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Transcription

1 Here s the problem: we all know that Advent is the beginning of the Church year, a time of hushed anticipation and spiritual reflection. But more often than not, it gets lost in the shuffle of Christmas planning and Christmas shopping and Christmas anxiety in fact, sometimes it feels like this holy penitential season gets lost altogether! It doesn t have to be that way. With a little thoughtfulness and preplanning, you can create the space and mood that you need to fully anticipate the coming of Our Lord. Perhaps, this Advent, you can take a look at how you invest time. That's right, time. Do we just spend it, mark it, kill it, endure it, run through it without thinking? Or is time a precious commodity, something we treasure and use to the fullest? Honestly, since our time is about human life, love, and choices, it can be considered an investment that we make. When we stop and think about it, we want to be fully conscious about how we use this gift from God. For example, you might think about the way you invest your time and change the way you take on so much. So many parties. So much food. So many gifts. If you can be more thoughtful in your planning, then you ll discover the ultimate secret of the season: that when it comes to material things, less is more Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 1

2 Then there are the simple liturgical celebrations where time (chronos) stops and we enter God's time (kairos). It's mystical and yet very down-to-earth as we join with brothers and sisters all over the world to bring our hopes, fears, and joys to God along with the infinite self-giving of Christ in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. So an easy yet powerful way you can stay connected to the season s meaning is by celebrating the feasts of Advent: Dec. 6 is the feast of St. Nicholas, a third-century bishop, known as a miracle worker and a giver of secret gifts. Celebrate with surprise candies for people you love, a surprise gift for someone who is lonely, or a surprise donation to a favorite charity. On Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we honor Our Lady who was conceived without sin. It s a holy day of obligation, so plan to attend Mass! On Dec. 12, we commemorate Our Lady of Guadalupe. It s a great day to join any Mexican neighbors who may be hosting a procession for this event. When Mary appeared at Tepeyac, she had the same features as those native to that area. We can take a cue from Mary and show compassion concretely for the poor in our midst. On Dec. 13, we celebrate the feast of St. Lucy, a fourth-century martyr, whose name and feast day are associated with light. It s a great day to light candles and ask St. Lucy to pray for your special intentions. Note that most of the activities in this guide are designed for families, but can easily be adapted for a couple or a single individual. We just know how chaotic it can feel to try and get families organized for the holidays, so we ve included a lot of ideas for ways to simplify your life. Here s another idea: use the hashtag #PutJesusFirst on social media throughout the Advent season. We ll be posting, too. With a little effort, we can all recover the joy and meaning of the season! With our prayers and best wishes for a beautiful Advent and Christmas, The Daughters of St. Paul 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 2

3 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK ONE This first weekend, November 4-6, is for planning. Set aside some time to pull all the things you need to get organized into one place. Make it a family event: bake some cookies, fill your mugs with hot chocolate or tea, and gather round the table or living room. Make sure that you take care of yourself this season: Promise yourself that you will go to Mass every Sunday during Advent. At your parish church you won t see glittery decorations, you won t hear jolly jingles about snowmen and sleigh bells. Instead, you will see a wreath with candles. You will hear words like waiting, watching, and yearning, and you will listen to plaintive music that expresses a deep longing for the coming of the Lord. What to do this week: 1. Travel: Decide this weekend whether you re going to travel for Christmas. If you are, make the necessary arrangements and reservations now. 2. Visitors: Maybe rather than traveling you have friends and family coming to stay with you. Make sure that you have everything that you ll need on hand and that you know their schedules. Will you need to purchase anything before they come? Do special cleaning? This is the weekend to make sure that you re on top of everything their visit will entail. 3. Holiday budget: There s a lot of pressure at this time of year to spend, and a lot of stress around money. Relieve that stress by working out your budget now. How much can you reasonably spend on gifts? On entertaining? Be realistic, and put real figures into your planning. And don t forget that part of the stress attached to holidays is around money: don t wear out your credit cards, or you ll just be creating more stress for January when you need to start paying them off. 4. Christmas gifts: If you haven t already started one, create your gift list this weekend. You know that putting off decisions around what to get for whom won t get any easier as time goes by, so discipline yourself to make the list now Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 3

4 5. Christmas cards: Whether you re mailing or ing, select your cards now so that you can get just the right design. If you re going to send them via regular mail, then buy enough stamps now to send them all out, so you won t have to wait in line later. 6. Advent wreaths and calendars: This is the time to make sure you have candles ready for your family Advent wreath, and to pick out an Advent calendar. Prayer for the week Blessed Lord, you are the center of my life and my world. Help me to keep that perspective as the demands of the season press in on me. Grant me patience and perseverance to cut through the hype and stay calm, recollected, and thoughtful. Amen. Reading for the week The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot: he shall do what is right and just in the land. (Jeremiah 33:14,15) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 4

5 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK TWO Two weeks to Advent! November 11-13: This is the weekend to get organized. What do you want Advent to look like in your home? How can you and your family best live out this time of expectation? Remembering that activities are what children (and adults!) remember most, choose a project that will make this Advent meaningful for you and your family. Here are some possible Advent projects for you to prayerfully take on: Visit a local farm and step inside the stables, then discuss with your children what it may have felt like for Mary and Joseph to take refuge in a place like that. Shop together for four toys (one for each week of Advent) that you can wrap and donate to organizations offering toys to families in need. Once a week, take 15 minutes to write Christmas cards to troops stationed overseas. Pay anonymously for the Santa pictures of the person in back of you in line. Fast from one meal each week, and donate the cost of that meal to your parish or an organization providing food to needy families and individuals. Talk with your children about how hunger feels. Institute daily family prayer time. Read an Advent-oriented Scripture passage together and talk about its meaning, then pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Light the week s candle on your Advent wreath together. Set up a nativity set with the manger empty and the wise men at the other end of the room or house. Throughout the Advent season the wise men move closer to the manager, and of course on Christmas morning the Baby Jesus appears in the manger. (If you order a set from worldnativity.com, your children will be reminded that Jesus came for everyone in the world, since their sets come from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and 100% of the proceeds go to charitable causes in developing countries. Another option is YonderStar.com, where 10% goes to Food for the Poor and the Nature Conservancy.) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 5

6 What to do this week: 1. Decide what Advent project(s) would make sense for your family to take on, and talk about the one(s) you choose. Who is going to make them happen? This should take up most of your time and thought, because this is the Advent you focus on a meaningful family project. 2. Order or purchase a nativity set if you don t already have one. 3. Stock up on Christmas movies, if your family likes them, or note the times that they ll be broadcast on television on your calendar. And don t forget the Grinch! Make sure that you can watch at least a few of them together. Prayer for the week Holy Father, help us to keep calm and connected throughout this Advent as we wait in hope and love for the coming of our Savior. The greatest Christmas gift of all is ours; help us to be aware of that at every moment of this busy season of preparation. Amen. Our Father Reading for the week Who has gone up to heaven and come down again? Who has cupped the wind in his hands? Who has bound up the waters in a clock? Who has marked out all the ends of the earth? What is his name, what is his son s name, if you know it? (Proverbs 30:4) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 6

7 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK THREE One week to Advent! November 18-25: This is your week to get your shopping done. Now is the time to purchase everything that you can in advance of the holiday season. You ve already planned out any major meals you re anticipating, so purchase your canned goods, paper goods, frozen foods even a frozen turkey now. What to do this week: 1. Decorations: If you need greenery for your Advent wreath, you ll want to pick that up now. Also, any decorations that you want for your home to spruce it up for Advent. 2. Get the house ready: This is also time to do a good thorough housecleaning. 3. Christmas gifts: And of course this is the time for shopping for gifts. Whether you re doing it online or in the shops, this is the week to get it done. You already have your list and your budget; waiting any longer is not going to make it easier (you know that s true!). Doing your gift shopping this early means that there s still plenty of time to wrap and mail gifts that you re sending to people and will give you more time and leisure during Advent while everyone else is in the stores. Let s think about Christmas gifts for a few minutes. Quick question for you: What was the one gift you remember getting for Christmas last year? Next question: What about the fourth gift? Do you remember that one? Truth is many of us don t, because it wasn t something we necessarily wanted or needed. Spending less isn t a call to stop giving gifts; it s a call to stop spending money on gifts we won t remember in less than a year. America spends around 600 billion dollars during the Christmas season, and much of that is joyless and goes right onto a credit card. By spending wisely on gifts, we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart. (Advent Conspiracy) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 7

8 And while we understand the joy that presents bring, consider making this the year you begin giving gifts that aren t going to wear out or get broken. There are a number of different gift options that are less stressful to shop for, that last longer, and help many more people, gifts that put Jesus first by taking him at his word: Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, this you do unto me. Prayerfully consider giving a gift to Jesus through an organization that helps the least of my brothers and that might replace some of the stuff that no one really needs. Some of those options are Kiva gift cards ( For $25.00, your gift recipient makes a micro-loan to an individual or group in the developing world. Your recipient chooses where in the world they want to help, and which specific person or business they want the money to go to. This is a loan that will be repaid and can then be re-loaned out again, so it s a gift that can continue for years. Your family may not realize that many children go to sleep at night without food or worse without enough water to drink. These are pressing needs and any of the following organizations allows you to make a donation in your gift recipient s name and will provide a card you can give to the recipient: Action Against Hunger ( One Acre Fund ( the Water Project (thewaterproject.org/), and Generosity ( You might also give a check, made out in the amount of the gift, with directions to the recipient to go to Catholic Charities of America ( and look for a group or organization that they might want to support. This is a particularly good exercise for older children and teenagers, as the process encourages them to think critically about their values and priorities. Prayer for the week Holy Father, help my family to always reach out to others in whatever ways we can. Help us to give freely of what you have entrusted to our care, and always be thankful for what we have. Amen. Our Father 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 8

9 Reading for the week A voice cries out in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low. The rugged land will be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. (Isaiah 40: 3,4) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 9

10 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK FOUR Welcome to Advent! November 25-December 2: Now is the time to focus on the themes of Advent, and the first one is HOPE. Some of what you do this week will be predicated by your family s traditions. Some families put up their Christmas trees the first week of Advent, while others wait until Christmas Eve. At the end of this guide is a blessing for the Christmas tree; whenever you put it up, make sure that you gather the family and say the blessing before you decorate it. Hope and waiting go hand in hand. Waiting is difficult! We expect everything to be at our fingertips the moment we have the desire for it. It's a world that we're all growing into, and it's addicting. We live in a world of easy downloads, instantaneous , entertainment on-demand, and food prepared in a few minutes. Yet God finds ways of making us wait. Advent is about faith and waiting. What are you waiting on God for this year? Remember the years of silence as God's people waited for the Messiah. Take time today, right now, to reflect on the fact that God's timing is quite different from ours. What to do this week: This is the week to wrap and mail Christmas gifts that are going to friends and family far away. There won t be long lines at the post office, and you ll be secure in the knowledge that everything was received in good time to be placed under other people s trees. This is also the week to find out from your children s school(s) what will be required of you for the season. Many schools have holiday parties to which you ll want to contribute. Find out all the specifics so there s no panic the night before ( But Mom, I said I d bring three dozen cookies! ) Family activities: o This is the beginning of a new year. Create a decorative graffiti poster of things you have faith God will do for you in the coming year. This is a great time to teach your children about the concept of faith. Display it in a prominent place in your home Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 10

11 o Encourage someone you know who is weary of waiting. Remind them of God's promises. In fact, the best way to have the best Advent ever is to make of many of the activities a family ritual. Many of the Advent activities we suggested you think about lend themselves to the family gathering and performing them together: the lighting of the Advent wreath, the placing of the elements of your nativity scene, the decorating of the Christmas tree. These gestures are not meaningful in and of themselves; we are the ones to imbue them with meaning. By creating memorable activities around Advent, you re giving a lasting gift to your children, who will be able to pass them on in turn. This week s theme is hope, and there are a number of activities that you can do. Sit together and have everyone write down what they hope for in life. Is it world peace? A good job? Joining a sports team? Taking a class? We hope for many things in life, and looking at what it is that we hope for helps us grow as individuals. What are your hopes for your family? Write them all down on bits of paper and put them into a jar with the label HOPE on it. You can revisit them next year and see if any of them have come true, or if you changed the things that you hope for. Putting Jesus first, this first week of Advent, means keeping hope alive in our hearts. We hope that the coming of Christ into our world will sanctify that world, and that we can be the instruments of God s hope for humanity. Try and make a practice of praying together every evening. It s not always possible, life gets in the way; but if you try to do it every night, then you will end up doing it more often than if you just sit back and see when it s convenient. One excellent practice is to light the candles on your Advent wreath together every night. The Advent Wreath The Advent wreath is circular: it has no beginning and no end, reminding us both of God s unending love for us and of the gift of his Son Jesus, who said that he was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Many Advent wreaths 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 11

12 are made of fresh evergreens, representing a sign of life in a lifeless winter. They point to new life and the hope of eternal life that we find in Christ. The five candles contrast darkness and light. They are lit in succession, one more each week as we count the Sundays in Advent, waiting for Christ's birth, the wreath getting brighter and brighter as we move closer and closer to the light. We are also reminded of those who waited thousands of years for the Messiah. Three of the candles are purple, the traditional color of royalty and of penitence, used in the seasons of preparation. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, a fifth candle the Christ candle can be lit. Jesus is the light of the world, and the darkness has not put that light out. 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. As you light the candles, note both the increasing light as we draw closer to the Light of the World, and also pay attention to the theme of that week Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 12

13 Advent Wreath, Week One of Advent Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this first Sunday in Advent, then do this reading based on Genesis 1:1-5: Person A: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. Person B: A wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light." Person C: And there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Person D: God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. All: And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Prayer for the week Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to prepare the way for our salvation, as we light this candle and begin this new Advent season, shine the light of your hope into our hearts and into our world, give us grace to heed the words of the prophets, to live in hope of the coming of Christ, not just as a baby in Bethlehem but also at the end of time. Amen. Our Father Reading for the week The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. (Psalms 72:10-11) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 13

14 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK FIVE It s the second week of Advent! December 2-9: This past week we ve been focusing on the theme of HOPE, and this week we move to the second theme: PEACE. The coming of Christ is the coming of the Prince of Peace, and while the world around us might not reflect it, we can strive to have peace in our hearts. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). In a world filled with war and violence, it s difficult to see how Jesus could be an all-powerful God who acts in human history and be the embodiment of peace. But physical safety and political harmony don t necessarily reflect the kind of peace that Jesus brings (John 14:27). What to do this week: This week is your week to send out those Christmas cards that you bought back in Week Two of this planner. Put on some music, heat up some apple cider, and get your address book out! You ve already bought your stamps, so put it all together and you re good to go. What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week. Make sure that you haven t forgotten anything at the store, because you want this to be the last time you have to go. Wrapping paper? Tape? Stocking stuffers? Don t forget a thank-you gift for all the people who make your life easier: your letter carrier, your trash collector, office support personnel, bank tellers. If you bake Christmas cookies, now s the time to plan them out and purchase all the necessary ingredients. Family activities: o Identify distractions. Don't allow the stress of the Christmas season to distract you from what is really is important. Spend more time 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 14

15 with the family and less time at the mall. Simplify your life. Be still and listen to God's voice. o Notice God's hand. Reflect on this past year. Perhaps you, like many, have faced financial difficulty. Or maybe you've escaped danger or disease through an unforeseen miracle. Perhaps this year has been a time of suffering or relationship disasters. How has God carried you through all these things? o Ask God to give you direction. Advent Wreath, Week Two of Advent Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this second Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together: Person A: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, Person B: out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Person C: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah All: For out of you shall come a Ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel. Prayer for the week Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, union. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 15

16 O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. (prayer for peace of St. Francis of Assisi) Reading for the week For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:5) 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 16

17 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK SIX It s the third week of Advent! December 9-16: This past week we ve been focusing on the theme of PEACE, and this week we move to the third theme: JOY. Joy. It s not part of our common vocabulary, is it? No one gets up and thinks, Wow, I m feeling really joyful today. It denotes something more substantial than happiness, something deeper and in many ways more subtle. Part of our problem is that we ve got the wrong idea about joy. We tend to connect it with happiness and think that joy depends on our circumstances. You can t have joy by going from one party to another or frantically racing through the shopping mall. In fact, going to the mall this time of year is an excellent way to lose your joy. (Ray Pritchard) For many of us, Christmas is the time when we do actually think most about joy, if only because the carols we sing keep reminding us of it. Joy to the world, the Lord is come, O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong? Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice, Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with th angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Our joy comes from the knowledge of God s love, expressed to us through the most amazing of Christmas presents, the gift of his son. He loved you so much that he sent Jesus. How can you not be joyful? What to do this week: Are all the batteries you ll be needing recharged? If you ve bought gifts that require batteries, now s the time to make sure you have the right sizes. And if your camera or other equipment requires batteries, you ll need to purchase or recharge them now. If this is the week that you put up and decorate your tree, go for it! There s a blessing at the end of this guide. Make sure that you have boxes or tins for your Christmas baking Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 17

18 What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week. Family activities: o Invite each family member to share one thing that they're trusting God to handle. o Write a note to someone who is experiencing fear and worry. Let them know you're praying that God will give them the courage they need. o Make an inventory of the things that bring you joy. o Make the time and space to share a meal and a fun experience. This is such a busy week! Don't miss the joy of sharing the experience of Advent with each other. Advent Wreath, Week Three of Advent Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. On the third Sunday of Advent, we light three candles. Watch the light grow and fill the room with its soft glow. The third candle on our Advent wreath is called the Shepherds Candle. It reminds us of what the shepherds did. The third candle of Advent is also the candle of joy. When the angel Gabriel told Mary that a special child would be born to her she was filled with joy. She sang a song that began with the words: My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior." Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this third Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together: Person A: Such was his intention when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream and said to him: Person B: Joseph, Son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child. Person C: She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 18

19 Person D: All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: All: The virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel. Prayer for the week God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Our Father Reading for the week O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 19

20 PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK SEVEN It s the fourth week of Advent! December 16-23: This past week we ve been focusing on the theme of JOY, and this week we move to the fourth theme: LOVE. God is love. We ve heard the phrase so much that it s become a truism; but stop this week and really think about it. God. Is. Love. If you want to know how to love each other, look at the love that sent Jesus to earth to live a life of love and pay the price for all of our sins. It's all about love. This isn't a love of fancy words and impossible tasks. This is a love that says, "I am willing to love you no matter what. We can love because God first loved us. What to do this week: This can be a very hectic week, but hopefully you ve reduced the stress by following this guide and planning ahead. Still, there s no getting around the fact that there is present-wrapping, cooking and baking to be done, and eventually stockings to be stuffed. Breathe deeply when you start feeling stressed, and say a simple prayer: O come, o come, Emmanuel. What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week. Enjoy the week! Invite carolers in for hot cider, or go caroling yourself. If this is the week you put up and decorate your Christmas tree, make sure to refer to the end of this guide for a blessing. Family activities: o Share a time in your life when you felt most loved by God. o Invite a friend to Christmas mass at your parish. Most people become a part of a church because they're invited by a friend. o Are you striving to love people the same way Christ loved you? o Watch a movie that depicts the life of Christ, such as The Young Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, or The Nativity Story. Consider the difference in the fictional tales of Christmas and the true story of Jesus' birth Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 20

21 Advent Wreath, Week Four of Advent Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we light all four candles on our Advent wreath. Christmas is now just days away. Anticipation is mounting. The light is increasing! The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of love. God s love is a perfect love. It holds nothing back. God, in love, gives us everything we need to live a life of hope and peace. Once the candle has been lit for this fourth Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together: Person A: In those days Caesar Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the whole world. Everyone went to register, each to his own town. Person B: And so Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to David s town of Bethlehem, to register with Mary, his espoused wife, who was with child. Person C: While they were there the days of her confinement were completed. She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged. Person D: There were shepherds in that locality, living in the fields and keeping night watch by turns over their flocks. The angel of the Lord appeared to them as the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very much afraid. All: The angel said to them, You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people. This day in David s city a savior has been born to you, the Messiah and Lord Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 21

22 Prayer for the week God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. He is a sign of your love. Help us walk in that love during the Christmas season, As we wait and prepare for his coming. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen. Reading for the week Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in high heaven, peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another: Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us. They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 22

23 The Blessing of the Christmas Tree All make the sign of the cross as the leader says: Blessed be the name of the Lord. All reply: Now and for ever. Reading: In the beginning was the Word; the Word was in God s presence, and the Word was God. He was present to God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, and apart from him nothing came to be. Whatever came to be in him found life, life for the light of men. The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it. Prayer: Lord our God, we praise you for the light of creation: the sun, the moon, and the stars of the night. We praise you for the light of Israel: the Law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Scriptures. We praise you for Jesus Christ, your Son: he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Prince of Peace, who fills us with the wonder of your love. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we illumine this tree. May the light and cheer it gives be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts. May all who delight in this tree come to the knowledge and joy of salvation. All: Amen. Please share and spread the Good News of Jesus Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 23

24 2016 Daughters of St. Paul Find us online at 24