Have Yourself A Merry Advent and An Evangelistic Little Christmas!
This Christmas season presents us with new opportunities to bring "the Good News of Jesus into every human situation" (Go and Make Disciples, section. 10). With a little creativity, we can be ready to explore the true meaning of Christmas with friends, relatives and acquaintances. Below are suggestions for getting started. Why not try one or two new ones each year?
1. Learn about the origin of Santa Claus in St. Nicholas, whose feast day is Dec. 6. When others talk about what Santa might bring them for Christmas, we can witness about his historical identity as a Catholic Saint, who cared for the poor and worked many miracles for young people out of his love for Jesus Christ.Read Vincent A.Yzermans book:Wonderworker: The True Story of How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus, ACTA Publications, 2004 (1994) or an online article at American Catholic. Discover traditions from all over the world at www.stnicholascenter.org
workplace (if allowed) during Advent. Explain to those who
notice it that this is a symbol of how Christians want to have
hearts open and empty for Jesus to fill at Christmas. For
the history of St. Francis and the first creche, and the
importance it can have in our lives, read Fr. Landry's article at
3. Plan a birthday party for Jesus with your family, small group
or parish. Start the party by singing a few Christmas carols,
reading Lk. 2:1-20 and singing "Silent Night". Then bring out cake,
candles, ice-cream and soda and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.
4. Choose religious Christmas cards that celebrate Jesus' birthday, not just some generic winter holiday. Pray and ask God for special words of love, encouragement and wisdom to write in those cards, especially the ones for close relatives and friends.
5. Plan time when family, friends and/or parishioners can sing religious Christmas carols as part of a meal or gathering already scheduled during this season. Print words and music, since many people under thirty years of age do not know these songs by heart. Share stories of family Christmases and their spiritual meaning for you.
6. If you decorate the outside of your house for Christmas, plan to have Christian symbols at the heart of your display. Let the other decorations point towards these Christian symbols. For more about these symbols visit http://wilstar.com/xmas/xmassymb.htm
7. Invite both practicing and non-practicing family and friends to join you at a Christmas Mass. Afterwards ask them how it went for them (i.e. likes, dislikes, feelings, etc.). Just listen with understanding and compassion. Then share what you liked and how you felt during the Mass.
8. Pray aloud before meals during Advent/Christmas and use the sign of the Cross, even when eating in restaurants. Use the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
9. Put a creche in a prominent place in your home, and let figurines make their way slowly across the room during Advent, arriving on Christmas eve. Pray together with family or friends at the creche (night prayers with children, weekly Advent prayers and songs). Keep the entire manger scene up through The Feast of the Epiphany in January (the twelfth day of Christmas. For a history of the Nativity in art visit http://www.friendsofthecreche.org/historyCreche.html
10. Buy Christmas gifts for their usefulness and as an expression of love rather than for their commercial popularity, complexity or status. Shop for durable things that enhance the receiver's life much the way Jesus Christ came to enhance our lives. Pray for each person as you shop for his or her gift.
11. Use the Chi Ro symbol for Jesus Christ instead of Xmas.
12. Create a traveling Mary picture for your refrigerator. Think about how she might have felt on the long journey to Bethlehem. It was much further than the nearest mall. What did she eat? Did she walk or ride? What did she see? What was her prayer? Think about the gift she was bringing us and spend a few moments thanking her each day.
