Online Advent Calendar
Advent Wreath Directions and Prayers
Jesse Tree Directions
Other resources
Advent Wreath Directions and Prayers
How do I make an Advent Wreath?
If your family doesn’t already follow this tradition, why not start? You can buy Advent wreaths, but all you really need are three purple candles and a pink one. Place them in a circle and arrange some pine branches and pine cones around them. Or, you can make safe “candles” with toilet paper rolls and tissue paper – don’t light these! All you need to do is paint three of the toilet paper rolls purple and one of them pink. If you want to make the candles look more real, you can drip some white glue down the sides after the paint has dried. It will look like melted wax. Then put a tuft of yellow or orange tissue paper in the top and pull it up to “light” the candle. Glue the candles on a paper plate and put some evergreens around the bottom for a decoration. (Check out the photo on page 16 of the December issue of My Friend.)
How do I pray with my Advent Wreath?
The Advent Wreath is a symbol of our time of waiting and hoping. It helps us mark our days until Christmas. To pray with your Advent Wreath, one person reads the Scripture passage, another person reads the prayer, another lights the candle, and then everyone joins in with the response. Make sure an adult is with you when you light the candle, and make sure to blow it out when you’re finished. You can say the following prayers on the Sundays during Advent. (Repeat during the week if you like, or just light the candles at family meals.)
First Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2006
Scripture reading : “It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord” Romans 13:11.
Prayer : Heavenly Father, on this the first Sunday of Advent, we begin to mark the days until the birthday of your Son. As we light this first purple candle, we think of Jesus, our Hope for the world. May we, as followers of Jesus, bring hope to a waiting world. Amen.
(Light the first purple candle)
Response : Come, Jesus, Hope for the world. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Second Sunday of Advent – December 10, 2006
Scripture reading : “The time is coming when one of David’s descendants will be the signal for the people of all nations to come together. They will follow his advice, and his own nation will become famous.” Isaiah 11:10
Prayer : Dear Lord, as we light this second candle, we wait anxiously for Christmas to come. We pray that one day soon all nations will stand united, all people will live in peace, and that all people will come to know you and claim you as Prince of Peace. Amen.
(Light two purple candles)
Response : Come, Jesus, Prince of Peace. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2006
Scripture reading: God sent a man named John, who came to tell about the light and to lead all people to have faith. John wasn’t that light. He came only to tell about the light. The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. John 1:6-9
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we’re half way through Advent. Two weeks have already passed. As we light this pink Advent candle, we think of Jesus, the Light of the World. May we, as followers of Jesus, carry the light of your love into the world. Amen.
(Light the pink candle and two purple candles)
Response : Come, Jesus, Light of the World. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 24, 2006
Scripture reading: Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But the Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation – someone whose family goes back to ancient times. Micah 5:2
Prayer : As we light our final candle, we know that Advent is coming to an end. Soon we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior and our friend!
(Light all four candles)
Response : Come, Jesus, Savior of the world. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Jesse Tree
What’s a Jesse Tree?
Have you ever heard of a “family tree”? A family tree traces a family back in history. So your family tree would show your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., as well as all their descendants.
The Jesse Tree is an Advent tradition. It’s kind of like the family tree of Jesus. One of the ancestors of Jesus was King David, and his father’s name was Jesse. That’s where the Jesse Tree gets it name. The Jesse Tree shows the ancestors of Jesus and the other people who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.
You can make tree ornaments with symbols of these people in salvation history. It’s a great way to prepare for the coming of Jesus.
How do I make one?
To make a Jesse Tree, fill up a flower pot with sand and put an ordinary branch in it so it stands up like a tree. Look at the symbols that stand for each of Jesus’ ancestors (and other important people in the Old Testament) below and make an ornament for each one (you can see how to do this on page 25 of the December issue). Then hang each ornament from the tree. (The symbol of Jesus is placed at the top with that of Mary just beneath. The symbol of Adam and Eve goes near the bottom of the tree, with the other symbols moving up the tree in the order they are shown below.)
You can also make the ornaments and hang them on your Christmas tree.
A very helpful Jesse Tree Kit is available through our online store.
Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24)
Symbols: tree, apple
Noah (Gen. 6:5-8,13-22; 7:17,23,24; 8:1,6-22)
Symbols: ark, dove, rainbow
Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 12:1-3)
Symbols: tent, torch
Isaac (Gen. 22:1-14)
Symbols: ram
Jacob (Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15)
Symbols: ladder
Judah (Gen 49:8-12)
Symbol: lion
Moses (Exod. 2:1-10)
Symbols: baby in basket
Ruth (Ruth 2:1-23)
Symbol: grain
Jesse (1 Sam. 16:1-13)
Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd’s staff
David (1 Sam. 17:12-51)
Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star
Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28)
Symbols: scales of justice, temple
Joseph (Matt. 1:18-25)
Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel
Mary (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38)
Symbols: lily, crown of stars
Jesus is Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14; 33:22)
Symbols: chalice and host
Other Resources for Advent
Living and Celebrating Our Catholic Customs and Tradions: The Advent-Christmas Book , By Joan Marie Arbogast, is a wonderful collection of Advent and Christmas customs, stories, hands-on activities, take-home sheets, hand-made gift projects, and reproducibiles.
A Stocking for Jesus: An Advent Story...with a family activity !, By Suzanne M. Arruda, is a picture book that includes punch out stocking images, which can be glued together and used as the family does in the story—to fill up with presents that they wish to give to Jesus for his birthday.