What is required for preparation for Christmas? Lots of shopping? What about preparing your heart?
As I've peeled back the layers of my Catholic faith over the past 15 years, I have burrowed down to the essence of preparing for the Nativity Feast.
Embracing the Eastern side of our Catholic faith, we as a family have practiced the "Nativity Fast" or Philips Fast.
What does this entail for us? When we had no children or one child, we went all out. Much alms giving, very little eating, more focused preparation. Waiting to decorate our house. Waiting to listen to Christmas music.
Now that children hold the majority in this house, we've made some adjustments.
Children just can't fast like adults can. And mothers who are nursing or pregnant just don't fast well. (believe me I've tried!)
Prayer and Contemplation:
A Nativity icon takes prominent place in our house. We have a small side table in which we often put Feast icon or saints photos for the day. Here we will have the icon this year. When Advent begins this will also hold our Advent Wreath.
On this same table we will begin to hang our Jesse Tree ornaments on a bare tree branch.
You might enjoy these old posts about our Jesse Tree studies or Advent planning. Taking time each day to read the Bible and consider the persons in the family tree of Jesus and how they impact us today is deep contemplation.
My husband and I have begun to read a book together aloud. This doesn't happen everyday, but I hope we can finish it within the 40 days....
A focused prayer time as a family in the morning. When daddy doesn't have to be at work until 8am, he joins us. But more often he's at work by 7am. Currently this includes: Morning office, readings of the Mass for the day, intercessions and a quick drill of the Books of the Bible.
Evening prayer together as a family (as many are at home at bedtime). We do an examination of conscience of sorts, evening prayer of the Byzantine prayer book, and a Hail Mary or the Salve Regina.
Fasting:
Abstaining from meat Monday through Friday. On Feast days (such as Thanksgiving, special Saints days, etc) we lift this fast and abstain from something else. We also omit dairy on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
[ Feast days we celebrate include: Presentation in the Temple of Mary--Girls day Nov 21, St. Andrew Nov 30, St. Nicholas Nov 6, St Herman Nov 12]
Fast from some form of entertainment. This can be very hard for the children as we allow so little in this house anyways!
Weekly giving of time or alms:
Each week we have some kind of planned giving. Helping at a food pantry, soup kitchen, clothing give away, visiting a shut in, making Christmas baskets at the food pantry, delivering St. Nicholas cookies on the 6th of December, etc.
I usually do a 40 days of cleaning each Lent and Advent. This allows me to know at least twice a year (and perhaps once more if a baby comes that year) behind the fridge is rid of those dust bunnies! It's a good practice to get the house ready for Jesus each year. I find things around the house that are good to donate or throw away during this deeper clean.
Go to confession (the Mystery of Repentance) at least once during these days of preparation.
How do you prepare for Christmas? Do you spend more time on decorations and shopping for presents than on preparing your heart?