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November 20, 2002
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Greetings and welcome to
Faith Formation Update,
a free monthly e-newsletter for catechetical leaders. The focus
is parish catechesis beyond textbooks and classrooms. We hope this
e-newsletter will be a support to you in your ministry by offering
encouragement as well as practical help. Each month we will offer
a different topic, with applications for adult and family catechesis.
I'm Judith
Dunlap. In each issue I'll offer a brief starter
and my "Every Family" column.
My co-worker and fellow religious educator Joan
McKamey will offer video resources and ideas in her "Seen
and Heard" column. Our co-worker Chuck
Blankenship will suggest other faith formation resources for
adults from St. Anthony Messenger Press in his column, "Sowing
Sampler." Finally, we encourage YOU to share views and
program ideas about this month's topic on our online bulletin board,
"Faith Formation Forum."
Blessings on your work!
—Judith
Dunlap
p.s. You're receiving this
either because you signed up, or because you're a loyal customer
of St. Anthony Messenger Press. We will never send you unwanted
e-mail. There is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.
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Years before the General
Directory for Catechesis was published, Dr. Maria Harris
talked about the community as catechist and the curriculum as everything
that goes on in the Church’s life. Maria tells us, “The
Church does not have an educational program; it is
an educational program” (Fashion Me A People: Curriculum
in the Church, Westminster/John Knox Press, p. 47). That means
that at this time of the year, Advent is our textbook and the whole
parish is our classroom.
Advent: When and what
The commercial world begins preparing
for Christmas in early fall, and celebrates Christmas all through
December, pulling the plug on the 25th. That’s not how we do
it in the Church. For us the Christmas season begins on the 25th
and goes on, just like the song says, for 12 days—and then
some! Advent, our season for getting ready, begins four Sundays
before the big day. It is a season for waiting and preparing. While
it anticipates the Christmas season it is not the Christmas season.
So how can we make this point in our ministry?
Parish parties
We make the point first of all
by not scheduling any parish Christmas parties before the 25th.
Encourage catechists and Catholic schoolteachers to involve their
youngsters in planning the parties during December but actually
to celebrate Christmas after winter break.
Better still, plan a big parish-wide
children’s party to happen during the break (the actual
Christmas season). Assign different grades various responsibilities:
making placemats and decorations, designing and sending invitations,
planning entertainment, etc. Teach adults and children about waiting
and preparing by spending Advent getting ready for the party. Bring
gifts to the party for folks in need and celebrate Christ in the
world by being Christ to others. It could be a good lesson for teachers
and students.
Celebrating Christmas
Finally, make a point to celebrate
Christmas as a parish at the appropriate time. Plan faculty or staff
Christmas parties for after the 25th. You might be surprised to
find people grateful for not scheduling one more thing during those
hectic pre-Christmas days. The atmosphere is more tranquil, and
it sure is easier to book a restaurant!
Throughout Advent set a tone of prayerful waiting
by gathering groups together for quiet reflection or active contemplation.
Decorate with the purple of the season, and encourage small acts
of penance by suggesting ways parishioners young and old can share
their time, talent and treasure with others. Most important, remember
to take time for yourself, to breathe in the season and enjoy this
time of quiet preparation and anticipation.
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Advent is a great time to bring
family members together to pray and learn more about their faith.
This can happen at the parish with a number of families or at home
within the family circle. Consider sponsoring a mini-book sale during
Advent. Invite parents to encourage quiet reading time during this
special pre-Christmas season. Choose faith-related reading material
appropriate for all age groups. Include Advent calendars and wreaths
or materials for families to make their own.
Plan a family Advent gathering. Bring families
together to learn more about the season and send them home with
some new ideas on how to celebrate it. You might begin by asking
family members to talk about some of their favorite family Christmas
traditions. Ask them to introduce themselves to the whole group
by telling everyone about one of these favorite traditions. Have
them make Advent wreaths, write a family Advent prayer or design
a Christmas card to send to friends and relatives. Consider
decorating a Jesse Tree for the whole parish to enjoy.
It is so easy to get caught up in the hectic
pace of the commercialized Christmas and forget what Advent and
Christmas are really about. Take every opportunity to remind parents
and children to enjoy this special season by spending time together.
Remind parents that their time and full attention is worth more
than anything any catalog can offer.
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The
First Christmas Crib: A Story of St. Francis of Assisi
(12 minutes, all ages)
The Christmas crib, also called a crèche,
manger or nativity scene, is a familiar sight in our homes, churches
and classrooms throughout Advent and Christmas. The tradition of
these displays is credited to St. Francis of Assisi. Share the story
of the first Christmas crib and the rich meaning of this custom
at an Advent gathering of families. Or, encourage parish families
and catechists to share this video in their homes and classrooms
as they set up their crèches. Click
here to view a video clip from The First Christmas Crib: A Story
of St. Francis of Assisi (Windows
Media Player required). Share the following ideas from the leader’s
guide with parents and catechists.
Enrichment ideas for family or class
• In the spirit of St. Francis whose
first Christmas crib showed Jesus’ humble beginnings, discuss
ways that your Christmas preparations and celebration might be simplified
in order to better focus on the true meaning of the season.
• The hay in the manger provided some
comfort for the baby Jesus. Discuss and commit to bringing some
comfort to the poor and/or homeless this Advent and Christmas (i.e.,
donating blankets to a homeless shelter; collecting coats, gloves
and hats for an agency serving the poor; collecting funds to help
pay the winter heating bill of a poor family; donating food to and/or
serving food at a soup kitchen, etc.).
• Discuss what it means to provide a dwelling place for Jesus
in your heart. Write “There is room for you in my heart,
Jesus” on construction paper hearts, sign them and hang them
on your Christmas tree.
• Place an electric candle in a window
of your home or classroom as a sign that there is room for Jesus
there and in your hearts.
Some other video ideas (click
on the video title for more information)
• Use
Advent: Celebrating the Season to introduce children and
families to the meaning of Advent and some of its traditions (12
minutes, ages 8-13).
• Jesus
Comes walks young children through Advent, Christmas and
Jesus’ early life and helps them discover the joy Christ’s
birth brings (15 minutes, ages 6-10).
• Preparing
for Christmas and Preparing
for Christmas II provide 15-minute reflections for each
week of Advent. Share these before or after Mass or within weekly
sessions to challenge parishioners to slow down and prepare their
hearts for Christmas.
• Share The
Mouse in the Manger, a Christmas classic about friendship
and sharing, with young children and their parents (19 minutes,
all ages).
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Parish-wide formation
The holiday season, in most people’s
experience, is not the most reflective time of year. Advent invites
us to spend a little time reflecting on our Catholic faith: its
origins in Jesus and our reasons for hope. Why not consider offering
a tool for simple daily reflection to everyone in the parish? Each
Advent, Catholic Update offers simple, day-by-day reflections
for personal use. This year's offering, by Phyllis Zagano, is Advent
Day by Day: Search for Light. (You
can sample the full text at our Web site.) Consider distributing
these simple reflections to your entire parish, as a kind of gift
for the season.
Meanwhile, back at the parish...
Advent is the major focus in
December, but there are other things going on in your parish at
that time. Right about now your RCIA team might be looking for an
opportune time to introduce into the parish community a new group
of Inquirers ready to celebrate the Rite of Becoming a Catechumen.
That usually means there are new sponsors who need formation. A
nice seasonal gift to those new sponsors might be a new little booklet
from St. Anthony Messenger Press: Handing
on the Faith: When You Are an RCIA Sponsor, by Rita Burns
Senseman. Becoming a sponsor is a journey in itself, and most sponsors
will appreciate the encouragement that this little booklet will
provide. The experience of their catechumens will be that much richer
as a result.
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How is Advent a catechetical
moment in your parish? Our editors will screen and post your
ideas on our online
bulletin board at AmericanCatholic.org. You can check
the board from time to time to see others' ideas. Submit
your ideas by clicking here.
If you're looking for further ariticles and inspiration for Advent and Christmas, including free Advent and Christmas e-cards, visit the Advent-Christmas feature at AmericanCatholic.org. |
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