It’s time for the annual warning: Don’t succumb to celebrating Christmas before the 25th. Advent deserves a place in our classrooms, homes and hearts.

So, how do we stem the tide of Christmas and honor this wonderful waiting time? First, we need to put an Advent wreath in the center of our December lessons. Begin with the wreath and focus on the lessons of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Assemble the crèche and, as you add the figures, talk about their stories. Shepherds, sheep, angels—all have a prayer and a story as they wait. Of course, leave the manger empty. It’s great fun to hide the Baby Jesus and, in the last minutes of the last Advent class, go looking for him, just as the Jewish people search for the Messiah.

Darkness and light are also a part of this winter season. As you gather around the wreath, turn out the lights and talk about what light means to us as we wait for Christ, our light. But, above all, bring your children to the true meaning of Advent: It is a blessed time to await the wonder. Every year is new again as we encounter the ancient mystery of Emmanuel—“God with us.”
 

Santa Claus and St. Nicholas are the same guy. This is the best-kept secret in the Christmas village. When we teach our children that St. Nicholas is the saint behind the myth, we’re teaching them the true meaning of the generosity of God.

Catholic Update offers a new special issue, “St. Nicholas: The Original Santa Claus,” that every catechist and parent needs in his or her bag of tricks. This issue offers a wealth of information on Old St. Nick and helps us connect the dots between the secular version and the real thing. We should never stop believing in Santa Claus. He is the saint who comes to proclaim that our generous God sent his Son as an act of love and generosity. Connecting those dots might be the best Advent lesson you will ever teach.

Along with our new company name, we also have a new portal for accessing our websites: www.FranciscanMedia.org. There you’ll find all the features you’ve come to rely on us to provide online. One of those is simply refered to as “Seasonal Features.” From Catholic e-greeting cards, to “Sunday Soundbites,” to a video interview, to relevant excerpts from St. Anthony Messenger magazine, the Christmas to Epiphany seasonal feature provides a variety of resources to enrich your celebration of the season of Christmas.

Share this link with your catechists and parishioners so that they too may benefit from the material gathered here. Note that the collection also includes a seasonal feature on Advent and many other holy days and holidays throughout the year.

At Christmastime, I always try to find a gift for catechists that not only shows appreciation for the time and talent they’ve given the parish, but also that’s spiritual or somehow related to Christmas. It also has to be affordable. This year, I have found that gift in A Catholic Christmas by Kathleen M. Carroll.

From the Feast of St. Andrew to the Baptism of Our Lord, Carroll explains why we Catholics celebrate the way we do and the significance that these events hold for us. Do you know why Christmas is celebrated on December 25? How much do you really know about Saints Andrew, Nicholas, Lucy and Stephen? What about the other feasts within this Christmas season? How does it all fit together?

This year, I’m giving our parish catechists A Catholic Christmas to help remind them that Christmas is more than just a day to give presents and eat dinner with family. I’m sure they will enjoy the easy, conversational tone of this book as they grow in understanding of their faith and our Christmas traditions.