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St. Ann Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 20 2006 Location: Germany
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 2:21pm | IP Logged
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In another post I mentioned that our family prepared an "Advent Window" for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I promised to explain a little about this tradition in our Parish.
To begin, I wouldn't say this is a german thing, because this is the first Parish(of many I have known here) in which I encountered this custom. It is translatable in every culture. Helpful is being in a geographically close Parish. I would say that our Parish is not larger than 5 square miles. Yes, small town. Our Parish is already consolidated from 4 Parishes to 1. So, we have 4 Church buildings which make up this 5 mile Parish.......Anyhoo...
In November a letter goes out to all the families of first communicants for the coming spring asking who would like to prepare an Advent Window for one day during Advent. Every single evening during Advent (until the 23rd of December) one family prepares /decorates a window and a meditation or prayer or story/songs... for interested parish members. It all takes place outside and lasts no longer than 30minutes. People usually offer a hot drink and cookies afterwards and people chat warmly together. It does create a somewhat intimate atmosphere.
Our family prepared a "Live" window. Two of our daughters portrayed the Blessed Mother and Eve. I got the idea from a picture of the same that was shown on several websites, The Anchoress for one. I believe it was titled "O EVE". My dh loved the idea and found it theologically very helpful to get across the meaning of this feast day. Our Priest greeted everyone at the beginning and we all sang a well known advent song. He then read the Gospel of the day and my dh read some thoughts about the meaning of the Feast introducing the still hidden window. We sang a German version of "O come O come Emmanuel" (different melody) and then we prayed the "Our Father". Father prayed the Oration (adventliche Praefation Marienmesse)
Open window shades.......and voila'!!!
We ended the service? ceremony? with the song "Maria durch ein Dornwald ging".
The whole atmosphere was very warm and the guests were visibly moved. I would bet that our family was the only family present who attended Mass that day. I don't mention this to judge anyone. I am just saying that this Feast day is almost meaningless to many Catholics, because they just don't know anything about it, which is to say they don't realize the beauty of it and the hope it could/should give each one of us. I pray that those present last night could discover a bit more to love about our Catholic Faith.
__________________ Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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MaryM Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 2:32pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Stephanie, this is so neat! Thanks for sharing the details. Wish you had pictures. So let me ask something I'm not clear about - this takes at the church or at the individual parishioner's home??
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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St. Ann Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 20 2006 Location: Germany
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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Mary, each family prepares one window in their own home. So, every evening is at another residence.
__________________ Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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MaryM Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
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That is really neat - a little traveling about to visit parishioners in the area.
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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MicheleQ Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 4:06pm | IP Logged
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St. Ann wrote:
Our family prepared a "Live" window. Two of our daughters portrayed the Blessed Mother and Eve. I got the idea from a picture of the same that was shown on several websites, The Anchoress for one. I believe it was titled "O EVE". My dh loved the idea and found it theologically very helpful to get across the meaning of this feast day. |
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Oh this sounds lovely!! I know exactly what picture you're talking about because I printed it and we've been looking at it a lot recently.
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Open window shades.......and voila'!!! |
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The one thing I miss about Germany is those shades. I REALLY wish I had them here!
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I pray that those present last night could discover a bit more to love about our Catholic Faith. |
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Really Stephanie, what a beautiful witness!
__________________ Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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hylabrook1 Forum Moderator
Joined: July 09 2006
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Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 4:43pm | IP Logged
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This sounds really cool, Stephanie.
OK, my German is kind of so-so. I get the grammatical gist of the song title, but I'm lost in the vocabulary. Ummm ..what is a Dornwald?
Do you by any chance have pictures? We would love to see them!
Peace,
Nancy
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St. Ann Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 20 2006 Location: Germany
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 2:38am | IP Logged
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hylabrook1 wrote:
This sounds really cool, Stephanie.
OK, my German is kind of so-so. I get the grammatical gist of the song title, but I'm lost in the vocabulary. Ummm ..what is a Dornwald?
Do you by any chance have pictures? We would love to see them!
Peace,
Nancy |
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Thanks Nancy! The English title is similar to "Mary went amid the thorns".
I am trying to get a photo mailed to Jenn. I just need to figure out the attachment thingy
__________________ Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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JennGM Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 7:47am | IP Logged
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Here's the picture.
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guitarnan Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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This is just beautiful!
__________________ Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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MicheleQ Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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Oh my that's beautiful!! Thanks for showing us!
__________________ Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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JennGM Forum Moderator
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 9:11am | IP Logged
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St. Ann wrote:
hylabrook1 wrote:
This sounds really cool, Stephanie.
OK, my German is kind of so-so. I get the grammatical gist of the song title, but I'm lost in the vocabulary. Ummm ..what is a Dornwald?
Do you by any chance have pictures? We would love to see them!
Peace,
Nancy |
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Thanks Nancy! The English title is similar to "Mary went amid the thorns". |
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Maria durch ein Dornwald ging
a few You Tube versions
The music can be found in Around the Year with the Trapp Family and the Trapp Family Book of Christmas Songs. The .pdf on this page includes the sheet music.
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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St. Ann Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 20 2006 Location: Germany
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 2:36pm | IP Logged
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I took the photo yesterday afternoon after the fact. The actual event was the evening before while dark. Eve did not wear pink socks during the real thing .
Jenn, you are the best!
__________________ Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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Mackfam Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006 Location: Alabama
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 2:40pm | IP Logged
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Stephanie,
I really enjoyed reading about your Advent window and especially enjoyed the picture you shared! Thank you!!!
__________________ Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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hylabrook1 Forum Moderator
Joined: July 09 2006
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Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 3:04pm | IP Logged
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Thank you, Stephanie and Jenn.
What a beautiful Advent window; Maria durch ein Dornwald ging is just beautiful.
Peace,
Nancy
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Trinity Forum Pro
Joined: June 12 2010 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Dec 13 2010 at 5:37am | IP Logged
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Thank you for sharing more with us, Stephanie. : ) What a lovely photo!
__________________ Trinity
DS(05/01/03)& DD(03/02/08)
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