Advent Lesson, Craft & Prayer

Lesson:

• The Advent Wreath is a circle – no beginning/ no end
  • symbolizes the never-ending kingdom of God
• 4 Candles on the wreath
  • Each candle represents one of the 4 Sundays of advent, leading up to Christmas
  • 3 purple candles (purple represents penance & royalty of Christ’s kingdom)
  • 1 pink or “rose” candle (pink is for joy)
    • Rose candle is lit during the 3^rd week of advent
    • Symbolizes the joy that Christmas is almost here
    • Lit on “Gaudete” (pronounced gow-day-tay) Sunday (3^rd Sunday of advent)
      • Pronounced “Gow-day-tay” means “rejoice” in Latin
      • all the readings on this Sunday are about “rejoicing”
    • 1^st week of Advent– one purple candle is lit
    • 2^nd week of Advent – 2 purple candles lit
    • 3^rd week of Advent– 2 purple candles, 1 pink
    • 4^th week of Advent– all 4 candles are lit

 

Advent is a time of waiting and anticipation.  Our society today is not one that values waiting.  We have been accustomed to getting what we want, and getting it FAST.  We have instant coffee, fast food restaurants, microwaves in our homes for fast cooking, and information accessible to us at the touch of a button—right from our cell phones.  We even can get a “fast passes” at amusement parks if we want to skip the lines.  All in the name of progress, our world is faster than ever.

I worry about this fast pace of living. I worry for myself and for my kids.  We forget what it is to stop and wait.  We forget what’s it’s like to anticipate.

 

Advent Wreath Craft:

 

Note to Catechists:

This activity was received well by some students and yet for others it was extremely difficult to accomplish.  Why?  It took a lot of patience to complete.  The kids had difficulty slowing down their pace and taking their time to glue bits of colored tissue paper to a wreath.  It truly reinforced the Advent theme of “waiting.”  I suggest doing this activity over the course of a few classes and when complete, doing a group prayer with the kids before they bring the wreath home.  I found it easier to prepare for class by doing some of the initial cutting and gluing at home.  You should adjust the steps as needed depending on the age of your class, and how many helpers you have.

 

Materials Needed (for one wreath):

Glue

1 Cardboard tube

4 flicker candles

Glue gun & glue sticks

Utility knife

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

Purple ribbon

Pink ribbon

Green tissue paper, cut into 1″ squares

Red tissue paper, cut into 1″ squares

Green paper plate

Extra plate for dipping glue

 

1. Using the cardboard tube, trace a circle in the center of the cardboard plate. Cut out the traced circle.  The plate is the base of the wreath.

 

2. Use a ruler & utility knife to measure & cut the cardboard tube into 4 equal pieces, at an appropriate height to hold your flicker candles.

3. Cut the ribbon into the appropriate length, so it can wrap around one tube. Glue the ribbon around the tube.  (Suggest using glue gun.)  Repeat to make 3 purple candle holders and 1 pink candle holder.

 

4. Using the glue gun, glue the candle holders to the plate, equal distance apart.

 

5. Make a small puddle of white glue on an extra plate. Twist a tissue square around the eraser of the pencil, dip the square in glue and glue to the plate.  Continue around the plate, making the greenery and berries for the wreath.

6. Once the wreath is dry, insert the flicker candles.

 

Prayer with Advent Wreath:

 

(Ask the kids to begin the prayer with flicker candles off.  They will light them at the end.)

 

During Advent, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, on Christmas and we prepare for the coming of Christ in glory at the end of time.  We prepare by praying, and reaching out to others—especially those in need.  Advent is such a special time for us–a time when we are called to wait.

 

Read paragraphs 522-524 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Let us pray…

In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit~

Dear God, You sent your Son to be the Light of the world and to spread his light of love to all. Bless us and accept this wreath of light, assembled by our hands.  May its increasing brightness during advent, be a sign for us of the approaching nearness of your Son.  Let us wait with joy and anticipation for his birth, and be ready to receive him when he comes again in glory.  We make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.  ~AMEN.

 

Dear God,

Thank you for this opportunity to come together, pray and grow closer to you.  In this upcoming season of advent let us be reminded of the example of your own people and how they have waited for you since the beginning of time.

Please respond:  “Come Lord Jesus”

• As Noah waited for the flood waters to recede…so we wait & pray,

“Come LordJesus”

• As Daniel waited through the night…in a den of lions…we also wait & pray, “Come Lord, Jesus”
• As Jacob waited for Rebecca’s hand in marriage…we too wait & pray, “Come Lord Jesus”
• As the Israelites waited in the desert for forty years…we also wait & pray, “Come Lord Jesus”
• And as Mary waited for the birth of her son…we again wait & pray, “Come Lord Jesus.”

 

Father, let our waiting be a time to prepare our homes and also our hearts—so we can celebrate the birth of your son and also anticipate his coming again.

We place before you now these very special intentions…

 

(Ask the kids to think of 4 special prayer intentions.  Silently say a prayer for each intention and light a flicker candle after each.)

 

Lord hear our prayers…those we’ve now prayed and those in our hearts.

~AMEN

NOTE:  Many churches provide a calendar of daily prayers to use with the Advent wreath.  Suggest to the kids to use their wreath each night before dinner, saying the daily Advent prayer your church provides.