I cannot believe we’ve arrived at Thanksgiving week. I admit I am really looking forward to this last week of the liturgical year so that we can begin Advent. I long for the recommitment to sit in the quiet, dark hours of the morning with Emmanuel - God with us. The first Sunday of Advent is this weekend so I wanted to share a few of the resources that I will personally be using this year, a few resources that I created last year, and a few fun things we have for you to share with your children to draw them into the season.
Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now
By: Scott the Painter
Scott is one of my favorite artists to follow on Instagram and this year he released this Advent devotional. I pre-ordered it and have had it sitting on my nightstand waiting for next Sunday!
Advent with St. Óscar Romero
By: Cameron Bellm
My friend, Cameron Bellm, created a free Advent devotional with the homilies given by Saint Óscar Romero in 1978. It includes the four Sundays of Advent and Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. He was a man who knew great suffering and hardship and is a beautiful saint companion for the time we are currently experiencing.
Some of my favorite Catholic voices came together to create a free daily video program with short reflections. I can’t wait to watch.
These are gorgeous meditation cards by my friends at Reliquary Supply Co. that can be used for prayer and as artwork on your wall.
I made this free Advent download last year when I was 8 months pregnant and identifying with Mary more than ever. It is all about simplicity, doing less, experiencing more.
Replace Elf on the Shelf with Mary on the Mantel. Growing up, my brother and I would move the Mary and Joseph figurines from our nativity set around our house. In a similar idea, Mary would be in a new place each morning when children wake up preparing for Jesus’s birth. In her tote bag, would be a little note with a task for your children to do that day for others. Check out our blog post to explain more about how it works!
In a last minute idea I outlined the drawings from our Holiday collection this year and made a giant coloring poster that can be hung on the wall - part decoration, part activity. Each day through advent one image is colored in, leading up to the birth of Jesus. Then, there is an image to color each day of the Christmas season until the Holy Family escapes to Egypt.