Advent has come and gone and the Christmas season is drawing to a close. Life has been busy in our home yet we've managed to spend some moments reflecting on God's great love for us as evidenced in the Incarnation. Each year I fall in love again with the beauty and simplicity of the Infancy narratives as I share them with the children in the atrium - their joy and wonder ignites my own and I thank God for the little ones.
With my children at home, I will again bake a "crown cake." We will read and reflect on the readings for the day:
- Isaiah 60:1-6
- Psalm 72
- Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
- Matthew 2:1-12
I'll also invite them to read CCC 528: ....In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation.
We might discuss the gifts, look up some background and ponder their meaning. Later on in the week, the younger kids are working on an Epiphany lapbook, with ideas from Willa, found here.
On Saturday Evening, the kids leave out hay for the camels, and the Wise Men show their gratitude by leaving a small gift, generally a religious book or activity.
On Sunday evening, we'll do our annual house blessing - provided I remember to bring home the Holy Water ;-)
Books in our Book Basket:
Mary: The Mother of Jesus
The Legend of Old Befana
The Stone: A Persian Legend of the Magi
TCollect: May the splendor of your majesty, O Lord, we pray, shed its light upon our hearts, that we may pass through the shadows of this world and reach the brightness of our eternal home. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
~ Beate
