Holy Heroes

Gather your manger (box cutout or wood crafted) and straw for the Christ Child. Each child or family member can place a prince of straw or paper into the manger when an act of service or kindness is done. This serves as a great visual for children regarding how their small acts add up to something grand. It also serves to grow joyful anticipation for the glorious season to come.

Other items to consider:

Spiritual reading & Pray the Divine Office
Feastday goodies — Refer to the Advent Calendar to select which feasts you want to celebrate in a special way. Below are a few to consider.
- Presentation of the BVM – Nov. 21 — Marian feastday go-to
- St. Nicholas – Dec. 6 — Cuties, chocolate coins, socks, a book, candy canes, St. Nicholas chocolates…
- Immaculate Conception of the BCM – Dec. 8 — Holy Day & Marian feastday go-to
- St. Lucy – Dec. 13 — crown, candles, tea, and all the simple sweet breakfast fixings.Hot cocoa as you take your family to see the lights.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe – Dec. 12 — Mexican dinner or pastries
Advent book basket — You do not need to have anything grand. You can select one good book this year and read it throughout Advent or four and rotate one for each week. You could also just select a few titles from your bookshelves or at the thrift store that will help your children grow in their Faith and life of Jesus.
Consider fasting and abstinence when meal planning. Advent was traditionally observed as a “Mini-Lent.” There are also Ember Days in Advent which are traditional days of fast and abstinence.

You can check out this post if you have more questions or desire additional resources.

Advent Plans 2020

November 23, 2020 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 11 November Saints, Advent, St. Clement Leave a Comment

This reflection on today’s saint (the 4th pope and saint from the Canon) is just what I needed to read as my husband and I finalize our Advent plans which always includes the spiritual & physical.

Today, has been set aside for my family to prepare our home for Advent, a soft prep for an even greater purge that we will embark on during Advent in preparation for the Christ-Child.

I have been prompted by the Holy Ghost to “lay everything on the line” specifically in regards to my physical wellness. The message is imprinted in my heart but my mental conviction has not caught up. I desire not to be held up any longer by my concerns about tomorrow.

I realize that there is a fine line between prudence and trust in His care & providence. I pray for His grace.

I fully understand that nothing on this earth can compare to the sufferings of Hell, purgatory, or that which Our Lord suffered for me (us).

This understanding of this reality is what compels me to push forward — to die to my flesh and glorify Him with everything I have.

Today’s reading is a consolation of sorts for me to keep going forward with our Advent plans.

“Did you observe how St. Clement encouraged himself and his fellow captives in the hard labor they had to perform?

To work for the sake of Christ, and to expect for one’s work an eternal reward in heaven, is surely enough to make all suffering and exertion sweet.

Every man is bound to work according to his station, and it is quite sure that we are in danger of losing our souls, if we do not work as we ought, but lead an idle, luxurious and sensual life.

One station, however, has harder and more troublesome work than another, and there are numbers of people who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow and have, day and night, hardly an hour for rest.

It is quite natural that these sometimes become impatient…

Their impatience goes so far that they become dissatisfied with God’s providence in their regard, and murmur against Him, curse their labor, or perform it unwillingly; and thus not only lose all the merits which they might have earned, but incur heavy responsibility.

I would ask such people to recollect, that their work, if performed with a good intention, in the grace of God and according to His will, will merit for them great glory in heaven.

They ought to arm, themselves against the impatience which sometimes rises in them, with the thought of the reward that awaits them in heaven; for God recompenses every man according to his work, as Holy Writ teaches us. Ought not every one to work with pleasure, when he expects an eternal reward?” -Father Francis Xavier Weninger, Lives of the Saints, 1876.

Christkindl Cards & More

November 21, 2020 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christkindl, Prints Leave a Comment

Below is a link for Christkindl Cards that my children use to track their prayers & acts of service for their “Christ Child” throughout Advent to Epiphany (or your preferred end-date).

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.
Maria Von Trapp

The card can be used in the home for your own version of the Christkindl. It’s merely a tool to help us keep on track – offering a daily gift for Christ among those who are before us.

The boxes represent a day in Advent to Christmas or Epiphany Day. This year, Advent starts on Nov. 29, 2020. I made it blank so it can be reused each year, assigning the dates as needed.

Download Christkindl Cards

Here is an easy overview of the Advent Season. You can post it in your home or just use it for your planning.

Download Advent 2020

“O come O come Emmanuel” was taken from the Liturgy, from the antiphons. It includes the seven names that are given to Our Lord. We the Divine Office with our older children. For my littles, singing or just reading O Come Emmanuel each night after our family rosary connects them with the Divine Office.