The Advent Workshop -- lots of information and activities

CatholicCulture.org ^ | 2007 | Catholic Culture

[Salvation]

For your information and family activities.

[Salvation]

What Is Advent?

Drop down dew ye heavens from above. Let the earth be opened and bud forth the Savior. More about Advent The History, Customs and Folklore of Advent

What Is Advent? Christmas is here! Or is it? Before the end of October one sees the signs of Christmas everywhere. But by the time December 25 arrives, most people are "Christmased" out — too many parties, rich foods and stretched budgets. We Catholics don't need to draw our drapes and twiddle our thumbs while the rest of society is celebrating Christmas in advance. Instead, we can celebrate two seasons: Advent and Christmas. The Church begins a new Liturgical Year on the First Sunday of Advent (December 3rd). During the subsequent four weeks, she prepares with mounting expectation for the coming of Christ in a spirit of waiting, conversion and hope. Next

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Focus on the Liturgy

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord. Stir-Up Sunday Living the Liturgy in the Home

Focus on the Liturgy There are always four Sundays in Advent, though not necessarily four full weeks. The liturgical color of the season is violet or purple, except on the Third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, when optional rose vestments may be worn. The Gloria is not recited during Advent liturgies, but the Alleluia is retained. The prophesies of Isaiah are read often during the Advent season, but all of the readings of Advent focus on the key figures of the Old and New Testaments who were prepared and chosen by God to make the Incarnation possible: the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, Sts. Elizabeth and Zechariah. The expectancy heightens from December 17 to December 24 when the Liturgy resounds with the seven magnificent Messianic titles of the O Antiphons. Previous ~ Next

[Salvation]

History of Advent

Come, Lord, give to us your peace. Then with hearts perfected we may joy in your presence.   The Advent Wreath Penitential Aspect During Advent

History of Advent In 490, Bishop Perpetuus of Tours officially declared Advent a penitential season in the Frankish Church of Western Europe, ordering a fast on three days of every week from November 11 till Christmas. This forty days' fast, similar to Lent, was originally called Quadragesima Sancti Martini (Forty Days' Fast of Saint Martin's). By contrast, the Advent season of the Roman liturgy, developing a century after that of the Frankish Church, was a non-penitential, festive and joyful time of preparation for Christmas. By the thirteenth century a compromise was reached, which combined the fasting and penitential character of the Gallic observance with the Mass texts and shorter four-week cycle of the Roman Advent liturgy. The liturgy of Advent remained substantially unaltered until Vatican II mandated a few minor changes to more clearly delineate the spirit of the Lenten and Advent seasons. Previous ~ Next

[Salvation]

Customs of Advent

For waters are broken out in the desert, and streams in the wilderness. Gifts for Jesus, the Advent Manger Christkindl Brief or Letter to the Christ Child

Customs of Advent The first Sunday of Advent is a good time for each family member to choose a secret "Christkindl" or Christ Child for whom he or she will perform little acts of love — such as a prayer, a small gift, a sacrifice, a note or a piece of candy — throughout Advent. Another such Advent practice is that of having an empty crib or manger, which each family member will soften with straw earned by a sacrifice, a prayer or a work of mercy. After Christmas, the family will gather before the Infant Savior, in his now-padded crib, for their evening prayers or for Scripture reading. When employing new Advent customs within your domestic church it is important to remember that they are only aids, not goals in themselves. With joyful hope and anticipation, then, let us prepare for the coming of the Son of God, praying with the Church: Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay! Previous

[Salvation]

I couldn’t figure out (on all of the posts) how to get rid of the big space at the top. A html whiz I am not. LOL!

[Salvation]

Catholic Discussion Ping!

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[Jo Nuvark]

Thanks Salvation... These look like terrific advent activities.

Here is another advent calendar packed with Scripture and activities.

http://mountainviewlife.org/Advent2007.html

In 2007 our traditional Advent Calendar begins December 2, and Week
Four begins December 23. As a result, there is only one day to work
on the lessons for Week Four.

We have written two Advent Calendar Guides this year, giving you
the option to begin either on the traditional beginning date of
December 2, or a week earlier beginning November 25, giving you more
time to do the lessons in Week Four.

There are 58 pages of lessons divided into the Four Weeks of Advent.
The book is divided into sections for easier download.

[GOP Poet]

You did a fantastic job! Thank you so much for posting all of this. I did some research and found the following little demon in the code after the following areas such as Customs (etc) that caused the additional spacing. It was just an extra table inserted for no reason that was unclear:

<tbody>

<tr>

<td =>

<p><td>

</tr>

</tbody>

The td I posted was actually followed by background and alignment settings etc, but since I am using ASCII and I don't have a program to do it for me I left it empty. This should give you some idea though what area of the code is amiss (I hope). The areas that do not have the additional spacing do not have this code following. If this gives more clarity.

As usual much thanks Salvation! I know I will see many more posts, but bless you and yours throughout this holiday season and everyone on this thread . . . many, many blessings.

[GOP Poet]

Oh by the way I failed to mention you can delete all of the code I posted and it will take away the spacing and not screw up anything else if you are going to repost elsewhere or at a later date. I even forgot I could type the letters in the previous html example straight up and not in ASCII! It is past my bedtime so I am not thinking straight. lol. Nite! :-)

[Jemian]

Ping for later

[Salvation]

I knew it had something to do either with the <head or the <body parts of the html. I just couldn’t seem to sort it out. Thanks for the lesson and the kind words.

[goodnesswins]

Thanks for the ping, Jo........got snow...still?

[Jo Nuvark]

About 3 inches of snow. I took a test drive
out of my garage and up the driveway to the road.
My 4WD Highlander goes uphill in the snow, but
doesn’t back down the hill into the garage very
well. Needed to test this for tomorrow morning.
7:45am call time for church choir.

If it doesn’t rain off (or freezes), I’ll park
up on the road tomorrow. At least I KNOW I
can get down the hill from the road.

How is it where you are? Sure is pretty.

[Ciexyz]

We're currently having freezing rain in Pittsburgh PA. Just enough to make the roads slick.

Here's hoping for good weather for Christmas eve and Christmas day.

[Ciexyz]

btt

[goodnesswins]

Just rain here.....in Auburn.....

[Jo Nuvark]

It’s raining now, but our 3” of snow grew to 12”
last night. What a nightmare getting the car out
of the garage, up the hill and onto the level part
of the property. Now if only we could drive down
the hill to where the streets are plowed. Sheesh!

[Ciexyz]

Last night's freezing rain turned into a high of 47 degrees, still with rain, today in Pittsburgh PA. At least everyone could get to mass and their various church activities and services without worrying about inclement weather.

[Jo Nuvark]

Yes, the Lord has brought warm temps and rain
to wash the snow away, but it’s still about 4”
of slush out there. We lost power for about
two hours over Tumwater and Littlerock.

Ah... winter.