Advent: At Home with Jesus

Advent comes from the Latin word meaning "coming". During this season, we prepare for the coming of our Lord. This can look different for each family as family culture and tradition play a big part in what we do. Some families will have a simple homemade Advent Wreath like the one found in our church, some will create a Jesse Tree or Advent Calendar to count down the days until Christmas, some will participate in mass daily during from December 16th through December 25th, and others will reenact the story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter with Las Posadas. 

Regardless of how our families prepare for the coming of the Lord, the one aspect we should all be doing is preparing our hearts through quiet prayer and penance. Here are a few ideas from www.teachingcatholickids.com that can be done in solitude or as a family.

• Pray thirty seconds of silence for family prayer if you have young children, or longer if you have older ones. Light your Advent wreath during your time of silence, or light a candle before your Nativity scene (without the baby Jesus) and kneel before it in silent prayer for a time.
• Turn your home into a “monastery” for a night by lighting candles everywhere (out of reach of curious kids)…as long as little kids can be quiet as monks.
• Don’t play the radio in the car.
• Visit your church or adoration chapel for a time of quiet prayer.
• Go on a walk outdoors in a park or another place where you can appreciate the quiet and simplicity of the natural world.
• Have a “quiet meal” together, playing chant or meditative music instead of talking.