Memory and Hope

Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…

It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.

~Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Seek That Which Is Above

We are using Getting Ready for Christmas: A Daily Advent Prayer & Activity Book for the Family for our Advent guide again this year. Each page represents one day of the Advent, with a Bible verse, prayer, and an Advent activity suggestion. The book contains a small lift-the-flap Advent calendar, but we will be incorporating the guide with our own Advent calendar.

For each day's theme, I put a corresponding treasure in the little cupboard. For example, Day 3:

Verse: Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all you shining stars! God commanded, and there you are! Psalm 148:3, 5

Today's Prayer: Dear God, how You love light! There is no darkness in You at all. Thank You for the sun that lights the day, the moon and stars that light the night, and for Jesus, who lights up our hearts. Amen.

Advent Activity: Go outside tonight and enjoy the night sky.

Our Advent Calendar Treasure: Small glow-in-the-dark stars to mount on the bedroom ceiling.

Baby Jesus (from our nativity set) makes an appearance behind door 25.