Pathways to Parish Vitality
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Advent


Longing for a Meaningful Christmas?  Try a pathway through Advent!

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There are superb resources on:
  • Advent Calendar - Busted Halo
    Christmas Calendar - for children of all ages
  • Activities and Ignatian Readings and Exercises from Loyola Press
  • Family Activities and a Definitive Guide - Our Sunday Visitor
  • Advent Reflections - from A Cyberpilgrim's Blog
  • Jesse Tree - complete with ornaments and reflections
  • St. Nicolas Center - discovering the truth about Santa Claus 
  • Crafts and Activities for Children - activities and crafts at www.CatholicMom.com
  • Praying Advent - prayers, traditions and teaching from Creighton University 
  • 4CatholicEducators - articles, prayers, educational resources and more

Consider gifting a few moments to yourself each day with any of the following prayer aides:

Exploring Advent with Luke: Four Questions for Spiritual Growth
- by Timothy Clayton (Ave Maria, 2012)
O Radiant Dawn: 5 minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath - by Lisa Hendey (family prayersThe Unsheltered Heart - an at-home advent retreat (Ronald Patrick Raab, C.S.C, Ave Maria, 2011)
Rediscover Advent
(Matthew Kelly 2011)
Preparing  for Christmas: Reflections on Advent (Richard Rohr 2008)
God is in the Manager: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (Dietrich Bonhoeffer 2010)
Daily Reflections for Advent & Christmas: Waiting with Joyful Hope 2011-2012 
      (Jay Cormier, Liturgical Press www.litpress.org)
Watch for the Light Readings for Advent and Christmas (Plough Publishing House with Orbis Books 2001)
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen: Daily Scripture and Prayers Together with Nouwen's Own Words
     (Redemptorist Pastoral Publ. 2004)
The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God During Advent and Christmas
(Beth A. Richardson 2009)
Advent Story Book: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas (Antonie Schneider and Maja Dusikova 2005)
(Many of these are available from Amazon.com with 48 hour shipping)

If you want to get active visit: The Advent Conspiracy where Christmas can [still] change the world especially in lives of those most likely to welcome a free night lodging in a manger.


Christmas is a time to share the Good News! 

Good news - Dozens of parishes have already benefited from the resources and support available through this project to implement plans to thrive, not just survive in the years ahead.  More good news - ALL parishes of the Diocese are welcome to come aboard any time and take full advantage of the fruits of this project.  The GREAT NEWS is that God doesn’t love us because WE are so good.  God loves us because GOD is so good.  Nothing we can do would make God love us more than God already does.  And there is nothing that we can do to make God love of us any less.  The GREAT NEWS of Christmas is that I am so good because it is God who loves me. 

How might that Good News be shared if Jesus were born today...

Parish Vitality - is less about doing more things and more about doing the right things!