- Advent & Christmas

St. Juan Diego Wooden-Spoon Puppets

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:45:00 -0500

by Sr. Vivian Giulianelli, S.A.

Make these charming wooden-spoon puppets with your students. The objective of this activity is to learn about Our Lady of Guadalupe (whose feast day is December 12) and St. Juan Diego (whose feast day is December 9) and to have students retell the story with their puppets.
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The Empty Manger

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:13:00 -0500

Empty and Welcoming Hearts
by Jeanne Heiberg

The empty manger is a strong symbol of the longing
of the human heart for something noble and great.
The empty manger represents simple and humble
hearts that are ready to welcome Jesus when he
comes. To help your students experience Advent as
a time of longing for Jesus and preparing for his
coming, have them make mangers to keep on your
classroom prayer table or to put in their family
creche at home. If you have a class creche, put
the students’ mangers in and around it.
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The Wreath Symbol Craft and Prayer Activity

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:31:01 -0500

by Jeanne Heiberg

An Advent wreath with its candles glowing on a dining table, a wreath of evergreens, pinecones, and berries on the front door, circles of greenery hung on the pillars and walls of the church apse—all convey Christmas warmth and cheer at this coldest, darkest time of the year. The wreath’s circle shape has meanings that touch people deeply, most often at an unconscious level.
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The Light of Service

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:18:52 -0500

by Sheila Kearney

This Advent season, share with your students the special Lights of Advent. Help your students’ inner lights shine by doing this Light of Service project that the older elementary students (fourth, fifth, and sixth grade) can organize and execute on their own for younger students (kindergarten through third grade), with your help.

Have older students provide a Christmas Store for younger students. This is bound to be a huge success among the young children, their families, and those youngsters who organize and operate the store. This experience benefits your parish in many ways. It offers older elementary students the experience of planning, organizing, and executing a short-term project for the good of others; it gives younger children the opportunity to “shop” in a safe environment; the proceeds are contributed to an existing parish outreach program.

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The Day Star Craft Activity and Blessing

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:05:42 -0500

by Jeanne Heiberg

You can make day star decorations with your students for Christmas trees (or bulletin board, windows, doorways, or to make into mobiles) to celebrate Jesus and the light he shines into a
dark world.

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Editor's Note: God's Delight

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 05:54:00 -0500

by Kass Dotterweich

Time to make the lists, check them twice, shop, wrap,
and deliver. A catechist colleague and I recently chatted
about the deliver part of this tradition -- about the
absolute delight we take in giving presents to our loved
ones, especially our grandchildren. With a small measure
of embarrassment, I admitted to taking perhaps too much
delight in watching my grandchildren open their Christmas
presents from me.

In response, my colleague said, "Well, Kass, don't you think God took huge delight in giving us his Son?"

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The Light of Prayer Advent Activity

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:48:53 -0500

by Sheila Kearney

This Advent season, share with your students the special Lights of Advent. Help your students’ inner lights shine with this Light of Prayer activity.

We associate the Advent season and the coming of Christmas with bright and colorful lights—lights in store and home windows, strung along the edge of rooftops, and draped around doorways. These lights are festive and have the power to lift our spirits.

But there are other lights during this time, lights that shine more brightly than the ones on display. These are the lights of our prayer, service, and love that mark our Catholic faith.

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Advent Wreath Blessing

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:05:59 -0500

by Lori Veenker

This Advent Wreath Blessing can be used
in your classroom or you can make copies
of it and send it home with your students
for them and their families to use.

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Advent Prayer Space

nospam@example.com (CATECHIST magazine) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:09:50 -0500

Before your first class time after the
First Sunday of Advent, arrange your
prayer space to reflect the liturgical
season of Advent. You may want to
include on your prayer table a violet
piece of cloth as Advent wreath, a
Bible with all the Advent Gospels marked,
an empty creche, perhaps a little straw
strewn around.