CATECHIST NOTE WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9, 2015

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1 CATECHIST NOTE WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9, 2015 TONIGHT! As Advent continues, we will again gather together for prayer in the gym! Thank you so much for helping to keep the children quiet and reverent during the brief service. Dennis Gaetano will be here during both RE sessions this Wednesday (the feast of St. Juan Diego!) to share information about Our Lady of Guadalupe. While this presentation was originally arranged for youth in Grades 6, 7 and 8 everyone is more than welcome to attend! (This is an option for Elementary catechists to bring their children, but be aware, his presentation will probably take the entire session.) Presentations will begin in the church at 4:45pm (for the 4:30 session) and 6:30pm (for the 6:15 session). St. Nicholas Day and Advent/Christmas idea packets are available on the table outside the office along with other ideas and sample crafts which can be done to celebrate the season! Continue your journey through Advent by using the Advent Devotionals which were provided to you and all children last week! REMINDERS! Next week, Wednesday, Dec. 16, will be our last RE session for 2015! There are no RE sessions on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30. Wednesday sessions resume on the Feast of the Epiphany on Wednesday, Jan. 6! What is Epiphany? Epiphany goes by various names in different cultures. Little Christmas, Three Kings Day, or Twelfth Night all remain the official end of the season's "Twelve Days of Christmas" --counting from Christmas evening on December 25 to the Ephiphany on January 6. Epiphany is from the Greek word Epiphania, meaning "revelation". In biblical terms, the word best describes the story of how the Magi or Three Kings - Caspar, (or Kaspar or Gaspar) Melchior and Balthasar - saw a bright star on the night Christ was born and followed it to Bethlehem. There they found the Christ child and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The legendary visit would later gave rise to the custom of gift giving at Christmas. Here are some suggested activities to celebrate Epiphany: Introduce children to the symbols of Epiphany by first reading the story from Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12. Since it is tradition that it is on Epiphany marked the Three Kings finding the infant Jesus, children can celebrate the day by making simple crowns out of yellow construction paper! The Three Kings (Wise Men, Magi) followed a star to find the baby Jesus. Have children create paper stars or three dimensional ones out of cardstock or play Find the Star game by hiding stars in your classroom and letting the children find them. When all the stars are found, come together to talk about how Jesus is the Star of their life! **We have stars if you need them! The Three Kings brought gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) to the baby Jesus. Provide children with a copy of a gift box on which they can draw or write what gifts would they give the baby Jesus hopefully you can encourage them to say, My heart! Create an Epiphany prayer box (small gift box) which the children can decorate with star stickers. Provide some small pieces of paper on which children can write prayer intentions to help them remember Jesus is their light.

2 Create the Three Kings using toilet paper rolls. Templates to color can be requested. Once colored, wrap the picture around a toilet paper roll to help the Kings stand. Make a Three Kings window cling using a silhouette of the Three Kings and a Star copied on to a piece of transparency. Color the background using Sharpie markers or glue pieces of tissue paper to create the look of stained glass. Why did the wise men present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus? Why give a baby gifts that the baby couldn't use at that particular time? Why not give the baby a bib, a rattle, or a stuffed animal that the baby could enjoy right away? Why gold, frankincense and myrrh? These gifts were rare, precious and expensive but not typical gifts for a baby. For the wise men, they represented their best to honor the newborn king. These gifts were common to their culture and only could be found in the east, not in Israel. The three gifts represented the future roles of Jesus. Gold was the usual offering presented to kings by their subjects, or those wanting to pay respect. When the wise men presented gold, they were honoring Jesus with the very best they possessed, and they also were recognizing that Jesus was king. In both the Old Testament Tabernacle and the Temple, gold was used plentifully, so we see that gold is also associated with worship. Frankincense represents Jesus' divinity. It is a very costly and fragrant gum distilled from a tree. It was used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God. It also was used as medicine and as perfume. Myrrh was brought as a gift to acknowledge the human suffering Jesus would experience as a man. While frankincense represents sweetness, myrrh represents bitterness. Myrrh is an aromatic gum and is obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It is used chiefly in embalming the dead. In brief, gold was a gift for a king; frankincense was a gift for Jesus' divinity, and myrrh was a spice for His burial. Even though these gifts provided financial resources for the round trip Mary and Joseph took to Egypt, they were symbolic of the future roles of Jesus. Entering the Jubilee Year of Mercy: December 8, 2015 November 20, 2016 The December 3 issue of the Catholic Spirit included a wonderful explanation of the Jubilee (Holy) Year of Mercy we entered on December 8 (The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Rather than reprint the article, I ll provide you with the URL: which answers the basic questions about what a jubilee year is. You ll also find a articles about the Acts of Mercy, Holy Doors, etc. Here is a prayer (thank you Happy Saints!) you can share with your children throughout the Jubilee Year! Please ask if you would like copies for your children! Copies will have the prayer in readable format! May your continued journey through Advent be blessed! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO HELP SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST! St. John s is blessed by the gifts you so generously share!

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5 Ages 7-12 December 13, 2015 Luke 3: CRI PO Box 6360, Beaufort, SC Enter your SECRET CODE to unlock games.childrensbulletins.com JBAD70

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7 Ages 3-6 December 13, 2015 Luke 3: CRI PO Box 6360, Beaufort, SC Enter your SECRET CODE to unlock games.childrensbulletins.com CHVA52

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