"Best Advent Ever" from Dynamic Catholic. Sign up to get daily emails with brief spiritual reflections, videos, etc. Only takes a few minutes a day, but really helps get into the spirit of Advent preparation.

Professor Carol's Advent Calendar. Music, poetry, art, and historical reflections. Sign up for delivery by email or read online at her blog. Carol often has great insights into the traditions associated with Advent.

The Pray More Advent Retreat from PrayMoreNovenas.com. Changes seasonally, so it's also the link for their Lenten retreat.

Advent: Around the Year with the Trapp Family

Did you know that the real Von Trapp family (made famous in the movie Sound of Music) were particularly fond of celebrating the Liturgical Year and in fact wrote a book about it? This is the Advent portion.

Advent Reading List from 4 Real Learning

Christmas Carol Unit Study with Picture Books

In finding out more about the carols I looked for resources that told the history of the carols as well as ones that brought the carol’s lyrics to life for my children in picture books. I am looking for a local copy of the out of print book, Christ and the Carols by William Reynolds in hopes of supplementing information from the Collins books and the internet.

To share this fun topic with my family, particularly the younger children, we have embarked on a study of carols. We are hoping to not only enjoy the joyous music during these 12 days of Christmas, but to learn more about the songs and their history and the musicians behind them while enjoying some lovely picture books each day.

Family Advent Customs by Helen McLoughlin

Marian Songs for Advent

O Night Divine: A Blog Dedicated to the Celebration of Christmas

 

Excerpts from a Letter from St. Bernadette about the Apparitions I had gone down one day with two other girls to the bank of the river Gave when suddenly I heard a kind of rustling sound. I turned my head toward the field by the side of the river but the trees seemed quite still and the noise was evidently not from them. Then I looked up and caught sight of the cave where I saw a lady wearing a lovely white dress with a bright belt. On top of each of her feet was a pale yellow rose, the same color as her rosary beads. Our Lady of Lourdes Novena Beautiful Photos from Lourdes Prayers and Devotions for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Pope John Paul II Angelus Message on His Pilgrimage to Lourdes, 2004 Encyclical of Pope Pius XII Warning Against Materialism on the Centenary of the Apparitions at Lourdes Clairity Daily: Our Lady's Place Rock of Massabielle, Poem Castle of the Immaculate: St. Bernadette and the Marian Vow Pope Benedict XVI on the Message of Lourdes "The message that the Madonna continues to spread at Lourdes recalls the words Jesus pronounced at the beginning of his public mission and that we hear again often during these days of Lent: 'Convert and believe in the Gospel,' pray and do penance."

For children

Some simple ideas to bring Lenten practices home for younger children: 

• "Simple Lenten Practices for Children"
• "Stations of the Cross Ideas for Kids"

For yourself (some of these would also be great for older kids)

• "Best Lent Ever" from Dynamic Catholic. Sign up for free to get daily emails with brief spiritual reflections, videos, etc. Only takes a few minutes a day, but really helps get into the Lenten spirit and prepare for the coming of Easter.
• "Pray More Lenten Retreat" is an online retreat from Pray More Novenas. Note that the content at the link changes seasonally, so as we reach the end of a liturgical year, it will switch over to Best Advent Ever.
• Magnificat Lenten Companion is an inexpensive booklet published by the same folks who bring us the monthly Magnificat to help us participate in the Church's liturgical prayers. Available in English (regular & large print) as well as Spanish, the Companion offers daily reflections to help us pray through this penitential season of preparation.
• Revival: A Lenten Devotional for Eucharistic Renewal is a devotional for Eucharistic Renewal, providing daily reflections to rekindle a living relationship with Jesus. The brief reflections provide insights and reflections for the entire day. They are authored by individuals close to the National Eucharistic Revival and are ideal for individual daily reflection during the season of Lent; they can also be used by couples or small groups.
• "Set Free" with Fr. Josh Johnson (Ascension Press) offers daily Lenten reflections for adults focused on overcoming the seven deadly sins and thereby prepare our hearts for Easter. The goal is to help us identify the action of the deadly sins in our own lives and uproot them with the help of specific fasts, praying with Scripture, and surrendering them to God. It also includes a step-by-step examination of conscience to make confessions more fruitful. Free.

 

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