| Author | |
MichelleW
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 01 2005
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 947
|
| Posted: July 21 2006 at 3:08pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I've been asked to teach a class on the liturgical year to an evangelical Protestant group (!). I have lots of information, but as I go through my stuff I just really feel that I need to ask for some more ideas. I looked through the archives and couldn't find what I was looking for. Do you have any beloved traditions that you could share? I will probably be asking the same questions about other celebrations in the next several days/weeks. Right now I am focussed on Advent/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/12 Days of Christmas/Epiphany.
I did check Catholic Culture and it affirmed many of my family's own customs. I am looking for ways you've made the holidays more Christ-centered as well as traditions that your family holds especially dear.
Thanks so much!
Michelle
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Rebecca
Forum All-Star
Joined: Dec 30 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1898
|
| Posted: July 21 2006 at 11:17pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Michelle,
We use an advent log, instead of a wreath, which has a hole for every day of Advent. Each hole contains a candle (I use 12 inch) which we light before bed each night of Advent. We read from a book of advent devotions, light the candle, sing some songs/carols and pray a decade of the Rosary. The log is special to us because my father cut it and drilled it for us a few years before he died. It is white birch. I decorate it with greens and wooden berries and it is placed on top of our upright piano.
We also have a small manger that I place out on the table on the first day of Advent. For every kindness that the children do, they are able to put a piece of straw in the manger to make a soft bed for the baby Jesus. On Christmas day I place him (a porcelain statue) in the bed and he is our centerpiece on the dining room table for our meal.
Also, we, like many families, bake a birthday cake for Jesus. We sing to him before we open presents.
Just a few of our family's ideas. HTH!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Katie
Forum Pro
Joined: March 11 2005
Location: Suriname
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 271
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 1:42am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Michelle,
I know you are going to get loads of great ideas. I think our Advent is pretty normal; the only things we do "extra" are lots of Tomie dePaola (even if we don't do Elizabeth's unit in full), a Christmas book from the basket each night (these are wrapped up - some are new, some are old favourites).
I have a wooden Nativity set, and I wrap up the pieces and number them for the weeks of Advent. We open them up one week at a time to reveal the Christmas story, saving the Wise men for Epiphany, the Baby Jesus for Christmas Eve. First week is Mary, Joseph, and a donkey (ride to Bethlehem), next is stable animals - you get the picture!
I did want to say that with your target audience (brave girl!) it would be very important to make sure that the traditions and liturgy you present are more of the scriptural variety, touching more lightly on some of the other beautiful traditions that are based on legend. As Catholics, I think we see lovely truths in these old stories and traditions, but to others, particularly Evangelical Protestants, they can really just cement the wacky ideas they already have of us! Talking from experience here.
I would use the Bible as much as possible when presenting both traditions and the liturgy itself, showing how it is all so Biblically based. I think you have a wonderful opportunity to show how beautiful Catholocism is in a non-threatening manner, and to educate people about our devotion to God, as expressed through the beauty of the liturgical year. I guess converts is too much to hope for, but some Evangelical Protestant friends are always good to have, too.
Blessings to you.
Editing to add - MacBeth linked to some beautiful Catholic music in the "Making your home Catholic" thread. I think you should definitely have some playing. How can anyone not be moved by that?
__________________
Mother of 5 in South America. No 6 due in April.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 9:40am | IP Logged
|
|
|
A Jesse Tree or Calendar would be perfect for your talk. Also I know there are Advent Wreath Prayers that are more "biblical".
Most of what's on Catholic Culture is similar to what we do in our home. Advent calendar, straws in the manger, St. Nicholas celebration, Birthday Cake for Jesus, Mary Candle, Jesse Tree, Christmas tree, Christkindl, charity during Advent, Advent hymns, Christmas carols, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Foods play a large part of the celebrations, especially Christmas breads. Epiphany we have a house blessing and special dinner with all the extended family and a special priest friend. This is the highlight of our Christmas season.
How are you trying to present to your audience? Present the Catholic traditions without apology, or adjust to suit their needs?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MichelleW
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 01 2005
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 947
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 11:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks so much ladies!
Jenn, what a good question. I guess the answer at this point is both. I am unapologetically Catholic, but I know that suggesting they pray the Rosary as part of their celebration isn't going to be well received (however, I welcome your ideas that include this). I DO suggest they attend a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, an Ash Wednesday Mass, a Palm Sunday Mass, an Easter Vigil and a Pentecost Mass at least once in their lives and I give reasons and a little list of what to expect.
I am trying to give them the basic "This is what the season is about" and then let them fill in with ways they can customize for themselves. For example, with All Saints I plan to give them the reasons why we celebrate, a quote from John Paul II about how we benefit from studying the lives of the saints as well as the lives of the Protestant martyrs whose lives reflected the work of the Holy Spirit, tell them how my family celebrates and why and give them suggestions for adapting the holiday to suit their own families.
Michelle
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
PDyer
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 25 2005
Location: Ohio
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1043
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 11:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
One custom we put into place a couple of years ago is make the seasonal change from Advent to Christmas very obvious on our Christmas tree. We start by hanging Jesse tree ornaments on our (artificial) Christmas tree starting the first day of Advent. I made two ornaments for each day, one for each child (easy when you have two children  ), using clip art printed on regular white printer paper, glued to purple cardstock. We punched a hole in each ornament to thread silver curling ribbon for hanging.
Then on Christmas eve, all those ornaments come off the tree and we deck the tree with all the finery of Christmas.
Doing this really helped highlight the change in the liturgical seasons for our family and I didn't have to buy anything new to do it. 
__________________
Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MichelleW
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 01 2005
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 947
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow Patty! What a great idea!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MaryM
Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13104
|
| Posted: July 22 2006 at 3:20pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Michelle,
Are you subscribed to the CCM group on Yahoo? Jennifer C. has compiled a great list of traditions with explanations that she has used to present a session on the topic. The ideas came from many of the people on these forums. It is in the files section and can be downloaded. If you aren't on CCM let me know and I can get it and send to you as an attachment.
__________________
Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ALmom
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 18 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3299
|
| Posted: July 23 2006 at 3:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
There was an old thread on here for different seasons - probably in the archives - that list tons and tons of ideas for Advent and Christmas seasons and for Epiphany, lent and Easter. I know I shared some ideas and gleaned some too. I have no idea how to pull it up and even less how to post a link to it - but someone with lots of computer savvy might know just where it is and link it for you.
I once wrote a long letter for my brother where I explained the rosary - meditation on the life of Christ and how Mary always pointed to Christ. I described some of my personal meditations, found the prayers in scripture (The Hail Mary is actually the words of the angel to Mary, the words of Elizabeth to Mary and our appeal for her to intercede for us so that we too find Jesus in this life and the next). My brother could find no fault with the explanation even after showing it to his very anti-Catholic mentors. All he could say was the way I did it was OK but that just wasn't the way most Catholics prayed. Anyways, I'm sure you could explain the rosary quite easily to a Protestant audience without problem. Only 2 mysteries might stump them - the Assumption and the Coronation.
Janet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MichelleW
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 01 2005
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 947
|
| Posted: July 23 2006 at 11:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mary, I am not subscribed to the CCM group (Yahoo and my email program don't seem to like each other). I would so appreciate you sending that to me!
Janet, isn't that funny? I, too, have explained the rosary to my husband's Protestant family and they responded with, "That is SO very Christ-centered, we had no idea! But most Catholics probably don't pray the rosary as you do." These blanket statements from otherwise reasonable people just amaze me. Anyway, the class is only one night and so I plan to briefly touch on the major points and let them know they can contact me with any questions.--Another funny little story: a dear Protestant friend called me and asked me to speak to her church's youth pastor because he was getting ready to do a comparative religion series and had Catholicism and Christianity down as separate religions. I called him and we had intensive phone discussions several times that week. After his presentation my friend (who is a youth worker) called to tell me that not only did he talk about Catholicism as a separate denomination (as opposed to a separate religion), but about a dozen kids talked with her afterwards asking for more information on the Catholic church because it sounded so beautiful to them! I wonder what kind of trouble that pastor has gotten himself in?
I'm leaving town for three days. I'll chack back when I return.
Thanks again!
michelle
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
momwise
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1914
|
| Posted: July 23 2006 at 11:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MichelleW wrote:
| about a dozen kids talked with her afterwards asking for more information on the Catholic church because it sounded so beautiful to them! I wonder what kind of trouble that pastor has gotten himself in? |
|
|
hehe... hmmmm....just look what happened to Alex Jones
Michelle,
I would be very interested to know how you came upon this opportunity. Did you do something we can duplicate--or was it brought to you by someone?
I should leave most of the ideas to the converts here but just wanted to say--and to reinforce what you just said above--I would use the chance to throw in a little history lesson. At least why is Christmas Christ+Mass?? And how the 12 days of Christmas became a feast (including the concept of the Octave) and a little info about the early Christians celebrating Epiphany before Christmas was even an official feast. Perhaps if all that would be too heavy-handed you could include some little gems in the handouts.
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
momwise
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1914
|
| Posted: July 23 2006 at 11:42am | IP Logged
|
|
|
ALmom wrote:
| Only 2 mysteries might stump them - the Assumption and the Coronation. |
|
|
I would think so too. But I came upon some apologetics in my "reversion" that really made sense--the idea that if Jesus is King, then His mother is "Queen Mother." I admit that might not go over on first glance, but there are some Old Testament scriptures that support that. In fact, we've been defending our honor of Mary for so long I think it's time we start challenging some of our brethren to stop ignoring her!
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maddie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Dec 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1804
|
| Posted: July 24 2006 at 12:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
We reread the first chapter of Fulton Sheen's book, Jesus Son of Mary at Christmas time. It was written for children and is so profound. I read it aloud the Christmas Eve my Protestant relatives were visiting and they were marveled at the gems in this book!
For example: Jesus called Himself "the Living Bread descended from Heaven" was born in Bethlehem which in Hebrew means "house of bread" He was laid in a manger a feeding place for animals.
Sheen also describes the signifigance of the Three Wise Mens gifts.
Gold- kings usually wear gold
Incense- He is God and should be surrounded by sweet smelling odors as He is adored
Myrrh- a medicine used to soften the wounds and wash the dead
Wow! This was mind boggling to a me, a convert. I had never heard the most familiar story of Christmas explained in this way.
Oh, I also buy purple lights after Halloween when they are like 75% off and use those to decorate our family altar. I also use a strand near the Nativity we gradually set up all Advent. After Midnight Mass, I exchange the purple lights for white.
__________________
~Maddie~
Wife to my dh and Momma of 9 dear ones
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: I need some Advent and Christmas help
