Advent Resources

Our life becomes beautiful when we wait for a dear one or someone important.  May this Advent help us transform our hope into the certainty that He whom we await loves us and will never abandon us.

Pope Francis, 28th November, 2021

How can we best use the precious weeks of Advent?  More than ever, we need help to slow down, tune into God’s silence and prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ child.  Here are some ideas for a very special Advent with biblical resources, online retreats, sound tracks and saint’s day celebrations, including a bumper selection of opportunities from within the diocese.

 

Within the diocese:

Online retreat with Canon John Udris and Avril Baigent, Mondays through Advent, starting on Monday 29th November, 7.30-8.30pm.  A chance to pause each week and spend some time in the company of our Advent saints.  Watch the trailer here:

Register to receive the YouTube link each week: https://lift_up_your_eyes.eventbrite.co.uk, and catch up with missed episodes and resources here: https://pastoralministryoffice.org/lift-up-your-eyes/.

 

The Daily Retreat from The Ignatian Spirituality Centre, Glasgow, offers material for daily prayer at onlineprayer.net/advent-retreat/ . Each day there’s Scripture, Music, Prayer and Reflection. Contact Joanna Hale at jchale@earthling.net if you’d like to join a Zoom group at 7.45 – 8.15 am each morning where some friends will use the material to spend time in prayer together. 

 

Advent Reflection from the National Board of Catholic Women.  Join Fiona Inman and Sr Miriam McNulty from our diocese on 11th December at 11am online, or access the resources at any time, https://www.nbcw.co.uk/events. 

 

Reaching out this Christmas: join other parishes from around the diocese in finding new ways to reach people with the Christmas message: https://pastoralministryoffice.org/home-copy/growing-in-faith/parish-resources/advent-activities/

 

Love Christmas: Caritas Northampton is coordinating our diocesan response to the Love Christmas campaign to distribute bags of kindness across the country.  Find everything you need to get involved here: https://northamptondiocese.org/lovechristmas/

 

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Daily Practices

A daily reflection on the Gospel with gorgeous art https://christian.art

Bishop Robert Barron’s daily reflections: https://www.wordonfire.org

Interactive Advent Calendar from Cafod: https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Advent-Calendar

An Advent Examen: https://www.thinkingfaith.org/tags/advent-examen

Loyola Press’s Advent calendar is bursting with reflections, articles and videos – something new each day.

Colour in Advent calendar: https://prayingincolor.com/resources/advent-christmas

Simple and effective ideas for giving through Advent: https://www.janetschaeffler.com/Advent_-_A_Time_of_Giving.pdf

 

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For families

The God Who Speaks campaign has produced some wonderful family resources this Advent:

Family Advent Wreath Resource from Bishop Peter Brignall: godwhospeaks.uk/christmas-resources/traditional-advent-resources

Donkey Detective Story and Make your own Donkey Activity:godwhospeaks.uk/the-christmas-donkey

Jesse Tree Stained Glass Window resource: godwhospeaks.uk/christmas-resources/traditional-advent-resources

 

Teresa Brown’s wonderful Advent Candle print out activity that can be used with families and everyone.  Each week, a different candle is put into the window, counting up to Christmas Day.  Download the templates here and also jpeg versions that can be put on parish websites:

Celebrating Advent with your family: https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/catholic-traditions-for-advent-and-christmas.html

Making an Advent wreath (lots of options): https://www.catholicicing.com/advent-ideas/

Creating an Advent tree of kindness: https://www.loyolapress.com/faith-formation/activities/creating-an-advent-tree-of-kindness/

Jesse Tree crafts to make or draw your own: https://www.catholicicing.com/category/jesse-tree/

God Who Speaks – Scripture based resources

Dreaming with Joseph this Christmas: On Dreaming in a Time of Crisis (Part 1) by David McLoughlin:

godwhospeaks.uk/dreams-and-revelations/dreaming-with-joseph-this-christmas-on-dreaming-in-a-time-of-crisis-part-1

Dreaming with Joseph this Christmas: On Dreaming in a Time of Crisis (Part 2) by David McLoughlin :

godwhospeaks.uk/dreams-and-revelations/dreaming-with-joseph-this-christmas-on-dreaming-in-a-time-of-crisis-part-2

Why wasn’t Jesus born in the Temple by Fr Michael Hall:godwhospeaks.uk/dreams-and-revelations/christmas-the-lord-who-enters-his-temple

Mary as a model for growing in faith: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-voices/21st-century-ignatian-voices/mary-at-her-annunciation-as-a-model-for-growing-in-the-virtue-of-faith/

Could Advent 2021 be the start of reading the whole Bible? See here for some wonderful resources, including a whole range of reading plans.

 

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Celebrating the Saints

There are some fantastic saints in Advent.  The best known are St Nicholas (6th December) and St Lucy (13th December).  Look up the traditions and food associated with both: https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/how-to-celebrate-advent-season-5-awesome-world-traditions. More food and saints ideas here: https://epicpew.com/feast-day-foods-advent/

The wonderful Catholic Icing site has lots of info about Advent saints for kids, including a set of colour-in printables, crafts, prayers and food ideas for each saint’s day.

 

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Something to read

Daily Mass readings for Advent along with morning and evening prayer and all the hours: https://universalis.com/mass.htm The app is expensive but worth it!

Fr Denis McBride’s Stations of the Infancy, a beautiful set of 14 reflections on Jesus’s birth and infancy with Scripture and prayers.

Books, gifts and seasonal resources from the Redemptorists: https://www.rpbooks.co.uk/advent-christmas-main and Daughters of St Paul https://www.paulineuk.org/browse/Books/Seasonal/Advent-Christmas

6 simple ways to enrich your Advent season: https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resources/6-simple-ways-to-enrich-your-advent-season

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Something to listen to

Two very different Spotify playlists of Advent music:
Traditional
Contemporary

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