Archdiocese of Liverpool. Family Catechesis Resources and Ideas for parishes and schools to celebrate Advent 2014

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1 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 Archdiocese of Liverpool Family Catechesis Resources and Ideas for parishes and schools to celebrate Advent Advent Journey ideas The Advent Journey for Year B explores themes in the Gospels and readings for Sundays during Advent through activities and crafts. Families can gather in the parish for a 1 to 2 hour Year 5 & 6 Family Catechesis event with activities and crafts to explore their own Advent Journey preparation for Christmas. Questions under each activity are intended to help parents and children reflect and talk with one another during the activities. Another option is to use the ideas listed in the following pages for Children s Liturgy to illustrate the readings over the season of Advent. Family Catechesis in the parish or school & Children s Liturgy ideas for Advent

2 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You a. Advent Journey: Advent Wreath Make an Advent wreath from clay and candles. Or make a wreath out of a floral foam circle or wreath adding greens cut from nature along with 4 candles. It is also possible to make the wreath from paper if the candles are made of paper too. There are many options for making an advent wreath a family can take home with them and put on the kitchen table. While families make their wreaths, ask the following questions to encourage parents and children to talk together. Why is the Advent wreath round? (because God has no beginning and no end) Why does the wreath use evergreens? (evergreens symbolise eternal life in Christ) Why are the candle colours 3 purple and 1 rose? (purple is the penitential colour associated with Advent and Lent. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent as a symbol of the joy to come at Christmas). What is the reason for the candles? (The candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. This is an especially hopeful message at the time of the year with the least sunlight).

3 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 b. Readings -First Sunday of Advent Year B And yet, Lord, you are our Father; We the clay, you the potter, We are all the work of your hand. Is 64:7 Use air-drying clay or make your own play dough ahead of time or together with the families, adding colour with food colouring. Easy recipes for homemade dough are available online and step by step on youtube. 1 Have some examples of things made of out clay on display to show a bowl, a heart-shaped bowl, a baby Jesus, Advent wreath etc. The families and children will take their clay creations home with them. Or you could make one large object together a prayer pot to put handwritten prayer requests into during Advent. While parents and children work with the clay and begin handling it, read the bible passage from Isaiah and explain that the message of this activity is that God made us, and moulded us. We are God s people. How does it feel to work with the clay between your hands? Did you have to knead the clay for a bit to make it easier to work with? Have you made something and then squashed it back into a ball and made something else with the very same clay? How is God the potter? How are we the clay? Do you remember how God made Adam and Eve out of the dust and soil of the earth (clay) (Gen 2)? How can we become the people God wants us to be this Advent? How can we be God s beautiful work of art? Ask God to change your heart this Advent. Be the clay! 1 Homemade dough recipes use water, salt, oil, flour and food colouring. Other recipes require cooking & cream of tartar.

4 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You Mixing the flour, salt, water, oil and food colouring in a bowl Kneading the dough We are the clay...

5 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 Simple project ideas - baby Jesus heart shape made into a bowl heart shape

6 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You -Second & Third Sunday of Advent Year B A voice cries, Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. (Is 40:3-4 and Mark 1:2-3) & A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light. (John 1:6-8) John the Baptist was called to make a straight highway for the arrival of Jesus. We are called to make ourselves ready for Jesus too during Advent. Roll out a small, long, narrow pathway out of pastry, or dough onto a table. The highway is the dough. Ask the families to gather around the table and push into the soft dough rocks or marbles to symbolise the wrong choices we make against each other and against God. You may wish to give an example such as calling someone names. These wrong choices make the straight highway for our God impossible to walk on! What are some wrong choices we make against each other and against God? How do our wrong choices become obstacles (like the rocks) in our relationship with God? We can repair our relationship with God and with one another and make this highway smooth again for our God. We can make the way smooth and straight again through right choices with each other and for God. An example might be a kind word. Lay a strip of paper or piece of straw over the dough highway for each right choice that we can make. Eventually the path will be covered completely and the highway is made straight again. This is us recognising our bad choices and being sorry for them, and making good choices instead. This is us being, like John, a witness to speak for the light.

7 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 What are some ways we can make good choices for God and show respect to each other? How can we, like John, be a witness to the light in our everyday lives? Can you see how the path becomes smooth again? We can go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Advent to help make the straight highway for God. Continue to lay straw, hay or paper on the path and see how it becomes a path again. We can lay down a smooth path for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus to walk on. Prepare a way for the Lord - Families add marbles or rocks Wrong choices make the path difficult

8 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You Make the highway smooth with right choices Add foot cutouts A smooth path for our Lord!

9 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B Listen! You, Mary, are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. (Lk 1:31-32) Set up a table with supplies to make baby Jesus ornaments. These ornaments are easy for families to make using materials such as paper plates, straw, wooden dowels or clothespins, markers, stickers, glue and fabric. They are also nice for children to give to family members as gifts. How do you think Mary felt when the angel appeared to her? How can we thank Mary for saying yes to God and having baby Jesus? What is your Advent prayer? a clay version to dry at home

10 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You 2. Christingle Mass This free Catholic resource includes notes to plan a Christingle Mass and to fundraise for homeless young people at the same time. There are many other free Christingle resources available online to use in the parish or the school. Resources include information about the supplies you will need to make the Christingles. For Family Catechesis: Have parents and children make the Christingle and talk together about the symbolism of the orange, ribbon, fruits on toothpicks, candle and Advent preparations for Christmas. You could also discuss the work of the de Paul charity and homelessness among young people and collect for the charity. Invite families to a service or Mass where the Christingles are lit and then taken home. For Children s Liturgy: Have catechists and children make the Christingle in Children s liturgy and talk about the symbolism of the orange, ribbon, fruits, and candle and Advent preparations for Christmas. Invite the children to bring their Christingles up at the end of Mass to show the congregation and then take home with them.

11 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS Tree of Jesse - Gospel Acclamations for the weekdays of Advent Dec Alleluia, alleluia! Wisdom of the Most High, ordering all things with strength and gentleness, come and teach us the way of truth. Alleluia! 2. Alleluia, alleluia! Ruler of the House of Israel, who gave the law to Moses on Sinai, come and save us with outstretched arm. Alleluia! 3. Alleluia, alleluia! Root of Jesse, set up as a sign to the peoples, come to save us and delay no more. Alleluia! 4. Alleluia, alleluia! Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom, come to liberate from prison the captive who lives in darkness. Alleluia! 5. Alleluia, alleluia! Morning star, radiance of eternal light, sun of justice, come and enlighten those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. Alleluia! 6. Alleluia, alleluia! King of the peoples and corner-stone of the Church come and save man whom you made from the dust of the earth. Alleluia! 7. Alleluia, alleluia! Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, come and save us, Lord our God. Alleluia!

12 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You The Jesse tree works well with families or with Children s Liturgy. Place long sticks into a jar or vase to create your Jesse tree. Decorations for the tree come from quotes from the gospel acclamations (O Antiphons) for Advent weekdays December and can include images to colour in or simply the antiphons written out. Some families might prefer to draw or write their own ornaments. When the ornaments have been made, the catechist or another person reads out the antiphons with the families answering Alleluia. They then hang their ornaments onto the Jesse tree with ribbons when their antiphon is read. Or families can work on their own ornaments, tie on the ribbons and take them home to make a Jesse tree there. There are also other Jesse tree ornaments to make if you have a large group. These additional ornaments reflect stories from the Bible which point to the birth of Jesus (see the list of scriptures below with symbols). Free Jesse Tree printables are available online in colour or black and white to colour in: Free printables from Ann Voskamp of 6PerPage.pdf (smaller ones) 4+per+page.pdf (larger ones)

13 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 Additional Jesse tree ideas for large groups JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES (The symbols are only suggestions) Old and New Testament stories December 1 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth December 2 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, Symbols: tree, man, woman December 3 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite December 4 Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22 Symbols: ark, animals, dove, rainbow December 5 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3 Symbols: torch, sword, mountain December 6 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14 Symbols: bundle of wood, altar, ram in bush December 7 Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15 Symbols: kettle, ladder December 8 Joseph: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15 Symbols: bucket, well, silver coins, tunic December 9 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10 Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes December 10 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbols: lamp, temple December 11 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13 Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff December 12 David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51 Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star December 13 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword December 14 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25 Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel, and angle December 15 Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 Symbols: lily, crown of stars, pierced heart December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbols: shell with water, river O Antiphons On December 17, the Church begins to intensify the preparation for Christmas with the use of the "O" Antiphons during the Liturgy of the Hours. The symbols for the Jesse Tree from December 17 to 23 are based on the "O" Antiphons.

14 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Ecclesiasticus 24:2; Wisdom 8:1 Symbols: oil lamp, open book December 18 Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1 Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets December 19 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3 Symbols: flower, plant with flower December 20 Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22 Symbols: key, broken chains December 21 Jesus is the Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7 Symbols: sun rising or high in sky December 22 Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20 Symbols: crown, sceptre December 23 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22 Symbols: tablets of stone, chalice and host December 24 Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14 Symbols: candle, flame, sun Activity Source: Jesse Tree Kit, A by Betsy Walter, Pauline Books and Media, Boston, MA, 1983

15 With You FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS Advent prayer I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers. (1 Cor 4-5) Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks to God... think before you do anything hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil (1 Thess 16-17, 21-22). What would you like to thank God for today? How can we remember to thank God every day? Families could make thank you cards for family members, teachers and parish staff. There might be a large piece of paper taped to the wall on which to write and draw thanks to God. This is also a good opportunity to show families the hand prayer that Pope Francis has mentioned. Families can draw around a hand and label it themselves. They can practice praying the hand prayer together. Is the hand illustration a helpful way to remember to pray to God? What is your prayer this Advent?

16 FAMILY CATECHESIS ADVENT IDEAS 2014 With You Happy Advent!