The Institute for Christian Formation
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
December 1, 2016
Today also happens to be December 1st. Many Advent calendars and Advent houses, that you can use to count down the days until Christmas Day, begin on December 1st. Today, use this Gospel about the house built on rock for your own Advent reflection. One way you can do this is to take your December calendar, and on each page between now and December 25, mark down one good deed you will do for others that day. Then when you turn to that page in your calendar, you will have a concrete reminder to do good! Spend a few minutes each day journaling about your “good deed” experience, and offer it as a daily Advent reflection as we await the coming of the Lord.
Begin to prepare a manger for Jesus today, too. Put up your empty “stable” in your home or classroom. For every good deed done between now and December 24, put a piece of straw in the stable so that on Christmas, you will have a place prepared for the Christ Child. In doing this you will truly be building your house on solid rock!
The Gospel for this Thursday in the First Week of Advent is Matthew 7:21, 24-27. This is the Gospel about the wise man who built his house on rock and the foolish man who built his on sand.
With your children or students, you might create an Advent calendar or Advent house today. This page contains a template from the Ohio Department of Education, and here you can find one from Kodak. But instead of having treats or surprises for children for each day, create your Advent calendar/house so that the children are also opening each window or door to find either a reference to a Scripture passage they can read (or you can read to them), or a suggestion for a good deed they can do today. If you really want to be ambitious, you can create an Advent house as described in the video below.
There are numerous sources for Advent calendars, if you choose to purchase one. Choose one with a religious theme, rather than a secular theme. Liturgy Training Publications has a fantastic Advent/Christmas Calendar that actually begins the First Sunday of Advent, rather than December 1, and continues through the Christmas Season, as well. A prayer book for each day accompanies your purchase. This would be a wonderful addition to your home and/or classroom.
