Tercets: advent

Showing posts with label advent. Show all posts

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Keeping Christ in Christmas: Join Church Ministries

I’m participating in the KEEP CHRIST in CHRISTMAS Blog Link-Up 2013

sponsored by the Catholic Bloggers Network.

Be sure to visit as many links as possible,

listed at the bottom of this post

I am excited to again participate in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival. Last year, I wrote about how our family strives to live without over consuming all year, which helps us avoid the commercialization of Christmas. This year, I am writing about our new involvement in church ministries will keep us close to God during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

A few months ago, our church hosted a ministry fair, so my husband, myself, and our oldest daughter each signed up for different ministries. My husband had been discerning about the Knights of Columbus, as a way to give back some of the good fortune we have experienced in our lives. He participated in the induction ceremony a couple of weeks ago, so he is looking forward to learning more about how the Knights are involved in our parish, and to participating in service projects and church fundraising events throughout the year.

I have been waiting for my children to reach the age where they could sit quietly during the readings without me next them in the pew so I could serve as a lector. Now that my youngest daughter is five, I decided to put my reading talents to use at mass. My first experience as a lector was exhilarating; I felt the power and Truth of the Word touch my soul as I listened to my fellow lector and to my own voice during the readings. I am grateful for the public speaking ability God granted me, and for the opportunity to use that talent in His service.

Participating as a lector has also pushed me to study the weekly mass readings more closely every week, something I have been trying to do for most of this year, but not succeeding at very often. Now that I am responsible for reading about once a month, I try to spend a little time each week thinking about how the readings are connected to the previous and next weeks’ themes. This will help me prepare to read with understanding and purpose when it is my turn at the ambo. My next lector assignment is during the Christmas season, so I will be paying close attention to the Advent readings in preparation. Look for a future post that is more descriptive of the preparation leading up to and the actual reading experience itself.

My nine-year-old daughter has developed an interest in music and singing, so she joined one of the children’s choirs. Over the summer, she participated in a few of the “anyone can join us” choir sessions to try out the experience. Her first performance with the children’s choir was last week, during the mass for Christ the King. Even though this choir will not sing at mass during Advent, the opportunity has renewed her interest in liturgical songs, especially those used during the Christmas season. We will be singing these songs as a family in the weeks to come while we wait for Christmas to arrive.

Even if you don’t join church ministries this Advent season, there are usually plenty of opportunities to serve the church this time of year, especially as a family. Churches with food pantries may need help sorting the extra donations, or organizing the food for a holiday meal giveaway. Many churches collect gifts for needy families, and need help organizing and distributing those gifts; this is a way to assist in addition to bringing donations. There may also be opportunities to help to decorate the church grounds before Christmas, and remove decorations after. You could also get involved in the church’s efforts to present a live Nativity or a Nativity play.

How will you use your talents to serve the church this Advent? I am also interested in your comments about ministry service throughout the year.

In addition to our new focus on church ministries, we are going to participate in many of the same traditions I have written about in previous years, including making an advent wreath that we can “light” with paper or yarn flames. Here are last year’s wreaths (yes, each of my daughters wanted to make her own).

I have two older blog posts about our daily Advent activities that are focused on faith. You can find the first post here. The second post includes more activities and a list of books we have enjoyed.

I plan to return to regular blogging after the first of the year. In the meantime, I hope you will read some of the carnival links posted below.

Equipping Catholic Families: Keep Christ in Christmas

Simply Homeschool Living Advent Series 12/1 - 12/25

Fifth of Five Keeping Christ in Christmas - Blog Link-up 2013

Coffee Moments with Sam The Light of Hope

Hand-Maid With Love: CHRISTmas Presence: Keep Christ in Christmas 2013 Edition

Open Window Making hay while the Advent wreath shines

Faith Filled Freebies: Keep Christ in Christmas

Written by the Finger of God: Not Christmas as Usual

On the Way Home: Keep Christ in Christmas

Sue Elvis Writes: Bring Christ to Others

Mommy Bares All Why Celebrate Christmas Even After #YolandaPH

Canadian Catholic Mom Keeping The Little Ones Focused: An Advent Link-Up

Mountain of Grace Homeschooling Keep Christ in Christmas

Em’s Estuary: Keeping Christ in Christmas

Happy Little Homemaker: December Devotion: Immaculate Conception

Adoro Ergo Sum: How We Keep Christ in Christmas

JoyAlive.net: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Home to 4 Kiddos Keep Christ in Christmas

Embedded Faith Boldly Be the Christ in Christmas

City Girl, Country Home Emmanuel Is With Us. Are we WITH HIM?

Journey to Wisdom: Trusting in your Awkward Fiats

Joy of Nine9 Waiting in Joyful Expectation Like a Child

Splendor in the Home Ideas For Keeping Advent and Christmas Holy

Training Happy Hearts 10 Ways to Celebrate the New Liturgical Year

A Catholic Life Advent: The Beginning of the Liturgical Year & Source of Rich Meditations

Designs by Birgit: Elf on a Shelf and Santa Claus

Catholic Inspired: Faith-Centered Family Christmas

A Slice of Smith Life: How we keep Christ in Christmas

Catholic All Year: Three Reasons I love Advent

Mary the Defender: Christmas The Battle Begins

Truly Rich Mom: Keep Christ in Christmas

Day By Day in Our World: 40 Days Seeking Him and Keeping Christ in Christmas

Diapers and Drivel: Keeping Christ in Christmas

Raising Soldiers 4 Christ: Keeping Christ in Christmas

Rosary Mom Keep Christ In Christmas With A Teenager

Tercets: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Join Church Ministries

Campfires and Cleats How We Keep Christ in Christmas

Life Unabridged: Celebrating the Fullness of the Advent and Christmas Season

Homeschooling With Joy Keeping Christ in Christmas

Mrs Domestic Bliss Gingerbread Nativity

The Chic Traveller Keeping Christ in Christmas

California to Korea Keeping Christ in Christmas

Dominique's Desk Keeping Christ in Christmas

Our ABC Life: An Advent Update

Journey Living: Anno Domini
The Road to Rome: Advent Prayer and Reflection Resources
Life of Fortunate Chances: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Quidquid Est, Est!: Reblog: Advent Posts

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Keeping Christ in Christmas

I’m participating in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Arma Dei:Equipping Catholic Families, Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and the Catholic Bloggers Network. We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries (available starting December 20^th).

I mentioned briefly in one of last year’s Christmas posts about the importance of keeping Christmas focused on family time and Jesus. I want to take this opportunity to explain how this is an extension of our overall family philosophy that spending time interacting together as a family is a priority. My husband and I believe that our children will reach their best potential if they spend the majority of their non-schooling time interacting with other family members. This is why our children do not watch television after school or during breaks. This is why my husband comes home for dinner every night. This is why we always attend mass together as a family.

We have taught our children that Advent and Christmas are about waiting for Jesus and celebrating his arrival. I will explain more about how we do this later in the post. Of course, my children know that we buy gifts to exchange with family members, and they look forward to opening the gifts they receive. However, they don’t really think much about that part of Christmas. Every year, their grandparents and uncles ask them what they would like to receive, and they rarely have an answer prepared. They just don’t spend time picking out the toys they want to receive, making a list, or dropping hints.

I believe their nonchalance is the result of another family philosophy: an absence of materialism in our home. For many reasons, we live frugally, buying only what we need, and avoiding excess. While we sometimes buy ahead when things are on sale, we often wait to buy seasonal clothing and shoes until that weather arrives. We try to buy seasonal produce, avoiding costlier out of season items, such as watermelon in winter. From these habits, the children learn that everything has it’s time, and you get what you need when the weather or season arrives. On Christmas Day, you open presents: no need to spend much time thinking ahead if you aren’t in charge of the buying (which the children are not).

Something that really helps to minimize materialistic thoughts in our home is the limited television and internet time our children have. They rarely watch television programs and the commercials that accompany them. When they do watch, we are all watching together, and the commercials are muted. We are also planning to watch less live television and watch programs with the children through cable on-demand service to avoid even more advertisements. The less encouragement children see to become consumers, the less likely they are to ask for the latest toys and gadgets. In fact, we have only recently re-subscribed to cable after taking a year off to save money and the children did not even notice the cancellation. And while they certainly know about most of the trendy toys, they rarely ask for them, preferring to play with the ones they already own. Keeping the children away from internet sites and games sponsored by toy companies in the guise of entertainment also prevents them from focusing on the next new toy that is being promoted.

So, how do I keep the kids busy during all this technology free family time? During Advent, I organize faith activities in a calendar. You can read more about this and some of the specific activities we have done here. We also bring home many books about Advent and Christmas from the library. Find a list, along with more faith activities, here. We mark our progress through Advent with a family Advent wreath. Also, each of my children makes a wreath that they can “light” on their own with paper or yarn “flames.” They made the wreath pictured below two years ago.

I also keep the kids busy with crafts and learning activities focused on Jesus during the Christmas season through Epiphany. This year, we are planning to do similar activities; if I have time, I will post about them.

I look forward to your thoughts about these topics, so leave a comment if you have something to say.

I am not yet returning to full time blogging, but I wanted to participate in this special carnival that reflects a key part of our family life this time of year. I am still trying to use my free time to revise my poetry manuscript, and I’m making slow progress. I hope to make more progress during the semester break, and to post now and again.

Thank you for visiting, and Merry Christmas.

Carnival Links:

You can read my 2013 post for Keeping Christ in Christmas, about joining church ministries, here. You will find the 2013 blog carnival list of links at the end of the post.

In 2013 I am linking with: Christmas in July

In 2012 I linked with: Catholic Bloggers Network, My Favorite Things, Peace in Preparation, Advent 2012, Keeping Christ in Christmas, Faith Formation in Young Children, Better Mom Monday, Welcome Home