ABSOLUTELY ADVENT! For Teens A TEEN S JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2017
A Teen s Journal for Christmas 2017 Chris Broslavick and Tony Pichler
First Friday of Advent December 8 Today s Scripture Reading: Luke 1:37-38 Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Angels come in many different forms and they usually carry a special message. Some angels appear as friends, some as strangers, some as a quiet voice deep inside of you. Pay attention and act accordingly. Oh, don t worry! You will KNOW when a message is from God. The angel Gabriel is having a conversation with Mary about God s desire that she become the mother of Jesus. Let s tune in. [Gabriel says,] For nothing will be impossible with God. Then Mary said, Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. Warm-up: Advent calls us to look inside ourselves, to be reflective. Who and what has carried the message of God to you over this past year? Name those angels. Reflection: Briefly tell about a time when you responded to what you KNEW was God s desire for you to be or to do. 10
First Saturday of Advent December 9 Feast of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Today s Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. This is a very important time because Jesus saw that he and his disciples were too few to teach, to tell the good news, and to heal the sick. He said to his followers that they must ask for more help. Warm-up: The HARVEST is plentiful; the LABORERS are few. Using the letters of the word harvest, can you make at least 15 words? And then can you make as many words from the letters of the word laborers? HARVEST LABORERS 11 Reflection: We understand from this passage that the laborers are those who do God s work among the people. There are many, many people among us, young and old, who are in need of help. What do you do to help others?
The Second Week of Advent The Jesse Tree In the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, Mark quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah to introduce John the Baptist. John has traditionally been seen as the last of the Old Testament characters. He is the last prophet to live in Old Testament times, but also the first to introduce Jesus, to prepare the way for his coming. Well before John the Baptist, a man by the name of Jesse came from the same hometown as Jesus: Bethlehem. Jesse had a son named David. Yes, the same person who took a slingshot and knocked out the giant Goliath with a rock. The same David who became the great king of Israel. The Jesse tree, a special tree adorned with symbols from the Old Testament, honors Jesse, the father of this great king David, and the ancestor of the King of Kings, Jesus. A typical Jesse tree is a drawing, sculpture, or other work of art, that shows a tree rising from a reclined Jesse. Sometimes a real tree or branch is used. This symbolizes that many of the great figures of the Old Testament, starting with King David, came from Jesse. So, Jesse becomes the roots of the Jesse tree. At the top of the tree is Mary, the mother of Jesus, and then Jesus himself. The Jesse tree shows the roots, branches, and foundation of Jesus family tree. What does your family tree look like? A Green Christmas Activity: Christmas is not far away and you are probably in the midst of buying Christmas gifts for family and friends. With gifts come gift wrapping. This year, to save trees from being cut down to wrap your Christmas gifts, try these green Christmas tips. Use recycled paper. Instead of using wrapping paper, use decorative bags that can be reused year after year. If your family does use wrapping paper, place it into your recycle bin instead of in the garbage can. 12
Second Sunday of Advent December 10 Today s Scripture Reading: Mark 1:2-3 What?! You re telling me that a VIP is coming to our house? Usually when a special guest will be arriving at someone s home, those in the household clean the house and put each room in order. It is hospitable and caring to do so. A similar situation is recorded in this Scripture passage from the prophet Isaiah. It was John the Baptist who called ahead to say that Jesus, the Messiah, is coming. Get ready! As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of [John the baptizer] crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Warm-up: Pick up (find) the letters and numbers scattered on this page and put them into the proper drawers. Hint: The structure of the numbers and letters and the labels under the boxes will help you to get everything put away into the right drawers. Think! 9 STRT 5 CRV A X 8 O L 1 F 4 5 P C D 7 V B S R H 2 3 6 STRT/CRV 13 Reflection: In what ways are you using this Advent season to prepare (put your life in order) to be ready for the celebration of Christmas, the coming of Jesus?