By Susan Ciancio
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent, we encourage you to take time to focus on what’s truly important: faith and family/friends. Without them, we feel a void. Without them, we simply wander through life looking for something “more.” God has given us so many blessings. Let us thank Him for every single one—big and small.
And as we foster this spirit of thankfulness, let us also be thankful for that tiny baby who was born in the manger and whose birthday we will soon celebrate. Truly, without God we have nothing. The time of preparation of Advent helps us grow closer to God and asks us to set aside time to ponder the real gift of Christmas.
To help you and your families do that, we have created three downloadable Advent booklets. Each one has a different theme, so you can choose which suits your family. All will enrich this season, and all will help you grow in love for the Lord and our faith while also helping you learn innovative ways to build a culture of life in your own families and communities.
Each day we explore and reflect upon a new mystery of the rosary as we encourage you to picture yourself as a silent companion to Jesus and Mary. Walk with Christ and His mother, follow their teachings, and immerse yourself in their lives. The entries for each mystery include a related Bible verse, an explanation, a reflection, a challenge, and a brief prayer. As you read, we hope that you can easily picture the love between mother and Son and the love Christ has for others and you, and we hope that this time of holy anticipation of the birth of our Lord and Savior puts you in the right frame of mind to receive Him joyfully.
2. Awaiting the Gift of Christ: Walking with the Saints This Advent
This booklet will walk you through Advent with the stories of some amazing saints and with teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Each day, we introduce a concept from the Catechism, provide a short bio on a saint, and include a reflection of how that saint lived his or her life according to Church teaching. We then offer a way for you to use that saint’s example to build a culture of life in your home or community and end with a short prayer.
3. Waiting for Christ with Joyful Anticipation: Reflecting on Christ’s Love This Advent
Each day we offer you a joyful Bible verse that speaks of the anticipation of Christ. We include a short reflection to help you ponder God’s words. We then highlight a special saint and explain how you can use that saint’s example to build a culture of life in your own homes and communities. Finally, we end with a fun activity you can do as a family that will help bring out the joy of the season.
We hope that you will take advantage of these booklets to grow in faith and instill important pro-life values in your children. Each is just $1 to download.
All of us at the Culture of Life Studies Program wish you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!