ADVENT RESOURCE PACKET
Prepared by
Catholic Youth and School Services
Diocese of
Toledo
Updated
November 2002
A D V E N T
Some Background . . .
The term
“Advent” is derived from the Latin word for
“coming.” During
Advent, we anticipate the Incarnation, the coming of Christ into the
world. This season, which starts
the liturgical year, begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and
extends through Christmas Eve. It
originated in the 4th century as a period of penance and of preparation for
baptisms at Epiphany (Jan. 6). In
the 6th century, Advent was moved to the four weeks before Christmas Day and a
special liturgy was added. Later,
in the 9th and 10th centuries, Advent’s meaning was broadened to include
the expectation of the Second Coming of Christ.
Rituals of the Season . . .
The Advent wreath is an evergreen wreath with four candles originated by the German
Lutherans to symbolize the four weeks of waiting. The lighting of each candle on the wreath gradually pushes
away the darkness and ushers in the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the
World. Other symbolic aspects of
the wreath are the circle, which means eternity, the continuing presence of
God; the evergreens, which symbolize everlasting life, and the four candles
reminding us of the many years that people waited for Jesus to come. We use three purple candles for a time
of preparation and one rose candle for joy lit during the third week.
The Jesse Tree was
named for the father of King David, Jesus’ ancestor. (See Isaiah 11:1;
Samuel 16.) The tree can consist
of a potted tree or branch or a tree drawn on paper.
Symbols representing the ancestors of Jesus are gradually added to the
branches of a tree during the weeks of Advent. Often Jesse is at the roots of the tree. Some ancestors and suggestions for
symbols are: Noah (ark or rainbow), Abraham and Sarah (stars), Joseph (coat of
many colors), Moses and Miriam (two tablets of the law), Jesse (stem or root),
David (star of David), Solomon (scale of justice), Joseph (carpenter’s
tools) and Mary (crown circled by stars.)
The Advent Calendar is a
tradition that began in Germany.
People use the Advent Calendar to prepare themselves for the celebration
of Jesus’ birth. For each
day of Advent the calendar shows something - a prayer, an action, a scripture
reading - for that day to help people prepare for Christ’s coming.
The Creche began,
according to legend, when St. Francis of Assisi set up a stable and had real
people and animals portray the night of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Ever since, Christians everywhere have
used creches to tell the Christmas story.
Even today, some churches and towns have life-sized creches with live
people and animals taking part, just as the St. Francis creche.
Advent Saints . . .
November
30 - St. Andrew - Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist; but
when Jesus called him, he became an apostle. He was one of the first to respond to Jesus’
call. He is Peter’s brother;
X is his cross.
December 3
- St. Francis Xavier - Francis was a Jesuit priest who brought the faith to
Portugal, East Indies and Japan.
His ministry was to the sick and poor, especially lepers. He is the Patron Saint of missionaries.
December 6
- St. Nicholas - Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in
Asia Minor and is considered the patron saint of children. He frequently left gifts for the poor
anonymously so no one but God would see his charity. In some countries, it is customary for children to put out
their shoes or stockings on St. Nicholas Eve; and, in the morning, these will
be filled with goodies. The name
“Santa Claus” is derived from “Saint Nicholas.”
December
13 - St. Lucy - Lucy was a Christian woman living in pagan Sicily in the
4th century. She is said to have
risked her own life to support persecuted Christians living in the caves of
Sicily. She wore a crown of
candles to light her path as she brought them food. In some countries, the eldest daughter is honored with a
crown on this day. St. Lucy is the
patroness of the blind.
Other Special Advent Days . . .
December 8
- The Immaculate Conception - This dogma, declared in 1854, states that
Mary was conceived and born without original sin. The Church in the United States observes December 8 as a
holy day in honor of Mary’s immaculate conception.
December
12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe - This day remembers the appearance of Mary to a
poor Mexican Indian, Juan Diego, in 1531 in which she asked him to have a
church built in her honor.
It is said that church officials in Mexico were very doubtful that Mary
would appear to an Indian. They
would only believe if a miracle occurred.
There are stories of two miracles: the bringing of roses to the bishop
in the dead of winter and the imprint of the virgin on Juan Diego’s
cloak. Today, the basilica at
Tepeyac in Mexico gives testimony to Juan Diego’s faith. Mary, under this title, is the special
patroness of Hispanic peoples.
For Your Reflection . . .
Gospel Readings for the Advent Sundays . . .
Week One
– Mark 13: 33-37
Week Two
– Mark 1: 1-8
Week Three
– John 1: 6-8, 19-28
Week Four
– Luke 1: 26-38
Other Passages for Advent Reflection . . .
Isaiah
40:1-11, 35:1-2,10
Romans
13:11-14
Jeremiah
33:14-16
Matthew 3:
1-12
Some Questions for Advent Reflection . . .
How are you
experiencing Emmanuel “God with us” during Advent?
What would
the world be like without the Incarnation?
How do you
welcome Jesus into your life? How
do you encourage others to work for justice? What else could you do to work for justice?
Resources . . .
Advent
& Lenten Activities for Children, Shiela Kielly and Sheila Geraghty,
Twenty-Third Publications, Mystic, Connecticut, 1996.
School
Year Church Year, Peter Mazar, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago,
Illinois, 2001.
Saints
Kit: All the Saints of the Roman
Calendar and More, Sr. Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, Loyola University Press,
Chicago, Illinois, 1994.
Follow the
Year A Celebration of Family Holidays, Mala Powers, Harper & Row
Publishers, San Francisco, CA, 1985.
Religion
Teacher’s Journal, November/December, 2002.
Catechist,
November/December, 2002.
Websites . . .
www.catholicism.about.com/cs/seasonsadvent/index.htm
www.AmericanCatholic.org/Features/Christmas/default.asp
www.nccbuscc.org/cchd/advent2001.htm
www.silk.net/RelEd/seasons.htm#advent
www.shc.edu/theolibrary/year.htm#xmas
ADVENT QUIZ
1. Who was Jesse?
2. What are the three parts of an Advent
wreath? What do they symbolize?
3. What does the word Incarnation mean?
4. What is the purpose of the Advent
season?
5. Who is Juan Diego?
6. What does the word Advent mean?
7. Why do we honor St. Nicholas?
8. What is the first season of the
liturgical year?
9. Why is December 8th designated as a
holy day?
10. Who
started the idea of a Christmas creche?
How do we use creches today?
Advent
Research/Reflection
(High
School)
1. Summarize the history of Advent from the fourth century to the
present day.
2. What does
it mean to describe Advent as the “season of waiting”?
3. Create three of your own symbols of
Advent and write a brief reflection on each of them.
4. What is the meaning and purpose of each
of the following symbols and devotions?
a.
Jesse Tree
b.
Advent Wreath
c.
Creche
d.
Celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe
e.
Celebration of St. Lucy Day
5. Read a book or several articles about
St. Nicholas. Perform an act of
charity for someone in need during each week of Advent. Write a reflection on
each activity in your journal. How
did you imitate both Jesus and St. Nicholas? How have you changed as a result of this activity?
6. What are some of the titles Isaiah
gives to the Messiah? (Isaiah 9: 1-7; Isaiah 7: 14-15) Choose two and explain them.
7. What is the most effective Advent
practice for you? Why?