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Join Lisa Hendey for a weekly series designed to prepare you to celebrate Advent this year.


I invite you to join me for a moment of daily prayer around the Advent wreath beginning on Sunday, November 27 at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT. I’ll be live on my Facebook profile and sharing the video each day at Youtube and Instagram as well. We’ll be praying with my new Advent devotional 5 Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath. Be sure to download my FREE companion resources (Praying with the Saints and Advent Reflections for Families with Children) at Ave Maria Press. I can’t wait to pray with you this Advent season! 

I have to believe that whoever invented a tradition that included open flames and flammable materials probably wasn’t a Catholic mom! As a mother of two sons who survived those “I can and will turn any object into a weapon” years, I count myself fortunate that none of our Advent traditions involved burning our house down. For the earliest years of praying around our “Advent wreath," we used preschool-made treasures that still hold a place of honor in our home. My favorite wreath is a circle of their handprints, cut out of construction paper, glued to a paper plate and adorned with toilet paper tube “candles” of the non-burn variety.

This being said, many small children thrive on routine. If you can find a way to calmly and lovingly turn prayer time around your wreath into a family friendly moment, it’s likely that they’ll quickly embrace your time together.

 

5-Minute Prayers around the Advent Wreath

 

Here are a few thoughts about engaging children around our Advent wreaths:

Keep it simple.

You know your family best. Set aside expectations of what everyone else is doing in their Instagram stories and simply create a quiet moment of grace each day (or as often as you can) that helps you come together in love and anticipation. You might include the daily opening of your children’s Advent calendars (yes, even the ones with Legos or chocolate inside) in your daily prayer time. Keep it sweet and simple. They will wiggle and giggle. Given that this is a season-long anticipation of the best birthday party ever, that feels appropriate. 


Let them lead.

In whatever way is safe and sane, let your children lead this time of sacred prayer. Early readers can enjoy leading the rite you create by lectoring from whatever devotional you choose. Be sure to ask for their prayer intentions and honor their involvement. As safe, permit them (under supervision!) to light the candles on your wreath or to hold your hand as you do so. Consider asking your children if they would like to invite a grandparent or family friend to pray with you by FaceTime or Zoom. Jesus constantly reminded his followers to let the children come close to him. We would do well to remember their simple love for Jesus when we pause each day for our Advent sacred moment together.


Enjoy age-appropriate.

As I mentioned above, we worked to create family-friendly FREE resources that go with my Advent devotional. These include age-appropriate discussion questions that can be included with or even used in place of parts of the ritual in my book. There are also adorable Advent wreath devotionals created just for little ones. My personal favorite is Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families by my good friend Sarah Reinhard.

Using a booklet for your devotional time, even with your littlest ones, creates a rhythm and format for your daily prayer. This helps your little saints in the making to anticipate this moment (and know how long it will last!) You also might be surprised how praying with devotional materials intended for little ones unlocks a special part of your own prayer journey.

 

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Find a way to calmly and lovingly turn prayer time around your #Advent wreath into a family friendly moment. #catholicmom

A question for you: How have you enjoyed praying with children around your Advent wreath?

 

2022 Lisa Advent series 3


Copyright 2022 Lisa M. Hendey
Images: Ave Maria Press
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