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I’m realizing I’m forgetting to even put some of the Christmas prep tasks on my “to-do” list, which is okay in the scheme of Advent. I just hope I don’t forget them entirely and show up to family Christmas without a gift for someone! Here are the last few “busy prayer” topics to keep you praying while you work this month:
1. Decorating/enjoying Christmas lights around town Focus on the Light of Christ
- Offer up your decoration time for the salvation of souls
- Be sure you have some holy decorations in prominent places!
- We decorate with lights, during this darkest month of the year, not only because they’re beautiful and bring us joy, but also to remind us of the Light of Christ, shining for salvation of souls.
- While you decorate, meditate on the light of Christ shining in the darkness of sin and death of our culture.
- Pray for those in the homes that are (and aren’t) decorated as you drive, that they may know the light of Christ this year.
- I have a new tradition that I’m committing to this year. I’m going to make the most important decoration of all the holy water we’ll use to bless our home each Advent season. We’ll put holy water on the threshold, requesting blessing on all those entering, asking Jesus to enter our lives and to keep evil OUT.
2. Cleaning/Preparing house for visitors One more chance to offer up mundane tasks…and to really “clean house”
- Offer up busy work for salvation of world and specifically for the faith of your visitors.
- Remember that your soul is the most important home of all, for our Lord. We mustn’t be complacent since He’s not a visitor, but a permanent houseguest as long as we’ll have Him. Advent is a great time for some cleaning out of the interior life. Get to Confession this Advent.
What do you do to keep Christ in Christmas, and to keep Advent a season unto itself and not an early Christmas?
Note: St. Nicholas’s Feast Day is December 6th! Remember to put out your shoes tomorrow night for him to fill with candy or coins. Here are some links I used last year with my son:
- St. Nicholas Story
- St. Nick prayers
- German Spice St. Nicholas cookies (I just used a freehand cut-out of cardboard for the shape)
Find all the Advent Daily Dose reflections here.
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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Hungry for more? Related posts:
We’re doing an Advent wreath and a Jesse Tree with daily readings. Also, each day the kids pull out a good deed from a jar to offer up to baby Jesus as a present. We’ll also celebrate St. Nicholas this weekend. Enjoy your weekend!
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Mrs. Katie,
I really enjoy reading your blog and I would like to invite you to participate in a carnival, ‘Tis the Season – keeping Christ in Christmas, that a friend and I are hosting during December. Tomorrow is the first day over at my blog, One Southern Girl
Hope to see you there!
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