I'm ready. Are you?

NO! I didn't know we were supposed to choose a penance for Advent (my first as a Catholic, you know). Please explain!

Yes, Advent is a time of penitence and preparation as we reflect on the coming of Christ first in His Nativity and finally at the end of time. It's the fasting before the great feasting of Christmas.

The customary penitential practices are prayer, fasting (or mortification), and almsgiving. So for example, one could set extra time for family prayer over the Advent wreath, give up the secret Mommy stash of chocolate stars (you know, the ones hidden behind the Tupperware), and pay more attention to one of the Corporal or Spiritual works of Mercy. It's a good time to go to Confession, and many parishes have increased availability of Confession during Advent.

Since it's a time of penitence and preparation, it's a good idea to hold off on decorating for Christmas as long as possible. Wait on those carols, parties, etc until after Christmas.

I've heard of a family custom for sharing this with the little ones that sounds utterly charming: have the little ones cut strips of paper out of brown or yellow paper. Every time they do a good deed or little mortification, they get to put it in a little manger so they can make a nice soft bed of good deeds and sacrifices for baby Jesus. They get to put baby Jesus in the nice soft bed on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

More suggestions for activities with children:
Domestic Church literally wrote the book.
Christmas to Candlemas in a Catholic Home
Our Children's Year of Grace

Hope this helps.

Thanks, it helps a ton!

For the last few years, we've made it a habit to do without during Advent in order to help needy families, so I guess we've already done part of this. I dig the strips of paper for the manger idea, but our Nativity set is simple wooden carvings and Baby Jesus and the Manger are all one piece, so that wouldn't quite work for us. May try to do a 2-D version of that for the fridge.

Thanks for the tips. Will have to pray on this and devise a more carefully planned penitent season.

--Sparki

I always wait till the last minute to shop for my penances and all the easy ones are already taken.

Mr. Miller! You stole my comment! Hmmmph.

(Tee hee!)

you can also make chains of the paper strips, and hang then around the house.

see, Jeff, aren't you glad you read TSM so we can remind you to shop early for your penances(and hand you set-ups on a silver platter ;) )?

Better get going or you'll end up walking barefoot to Compostela again!

Sparki, baby Jesus and the Manger are one piece in our Nativity scene, too. Maybe I got a bit carried away in my imagination, but I was thinking if one wanted to go 3-D maybe the strips of paper could go in a doll bed (or even a decorated shoe box), with a baby doll standing in for baby Jesus?

(I forgot to make clear that the good deeds could be recorded on the strips of paper.)

Advent penance? They left this out of my RCIA! For that matter, they probably left out Lenten penance, too.

Wow, Advent is starting late this year! (Advent is coming, 1st Sunday is DECEMBER 30???) ;-)

David, I am so blushing for having made that error. And you are the only person who's said something!!