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Religious Education – Advent

Reflections – November and December 2021

Advent has arrived! Children participating in religious education are reflecting on it in a variety of ways.

  • The small children in PREP will be collecting donations to give to families and talk about the Christmas story.
  • Children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 celebrated the coming season of Advent, which was followed by a reflection on the Prophecy of Light.
  • In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 2, the children pondered the prophecy of the Shoot of Jesse, and joyfully lit the first candle of Advent.
  • Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 3 children contemplated the Call of the Prophets, those people who listened to God with their hearts, and spread God’s message of the Kingdom of God. As a precursor to the season of Advent, a synthesis of five of the Messianic Prophecies, which sought to answer the question of, “Who is this Child?” was presented.
  • Family Religious Education children created different projects that all focused on Advent, including a two-dimensional Nativity scene, an Advent chain with good deeds, and an Advent wreath.
  • Middle School Ministry students will be talking about the Incarnation and the difference it makes in our world.

All the young people will receive an Advent calendar either in their atria or by picking up one in the back of church. All of these are to assist families foster conversation about Advent as they grow in their faith.

Family Religious Education took place November 14, 2021. The focus of the afternoon was on Advent. We considered how Advent is an opportunity to ready our hearts for Christmas. Families talked about what they would like to change in the world to create a Peaceable Kingdom.

In the smaller groups, 1st through 3rd graders remembered the story of Jesus’ birth and made nativity scenes.  The 4th and 5th grade students constructed Advent paper chains. Each day the child will do the good deed written on one of the links. In 6th grade, the students made Advent wreaths and learned about the meaning behind each of the themes of the four Sundays: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

The parents reflected on Biblical and modern prophets as well as the main tenants of Catholic Social Teaching as a way to enter into the fullness of the Advent Season.