Focus on Faith POWERSOURCE. December 2015 ASK GOD:

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1 December 2015 As we begin to prepare this December, 2015 edition of Parenting Christian Kids, the terror attacks in Paris have just taken place. We are reminded again that we are living in a sorely wounded world. But Advent reminds us that our hope, our salvation, our redemption is in Jesus Christ. Find the time in this busy season to pray fervently for peace; for all nations and all peoples to value and protect human life; for an end to hunger and poverty and ignorance and all the things that divide us. Let s make a concerted effort to put Christ first, not only at, but always and everywhere. Come, O Lord, and bring your light, O radiant star and heart s delight. O God with us, Emmanuel, with your love, the dark dispel. Focus on Faith POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To help your family make Jesus your top priority during the season and beyond. 2. To remind you and your kids to be satisfied with what they have. 3. To help you seek and value spiritual gifts, not material gifts. Although our society tries to remove Jesus from the holiday, he s the sole reason for its existence. Despite what retailers want you to believe, would still happen without overloaded shopping carts and maxedout credit cards. As followers of Jesus, our efforts to honor the true meaning of do battle with our consumer culture. The temptation to overindulge our children isn t limited to December, though. All year long, kids of all ages are bombarded by ads for must-have items that promise fun, excitement, and even popularity. Parents often give in, either because they can or because they don t want their children to be deprived. The result? Kids can become selfish and self-centered, and families priorities can shift from heavenly things to earthly things. Here are some tips for taming the materialism monster this so you can concentrate on the good news of Jesus birth: Emphasize nonmaterial values. Spend time as a family doing activities besides shopping. Help children explore their values. Instead of just saying no to every request, discover what s important to kids and why. Recognize various forms of overindulgence. Don t indulge kids emotionally by expecting too much or too little of them. Set limits, as well as ageappropriate chores.

2 Religious Education Advent Alms-Giving Project Immaculate Conception Changes Class Schedule Each year during Advent, the Religious Education Office sponsors an alms-giving project. We choose a charity, and then ask the children to save up a portion of their allowance, or do extra chores at home for which they earn a little extra money. And then they donate that money to our chosen charity. This year, our charity is the Helen Keller International ChildSight Program. ChildSight provides a vision screening and pair of prescription eyeglasses to children living in poverty in the United States, China, Indonesia and Viet Nam. Beginning November 30th, when your kids come to class, they ll find a tree in the Parish Center. Next to the tree will be our almsgiving box where they can donate their nickels, dimes and quarters. Then they take a smiley-faced ornament (like the one on the right), decorate it if they want to, and place it on the tree. By the end of Advent, we hope to have a beautifully decorated tree and enough money to make a BIG difference in the lives of many needy children. This year, we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tuesday, December 8th. As it is a Holy Day of Obligation, there will be NO REGU- LAR CLASSES FOR GRADES K-8 on December 8th. (Monday and Wednesday classes will meet as usual.) In place of classes we will offer a Holy Day Mass at 4 pm. We invite and encourage all children and youth and their families to attend the Mass. If you cannot attend at 4 pm, Masses will also be offered at 8:15 am and at 7:30 pm on December 8th. Another Advent Schedule Change Our past charities have included Haiti Schools (post earth-quake), the Diocese of Guntur, India (post tsunami), Almost Home Kids, the Heifer Project, Watts of Love and last year s project, Operation Smile, for which we collected over $600! Advent Services During Class Sessions Beginning on Monday, November 30th, and continuing thru Sunday, December 20th, all PreK thru 5th graders will have an Advent Service the last 15 minutes of each session. During these services, we introduce the children to the story of the Jesse Tree. Jesse was the father of the great King David of the Old Testament. He is often looked upon as the first person in the genealogy of Jesus. In Church art, a design developed showing the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical personages. This design showed a branched tree growing from a reclining figure of Jesse. The various branches had pictures of other Old and New Testament figures who were ancestors of Jesus. At the top of the tree were figures of Mary and Jesus. This design was used mostly in stained glass windows in some of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. Here at SMMP, we will create our own Jesse Tree (to rival those beautiful stained glass windows) with ornaments made during class by our 4th graders. More ornaments will be added to our tree at each Advent Service. Parents are most welcome to attend Advent Services. Our original calendar included regular classes in session through Wednesday, December 23rd, before break began. After consultation with our Christian Education Commission, we have decided NOT to have classes for Grades K-8 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 21st thru the 23rd. However, we would like to invite all our families to a special Advent Prayer Service on Monday, December 21st, at 4 pm in the Church. The Prayer Service will be followed by a Cookies & Punch reception in the Parish Center. (We ll be asking for donations of cookies for this event. More info about that soon!) The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. John 1:9

3 MEDIA MADNESS CULTURE & TRENDS MOVIE Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Rating: PG-13 Cast: Harrison Ford, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver Synopsis: The plot for this movie, set 30 years after The Return of the Jedi, is rumored to revolve around Han Solo and Princess Leia s kids. Many actors from the original films are back along with new, diverse faces. Our Take: It remains to be seen whether the year s biggest movie will be the year s best movie. Now that Disney owns the franchise, expect it to be family friendly. Director J.J. Abrams commitment to real-life special effects rather than digital ones offers hope that he ll stay true to the original films. Games, Sites & Apps Fish, Fish, Squish! In this board game by Winning Moves, the goal is to be the last person with an unsquished dough fish. Gameplay also involves matching cards, so kids work on their memory. The game, which takes about 20 minutes, is for ages 5 and up. American Folklore At AmericanFolklore.net, parents and children can learn about folktales, myths, and fairy tales from throughout the United States and from various cultures. The site also features riddles and tongue twisters. Just beware that one section of the site features ghost stories. MUSIC Title: Purpose Author: Justin Bieber Synopsis: The 21-year-old singer s fourth album and much-anticipated comeback has generated lots of buzz. Bieber is collaborating with bigger names, and the first single, What Do You Mean? debuted at #1 a first for him. Our Take: Beware. Bieber seemed to gain fame and fortune before knowing his true identity and purpose, and his poor choices have been welldocumented. Bieber s fans, known as Beliebers, remain faithful, though parents are watching to see if he s changed. In the past, the singer has been vocal about his Christian faith, and he s reportedly been consulting with religious advisers. David Wiesner s Spot The Caldecott-winning picture-book creator merges art and tech in this visual adventure. Kids explore tiny worlds through an ipad s pinchand-zoom features. With its character and depth, this app promises worlds of fun for users (ages 4 and up, $4.99). STEAM-Inspired Toys Many parents are introducing kids to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math through play. Toys that spur curiosity and creativity include Project Mc2 dolls, which come with science-experiment kits. The dolls also star in their own Netflix show. (fortune.com) Safe or Sorry? With school shootings on the rise, lockdown and active-shooter drills are the new fire drill. But some experts say those scare students unnecessarily and take resources from other crime-prevention areas, such as sexual abuse. (huffingtonpost.com) QUICK STATS Older Adoptees Almost 20% of kids who are adopted these days are preteens. Yet each year about 23,000 kids age out of the fostercare system; in other words, they turn 18 before being placed in a permanent home. (psychcentral.com) Low-Tech Joys Don t rush out to splurge on e-readers for your kids this holiday season. Two-thirds of 6- to 8-year-olds still prefer paper books over ebooks and the same number say they ll always prefer traditional tomes. (scholastic.com) This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.

4 December SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 6 9:45 am, st Reconciliation Option 1, 7pm 8 NO K-8 ; Immaculate Conception Mass, 4 pm 5:15 pm, 1st Reconciliation Option 2, 7pm 5:15 pm, am, am, 13 9:45 am, 12 Parish Advent Reconciliation Service am, 20 9:45 am, NO PreK & K 21 NO K-8 ; Advent Prayer Reception to follow Eve Children s Mass; 6 pm 31 New Year s Eve 25 Day 26 NO 1-5

5 Help Your Kids Understand the December Gospels The 12 Days of Family Activities December 6, 2015 Luke 3:1-6 Second Sunday of Advent In today's Gospel, Luke begins by calling attention to all the politicians and current events that were happening at the time John the Baptist appeared in the desert to announce the coming of Christ. By doing this Luke shows that John the Baptist is announcing that salvation is coming for all people everywhere. John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus, we too are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives the coming of the Lord, as John did. December 13, 2015 Luke 3:10-18 Third Sunday of Advent Today, the crowds ask John the Baptist for specifics. What evidence of repentance is required? John replies by naming concrete actions: people should share their food and cloaks; tax collectors should be just; soldiers should act fairly. The concern for justice is a hallmark of Luke's Gospel. When the crowd begins to wonder if John the Baptist might be the Messiah, John interprets his baptism and makes it clear that his ministry is in preparation for the Messiah. By encouraging the crowd to act similarly in accordance with their stations in life, John's teaching suggests that each person has a role to play in God's salvation. December 20, 2015 Luke 1:39-45 Fourth Sunday of Advent It is appropriate in this season of Advent that we consider the role of Mary in God's plan of salvation. Today, Elizabeth describes Mary as the first disciple, as the one who believed that God's word to her would be fulfilled. Mary's faith enabled her to recognize the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to everyone. Because of this, Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan for salvation. December 25, 2015 Nativity of the Lord There are four Masses that are celebrated for the feast of, and each is given its own set of readings to help us contemplate Christ's birth. The Gospel for Eve gives us the genealogy of Jesus and the angel's announcement of the birth to Joseph, along with Joseph s acceptance of his role in God s plan. The Mass at midnight proclaims the birth of Jesus through the angels' announcement to the shepherds in the Gospel of Luke. The reading for the mass at dawn on morning continues the story of the birth of Jesus as found in Luke's Gospel with the shepherds' visit to the infant Jesus. Finally, the Gospel for Mass during the day is taken from the beginning of John's Gospel. It is not an Infancy Narrative like those found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Instead, John's Gospel starts at the very beginning of time and presents Creation as the framework for announcing the birth of Jesus. John's opening words echo the first verse in the Book of Genesis, In the beginning was the Word. December 27, 2015 Luke 2:41-52 Holy Family Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are presented in this Gospel as a faithful Jewish family. They are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, an event shared each year with family and friends. Jesus gets separated from his parents and then is found. Luke describes Jesus as being seated in the Temple in the midst of the Jewish teachers. Although he is young, Jesus seems not to need teaching about his Jewish tradition. In his dialogue with these learned teachers, Jesus astounds them with his insight and understanding. Jesus is a child of Israel. His Father is God. Families can use the themes from the verses of the song, The 12 Days of to remember God s gifts each day. Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree The partridge represents Christ because, like Christ, the partridge is wiling to sacrifice its life to protect its young. Make a dessert with fresh pears and chocolate sauce today. Day 2: Two Turtle Doves The two doves represent the Old Testament and the New Testament. The dove is also a symbol of peace. Today, as your family gathers for breakfast, draw names out of a basket and promise to pray for the person whose name you draw. Day 3: Three French Hens The three hens symbolize faith, hope and love. Serve a special chicken dish or Cornish hens for dinner this evening. Day 4: Four Calling Birds Four calling birds symbolize the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Purchase some birdseed and feed the birds today. Day 5: Five Golden Rings Five golden rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament. Have mini donuts for dessert. The first person who can name the Old Testament Books gets an extra donut. Day 6: Six Geese A-Laying The six geese represent the six days of creation. Have a egg hunt. Day 7: Seven Swans A-Swimming The swans represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Tell the story of The Ugly Duckling which reminds us that beauty can be found in surprising places. During dinner, invite each family member to share the most beautiful thing they saw during the day. Day 8: Eight Maids A-Milking The eight maids represent the Beatitudes. Have icecream for dessert and see who can remember all eight Beatitudes. Day 9: Nine Ladies Dancing Nine ladies dancing represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. See who in your family can name the most. Hint; the first 3 are love, joy, peace Then put on some fun music and have a family dance party. Day 10: Ten Lords-a-Leaping The ten lords represent the Ten Commandments. Go on a walk with the whole family and see how many of the Commandments you can name. Day 11: Eleven Pipers Piping The pipers represent the eleven faithful Apostles. Name and sing some of your favorite songs of faith. Day 12: Twelve Drummers Drumming The drummers represent the twelve points of belief in the Apostle s Creed. Read it together and spend some time in reflection on those twelve points.