Advent: Perfect season to catechize children, youths and adults

Monday, November 9, 2009

*Maria Jose Mitsoulis - Director of Religious Education

BLOGGER PROFILE

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing...”
(Isaiah 9:1-2a)

As a young teenager, I remember learning about the meaning of Advent in the youth group at Gesu Catholic Church in downtown Miami. I learned that Advent (ad-venio in Latin) meant “to come to” and it marks the beginning of the Church year, the four Sundays before Christmas.

Later on, as a catechist, I taught my class that Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for Christ’s second coming at the end of time and a time to remember the birth of Jesus on Christmas. In the Church each week, a catechist and her class would go up to the Advent wreath, light a candle and say the prayer for that week. The liturgical colours in the wreath were a good catechetical moment: violet signifying penance and the single rose-colored candle for the third Sunday, when the Church’s joy is ever more evident as the birth of the Savoir is only days away.

As catechists, we learned that Advent is a time for prayer and penance. It is a wonderful opportunity to share with others the gift of our own time. For several years, we brought toys to children in the hospital and to others in the city where families needed our help. I now see that we were acting as Christ did – being present to the suffering and the poor
in our midst.

Today, whenever I have the opportunity to teach, I like to hand on to my students what I have learned. I encourage them to be enthusiastic and creative in bringing the Word of God to others.

Advent is a season of celebrating the already (Jesus has indeed come to save us) and the not yet (we need to be constantly renewed, until Christ comes in glory). As echoers of the Word, we are called to listen with care to the liturgical readings of this holy season. May we help one another and our students to slow down, be more reflective and prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Incarnation. May Mary, Mother of our Lord and our true Advent patroness, fill us with joyful hope and abiding peace.

ADVENT PROJECTS:

During Advent, What are some of the hands-on activities that can help us to bring this holy season alive to our children, youths and adults?

Besides the Advent wreath I also like the Advent chain activity that I learned from another catechist. All you have to do is to cut construction paper into strips. On the back of each strip, invite students to write a kind act which they can do each day. Tape or staple the chain together. Remove one link each day. The class will do that simple act as part of preparing their hearts for the coming of our Savoir. Examples of kind acts could be: call grandma, visit my sick neighbour (with a parent), save my money for a class service project, volunteer to help a parent or teacher, etc. It is a great way to have children and youths in the class or at home become actively involved in living out the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy. Adults in a prayer group or parents with their children at home could also use this activity.

I know that in some parishes, members collect gifts for children of needy families or for the elderly in their community. They place a Christmas tree in the church with cards listing the first name, gender and age of the recipient. Parishioners take a card, purchase the item and then place it with the card under the tree. The person in charge of this project distributes the gifts to the designated families or seniors before Christmas. You might encourage your students to ask their families to join in this activity.

María José Mitsoulis
Director, Archdiocesan Religious Education Department