Advent Devotional

There are many things families can do during Advent to enrich your season. We have many ideas available within our website and an entire page dedicated to Advent Resources. For our 2023 Advent we found a new addition to our seasonal collection. I stumbled upon it shortly after Advent began and was enchanted by the concept. Initially I had hoped to place this in the middle of our Advent wreath but the sizing was larger than I thought. Instead it found its place next to our Crèche in our foyer. A better location. It made for a more interactive space for the family to each read the card daily.

Back to this beautiful set of cards. These are made by The Keeping Company and we have thoroughly enjoyed them this year. The Advent Art Countdown Cards are based on the Cradle to Cross Advent Devotional; journey from the Fall to Christ’s birth through art. On the front of each card is the piece of art with a brief background for each piece on the back. Best described by their website: “Each Advent Art Card, numbered 1 through 26, features a work of classical art, a Name of Jesus, and two Scripture references — one reference contextualizes the name of Jesus, and the other relates the piece of artwork to the overarching story of God’s redemption.”

It was almost fortuitous that I came across them with our home catechism being more art based this year. (Another story for another time but that itself happened organically via a rabbit hole in my research of making the curriculum.) So of course when I found these I ordered them immediately. What I didn’t expect was that Keith would be completely enchanted with them and it inspired him in ways to connect scripture and art in his own lessons at supper with the children. Our children even began reading them unprompted each day. I highly recommend these to families who want to add something meaningful to the Advent season. I did notice in the past this company had cards for Lent. I’ll be looking for those too as this was so enriching for us this year, I’m sure the Lenten set will be just as amazing.

While we are winding down the last days of Advent I am aware that adding something new is an unlikely endeavor. I’m sharing this idea as an example of simple and meaningful. I have seen and heard about the pressure many Catholic households are feeling. The loud and numerous messages to DO SOMETHING or a lot of somethings during Advent to make the season meaningful.

December is a month brimming full of amazing feast days to celebrate. One look on an internet search of Advent traditions and you will see a plethora of good ideas. Through discourse with other families I have found that the pressure of doing more Catholic traditions has been a growing trend. Almost to the point of overwhelming many mothers. Perhaps these trends are motivated by the notion of reviving traditions that have once been lost over the generations. This is a nice sentiment but in the end it can be felt by mothers to be more crushing than inspiring. With that all swirling around my thoughts….I was thinking that finding the simple such as this set of cards we found can be just as enriching to your family.

And….some years it’s ok to do less.

Every year brings with it new challenges and experiences and sometimes new babies! Or new jobs! Or new locations! Or any other life event. Choosing to do less is no reflection on you or your faithfulness. We have to give ourselves the grace to step back from the overwhelming things that can get in the way of our focus on Jesus. Sometimes those things we do get started a little behind schedule. Such as it was for us and these cards this year. It was perfectly timed for us this year since we were looking for something simple and beautiful. All this to say some years we in our own home do more during Advent (or Lent!) and other years we do less. This is what it means to be a living Catholic family, the ebb and flow of our lives make for the depth of faith we have come to know.