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Set up an Advent calendar: Another way to celebrate Advent is to create an Advent calendar. Of course, children love the calendars with chocolate inside, but you can also create your own calendar which instead has a different activities to do each as a family.
Make a Prayer Garland: Cut out 24 green and red paper strips. On each strip, write the name of a family member or friend. Staple the strips as links into one long garland. Hang the garland in your apartment or house as a decoration. Every day in during Advent, have a family member remove one of the paper strips. As a family, pray for the person whose name is on that strip of paper.
Create (or Buy) Your Own Advent Wreath with Candles: An Advent wreath typically consists of greenery with four candles, three purple and one pink. Each candle on the Advent Wreath has a specific meaning:
- Candle one (purple) represents hope. It is often called the prophets’ candle.
- Candle two (purple) represents peace. It is often called the angels’ candle.
- Candle three (pink) represents joy. It is often called the shepherds’ candle.
- Candle four (purple) represents love. It is often called the Bethlehem candle.
Many advent wreaths also include a Christ candle in the middle of the wreath. To celebrate with an Advent wreath, you light a candle on each Sunday of Advent. The first Sunday, you light candle one; the second Sunday you light candles one and two, etc.
Decorate a Jesse Tree: You can also celebrate Advent in your home by decorating a Jesse tree. A Jesse tree (named after King David’s father) is covered with ornaments that represent people and stories in the Bible. For example, you might hang an ark, a rainbow, or a dove ornament to represent Noah or a harp to represent David. You can use a table-top Christmas tree as your Jesse tree, hanging an ornament each night and reading a passage in the Bible about the character you have chosen. Read here for instructions on how to create your own Jesse Tree (includes symbol suggestions): https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=545
Celebrating Advent will help keep your children focused on Jesus and will give them day-to-day activities to make that endless month of December go by more quickly!
May the Spirit of Jesus be with you this Advent season, as we wait in hope, faith and love.
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- amy-lee,kennaway@nt.catholic.edu.au
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What is the Plenary Council?
A Plenary Council is the highest formal gathering of all local churches in a country. Our Plenary Council 2020 is being held so that we can dialogue about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.
The last time the Catholic Church in Australia held a Plenary Council was in 1937. It has been more than 80 years since we gathered all of the Church together and much has changed. In 2020, we will have a Plenary Council about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.
To learn more about Plenary Council visit: http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/
What are we called to do? Who are we called to be? How do we need to change?
The journey toward the Plenary Council will help us to prepare to listen to God by listening to one another.
At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School we will invite all students and their families to engage and be a part of the listening and dialogue encounter. Over the coming weeks students will be invited to share their ideas and opinions to make a school submission.
We strongly encourage all families to be a part of this unique opportunity to share your stories and experiences, but most importantly to discuss what you believe God is asking of the Church today. The St. Mary’s Parish is running an Advent Plenary Program and a listening and dialogue session that will be held on Wednesday 12th of December in the Mackillop Hall (7.00-8.30pm).
You can also be involved by making a submission online about your thoughts of the future of the Catholic Church by visiting http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/resources/have-your-say/
Make sure to pick up a Plenary Council prayer card from our front office!
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This week Star Councillor has flown to Melbourne to compete in the National Athletics Championships. We wish her well for her trip and can’t wait to report on her achievements when she gets back.
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