PUBLIHING GROUP: PRODUCT PREVIEW Absolutely Advent! Day by Day to Christmas 2009 During this season that struggles for attention against the blares of TV ads and the rings of cash registers, it s truly challenge to draw children into the real spirit of Advent. Absolutely Advent! gives children in intermediate grades a daily dose of the real reason for the season. Each of the daily pages November 29 through December 24 (plus a bonus page for Christmas) gives children a brief quote from the day s Gospel, a reflection on what the Gospel message means for their lives today, and a game, puzzle, or activity to reinforce that message. 32 pages, 6 x 9 #H3558 Games, puzzles, and activities include: ymbols of the eason including the Advent Wreath, Flowers of the Holy Night, The Great O Antiphons, and Bells. Word games, puzzles, rebuses, and more help the readers learn what it means to wait in joyful and prayerful anticipation during the Advent season. ample pages you ll find in this Product Preview: Introduction: During Advent We Try Harder (page 3) ymbols of the eason: The Wreath (page 4) Third Thursday of Advent (page 28) croll down to view the pages Third Friday of Advent (page 29)
During Advent, We Try Harder Did you ever notice that Lent gets a lot more attention than Advent? Lent has a public kickoff day with Ash Wednesday. It even gets TV coverage. Everyone talks about what they are doing for Lent. On Fridays, those of us 14 or older give up meat. And Lent has the grand finale, Holy Week, with all its special liturgies. ure, Lent lasts longer than Advent, and Easter is the most important feast of the Church year, but we all know the REAL reason Advent gets less attention. It comes at a bad time of year! Everybody s busy getting ready for Christmas! hopping, baking, decorating, making lists and checking them twice. There s a lot going on to distract us from our efforts to prepare spiritually for Christ s birth. o, we have to try harder. It might be easier than you think. Most of the secular holiday decorations, traditions, and symbols have a spiritual origin, stemming from the reason for the season Jesus birth. Consider the five things on the left, all things you see or hear at this time of year. ee if you can match each with its spiritual origin. 1. Twinkling lights 2. Carols 3. anta Claus 4. Gift-giving 5. Candles a. Magi b. t. Nicholas c. Jesus, the Light of the World d. star of Bethlehem e. angels singing This Advent, when you hear, see, or think about any of these five things, recall its origin and say this simple prayer, Come, Lord Jesus, come!
The Wreath The most familiar symbol of Advent is the Advent wreath. Usually made from evergreen boughs, the Advent wreath holds three violet candles and one rose. There will be a wreath at church this week, and the first candle will be lighted. Perhaps your family has a wreath at home where you gather each day to pray as you wait for the Christ Child. A wreath s circle shape has many positive meanings. Circles symbolize unity, perfection, eternity, equality, neverending love all attributes C of God and heaven. O J M E On the Advent wreath, the rose candle symbolizes joy. It is O. lighted on the Third unday of Advent. Do you I know why? To find the I answer, start with the and, moving clockwise, write every other letter as you go around this wreath. N O I G U N
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