It's several days into Advent and I've been reading post after post of amazing Advent plans. You all have such wonderful ideas and book lists galore!
For some reason, Advent snuck up on me and I was unprepared. Some place in my brain I am still stuck in September. Not sure why.
When one of my kids asked on Saturday morning what book we were reading this Advent season as a family, I sat with a blank stare. I hadn't a clue. In fact, I had completely forgotten to research and purchase something for us. Shoot!
To Amazon I went and found that the author of Jotham's Journey (a past Advent read we all enjoyed)had two other books to choose from. I ordered both so as to be prepared next year and not be caught off-guard again!
We'll be reading Bartholomew's Passage this year, after it finally arrives today or tomorrow. We'll be starting a little late, but we'll be sure to catch up. Within a day after purchasing these books, I read from several bloggers and facebook friends that they too were planning to read Bartholomew's Passage. Looking forward to reading along with so many of you!
Throughout the weeks we'll also pull out a number of excellent Christmas books that I've bought over the last few years. In addition to those, I've got a mile long list of them requested from the library. I've gotten my list over the years mostly from Jessica that she posted again this year.
Our other Advent family tradition that we will again do this year is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. It has blessed our Advent abundantly and our evening family prayer time as we prepare for Christmas. We prayed it two years ago in hopes of our own little one and last year we prayed it again and offered it for Mr. and Mrs. B. They are expecting Baby B this year in a couple of weeks! This year we will pray it for Baby Gem and a safe delivery and many bloggers/friends/family who are expecting little ones in the coming months.
The novena starts TODAY, St. Andrew's feast day!
St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (November 30) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)
No other big plans here for Advent, but I think a few small traditions are wonderful memories to make with our growing family. If you have a prayer request you would like our family to pray for during our Advent novena, please leave a comment or email me (see sidebar). We'll gladly include your intentions with ours.
Happy Advent!!
We loved Jotham's Journey last year. I also have the other books, even the Easter one, Eamon's something....it's about Jotham and Tabitha's son.
ReplyDeleteI decided to do the easier Destination Bethlehem book this year, because of the baby, it starts Dec 1 and each chapter is not as long. It does not have the wonderful cliffhangers that the Jotham books have, but it's still a good book.
I never list all our things, it's too much to organize into a post and then, I think to myself, "Does anyone really care what we do?" And then the season flies by and then it's gone!!
That's one of my favorite novenas too!!
Blessed Advent to you!!
I was just telling my kiddos that the baking party will be rather low key this year. I will miss it, you know? It is one of my favorite times of the year to be in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI've started the Novena of the Immaculate Conception. Same intentions as yours :)
Have a good week. Rest. Relax. Whenever you can!
It's my second's son's feast day and I didn't even know it!!! Oh man, I know I would never be able to say that prayer 15 times a day from now until Christmas, but if I could I would do it for a healthy baby for my friend on bedrest.
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