THE FAMILY ZONE
Equipping the Domestic Church/ISSUE 100/11.27.22
WE CELEBRATE THE 100TH EDITION OF THE FAMILY ZONE ON THIS FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT!
Photo by KaLisa Veer on Unsplash
LIVE THE EUCHARIST
Have you heard of this Christmas tradition? Learn more about this unique Catholic custom from Eastern Europe, that helps focus the Christmas celebration on Christ!
READ!
SUNDAY READINGS:
Click on the link below for the readings that you will hear at the Sunday Mass for the coming two weeks. This will give you a chance to prepare your heart and mind for full and active participation in Mass this weekend! For a Mass schedule in our diocese click on the purple button below.
Sunday Readings:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120422.cfm
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121122.cfm
Family Stories: Here are some stories to share during Advent:
The Last Straw by Fredrick Thury
On this Special Night by Clair Freedman
The Little Shepherd's Christmas by Carol Heyer
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
WRITE!
LISTEN!
WATCH!
CREATE!
PRAY!
1. Three purple and one pink candle. (The purple candles signify penance and the pink signifies joy for week 3). If you can't locate those colors in taper candles, consider votives, or even tea lights with pink and purple ribbons.
2. Place the candles in a circle pattern to signify eternity (God has no beginning and no end)
3. Add some evergreens from your Christmas tree, the craft store, or a bush outside! The greens signify eternal life and the unchanging presence of God.
4. You can also add a white candle for Christmas Eve!
Light your candles at dinner time or a time that works well for your family. Pray each time you light the candles. Prayers are found below by clicking the purple button!
Don't want to light candles in your home? You can also make a paper version with construction paper, or battery-operated tea lights!
PLAY!
BE WELL!
TEACHABLE MOMENT!
If we are taking the time to watch a "Christmas special" with our kids, we can also take the opportunity to point out the positive messages that help them learn little life lessons in a meaningful way! Watching Rudolph? Talk about bullying and how Rudolph saved the day even though he had been singled out and picked on for being different! Then we have the Grinch, whose sadness about his own life prompted him to be cruel to others. It was the Whos that made a big impact on him and changed him for the better by sharing kindness with him, despite his hard-to-love personality! Finally, Charlie Brown reminds us to seek the true meaning of Christmas. You can find out about more positive Christmas shows and the messages they offer on the website http://commonsensemedia.org
WORD OF THE WEEK!
WONDER!
- John the Baptist talked about preparing the way for Jesus. How am I making room for Jesus to enter my life?
- Have I spent time focused on the real meaning of Christmas?
- How might thinking about others help me to change my attitude this Christmas?
- What could I do to please God during the Advent season?
- What did it feel like for Mary and Joseph to travel such a long distance before Jesus was born? What would it feel like if my family had to travel a long way and had no place to go for shelter?
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Debtor in PossessionEmail: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210