(NOTE: I just happened to find this fabulous quote from St. Augustine this morning while paging through the Liturgy of the Hours, and had to share it with you. It’s the exact message taught in this month’s classroom lessons – only much more brilliantly expressed!) God established a time for his promises and a time [...]
Posted tagged ‘Advent’
The Lord Keeps His Promises
December 8, 2009The One Who Has Hope Lives Differently
December 2, 2009This week’s Family Formation lesson on Hope is a perfect transition between the somber tone of November and the fulfillment of the promise we celebrate with the birth of Christ. The Holy Father wrote: “… a distinguishing mark of Christians [is] the fact that they have a future: it is not that they know the [...]
The Season of Advent
December 1, 2009Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with [...]
The Feast of Saint Andrew: “The Christmas Novena”
November 30, 2009Today marks the Feast of Saint Andrew and the beginning of what is traditionally called “The Christmas Novena”. Although a Novena is often a prayer lasting nine days, the term can also be used to refer to a prayer repeated over several days. This simple prayer implores the Lord to grant requests in the name [...]
Happy New Year!
November 28, 2009The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year so do something to celebrate tomorrow! Begin using your new Liturgical Calendar and the stories from your cycle C copy of Our Sabbath Scripture Book.
Countdown to Advent – Decorating
November 23, 2009Advent is a season of waiting and preparing, and like Lent the color used by the Church to represent this mood is violet (purple). Consider setting aside the typical red and green and instead using this color around your house (on your prayer table, a runner or tablecloth in your dining room, even using purple [...]
Countdown to Advent – Penance and Prayer
November 23, 2009Advent has a bit of a penitential character as we wait and prepare for the coming of Christ, and it’s very appropriate that we work to grow in holiness through acts of penance or through an increase in pious acts. For example: Watch less television. (This sacrifice will give the added benefit of decreasing your [...]
Countdown to Advent – The Rosary
November 20, 2009During Advent it is especially appropriate to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and to reflect upon the words of the Hail Mary. One year, we got together with another Family Formation family each of the four Sundays in Advent for a time of fun and prayer as we prayed the Rosary together. What [...]
Countdown to Advent-Jesse Tree
November 17, 2009Make the Jesse Tree ornaments you color this year a treasured part of your family’s Advent tradition. To help them last over the years, you may want to decoupage them onto wooden disks (available at craft stores) or simply laminate them. The best way would be to color the the ornaments and then bring the [...]
Matt Brounstein
Sue Klejeski
Molly Koop
