Blog

Jesse Tree December 3

By Catechist's Aide on December 3, 2017 0

December 03: The Fall

Traditional Ornament: Snake/Apple

Reading: Genesis 3

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.” (Genesis 3:15)

Adam and Eve broke the covenant with God by rejecting Him through sin, and in the process, they unleashed evil, sickness, suffering and death into the world. We call that decision to abandon God’s will in favor of their own Original Sin, and it created the fallen state in which we currently find ourselves.

Even as Adam and Eve reject God, He continues to love them. When He curses the serpent, we already see the beginning of His saving plan to bring us back into loving union with Him.

Jesse Tree December 2

By Catechist's Aide on December 2, 2017 0

December 02: Creation

Traditional Ornament: Globe (Earth)

Reading: Genesis 1-2

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1: 27)

In the story of Creation, we learn who God is. He is love. He is our Divine Creator and our Father. His love is evident in everything He created, and there is a special love reserved for human beings, who are are the crown of His creation.

God created man and woman in His image and likeness. He blessed Adam and Eve and called them into loving union with Him and with each other. Through His covenant, God established marriage as a sacred bond between man and woman. Within this holy union, the couple make a loving gift of themselves to one another, and through their love, bring new life into the world.

Jesse Tree December 1

By Catechist's Aide on December 1, 2017 0

For the past few years we have adopted the tradition of putting up a Jesse Tree in addition to our Christmas tree. I find that it really helps build a sense of anticipation as we await Christmas Day. Advent doesn’t officially start until Sunday, December 3 this year, but I am going to start my Jesse Tree today on December 1st. I hope you’ll follow along with me with a short reflection each day.

December 01: The Root of Jesse

Traditional Ornament: Tree Stump

Reading: Isaiah 11: 1-9

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11: 1)

God always has a plan. He had a plan for Jesse and his son, David, and He has a plan for us. As we wait this Advent season for the coming of the Christ child, we imagine how long God’s people waited for a Savior. It’s hard to wait, and sometimes that’s what God asks us to do, to wait, so that we will be ready when He sets His plan for us in motion.

Symbolism of the Advent Wreath

By Catechist's Aide on December 1, 2017 0

Advent is a time of joyful anticipation, a period of preparing for the coming of Jesus – the Messiah. We are hopeful as we await the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and we look forward to the second coming of Christ when the Kingdom of God will be permanently established.

The Advent wreath is the traditional and most symbolic devotion of the season. In fact, every part of the wreath is symbolic.

CIRCLE:

The circular shape of the wreath symbolizes God’s eternity with no beginning and no end.

EVERGREENS:

The wreath is made out of evergreens which symbolize the new life of eternal salvation available to us through Christ.

CANDLES:

The candles on the wreath are lit when we say the Advent prayers. The light of the candles symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world.

FOUR:

The wreath has four candles which represent the four Sundays in the Advent season.

PURPLE:
Three of the candles are purple. These are lit during the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th weeks of Advent. Purple represents prayer, penance, and preparation for the coming of the Lord.

ROSE:
The candle that is lit during the 3^rd week of Advent is pink or rose. The third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete (Latin, “rejoice”) Sunday. At this time, it’s appropriate to take a break and rejoice as we recognize that we are past the midway point of the season and the arrival of the infant Jesus is near.

Following are links to prayers to say while lighting the candles on the Advent wreath:

Prayers for Lighting the Advent Wreath Candles

Family Advent Guide Prepare the Way for the Lord!

Liturgical Calendar

By Catechist's Aide on November 30, 2017 0

Having just celebrated the Feast of Christ the King, we are looking forward to the beginning of a new liturgical year and the start of the season of Advent. Even though our students may notice the change in colors of the priest’s vestments from time to time, they may never make the connection that those colors are tied to particular seasons. So here’s what every Catholic should know about the Liturgical Calendar.

The Church has its own calendar, which incorporates all the seasons, feasts and saints and holy days that we celebrate throughout the liturgical year. The readings we hear at Mass correspond to the special season or holy day. Likewise, the color of the Priest’s vestments also change with the season.

ADVENT (Colors: PURPLE / PINK)

The liturgical year begins with the season of Advent, which officially begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. In 2017, Advent will begin on Sunday, December 3rd. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means coming or arrival. During the season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Unlike Lent, which is primarily a time of penance, Advent is a time of hope-filled anticipation.

CHRISTMAS (Color: WHITE)

As far as the Church is concerned, Christmas is not just a day, but a whole season! The season begins on Christmas Day and ends with the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. The Christmas season also includes the Feast of the Epiphany, where we celebrate the Christ’s making himself known to the world, through the visit of the Magi. During the Christmas season, we celebrate the birth and manifestation of Jesus.

ORDINARY TIME I (Color: GREEN)

The first season of Ordinary Time begins the Monday following the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord and ends the day before Ash Wednesday. During Ordinary Time, we remember the life and teachings of Jesus.

LENT (Color: PURPLE)

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues through Holy Week. During this season, we prepare for the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Lent marks a time when we are called to penance, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

TRIDUUM (Colors: PURPLE / RED)

The final days of Holy Week, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, when we recall the crucifixion and death of our Lord and Savior.

EASTER (Color: WHITE)

The Easter season marks the greatest feast of the Liturgical year when we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. The exact date of Easter varies from year to year and is defined as the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox (the day in Spring where there are equal hours of daylight and moonlight – typically March 20th). The Easter season lasts for 50 days, ending on Pentecost Sunday. We also celebrate the feast of the Ascension during the Easter season.

ORDINARY TIME II (Color: GREEN)

Following Pentecost Sunday and running through the feast of Christ the King is the second season of Ordinary Time.

To find more information about the Liturgical Calendar, or to see the full list of holy days and feast days, consult the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Opening Prayer for New PSR School Year

By Catechist's Aide on August 18, 2017 0

Most Parishes are starting up their PSR programs for the 2017/18 school year. As Catechists, that means we are planning and preparing as well. Now is as good a time as any to think about how you will open that first class. The prayer that follows is a wonderful way to begin the first day back in PSR and remind your students that we indeed must be thankful for the opportunity to gather together and learn more about our Lord and Savior – something that is not available to so many people around the world.

I am reprinting the prayer below, but full credit goes to the author, David Bennett, who originally posted it here.

Father,
We thank you for the opportunity
to begin this new school year,
and we ask that you bless
the students, faculty, and student families
that make our school a great place.
We pray that you will guide us in your ways,
so that we will seek your will
in everything that we do,
and love others as you love us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

David Bennett