This week, we are focusing on understanding the meaning of ADVENT, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We should always be prepared to welcome Jesus into our hearts - as He will come again someday! Advent comes from the Latin word meaning "coming." Jesus is coming, and Advent is intended to be a season of preparation for His arrival. While we typically regard Advent as a joyous season, it is also intended to be a period of preparation, much like Lent. Prayer, penance and fasting are appropriate during this season.
Advent is not as strict as Lent, and there are no rules for fasting, but it is meant to be a period of self-preparation. The purple color associated with Advent is also the color of penance. 
The color of the Third Sunday of Advent is rose. This color symbolizes joy and represents the happiness we will experience when Jesus comes again. The Third Sunday is a day of anticipatory celebration. It is formerly called "Gaudete" Sunday; gaudete means "rejoice" in Latin. This is the day the priest wears that pink vestment! 
Finally, Sundays during Advent, just as during Lent, should not be given to fasting, but instead to celebration because we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord every Sunday. It is important to remember, however, there are no particular rules for how the laity should observe Advent. 

As a family, brainstorm how YOU will prepare for Christmas throughout Advent. Can you family pray the Rosary together on Sundays? How about going as a family to confession before Christmas comes? As you prepare for confirmation, you should be devoting yourself more wholeheartedly to prayer and the sacraments! 

Review this week's readings from Mass, particularly the second reading...
Spend time in prayer with this Scripture and ask yourself: How does this apply to me? 
As a reminder, this Scripture is 1 THES 5:16-24. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

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Here's another video! 

This week we are starting our lessons on the Eucharist. As a review, Holy Eucharist is the SACRAMENT in which Jesus Christ gives his Body and Blood – himself – for us, so that we too might give ourselves to him in love and be united with him in Holy COMMUNION. In this way we are joined with the one Body of Christ, the CHURCH.

The most important part of all of our lessons on the Eucharist will be driving home the teaching that the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is not just bread and wine, but the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ! Therefore, we should always have the highest reference for the Eucharist. 

​If your child is learning from home, please watch this video. We will be watching it in class: 
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To tie in the Holiday, we are using a lesson from TheReligionTeacher which explains the similarities between the Holy Eucharist and the celebration of Thanksgiving. 
Please review www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm and Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1359-1361. Then, ask your child to compare the similarities and differences, all while continuing to explain what the Eucharist is and its purpose (We will be doing this in class). 
*Note: Challenge students to make a connection between the unity of the country symbolized by Thanksgiving and the unity of the Church symbolized by the Eucharist.
We will be finishing class with this video. Please have your students watch it at home if they are not in class: 
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This week's lesson continues our conversation about the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Spirit completes the grace of baptism and offers the newly confirmed strength as a true witness of Christ. Thus, the newly confirmed is “more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (cf. CCC, 1285). Thus, the Holy Spirit completes what was begun at baptism! 

As my students know, we are becoming SOLDIERS FOR CHRIST and AMBASSADORS TO THE KINGDOM in Confirmation! 

The gifts of the Holy Spirit associated with Confirmation are strengths (or virtues) that Christian living requires if it is to be fruitful and complete.

This week we also talked more about the Holy Spirit and its role in our lives, as well as in the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

Students will be given a little quiz after Thanksgiving about the Sacrament of Confirmation. Here's what will be on our quiz. 
1.) The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit:          

• Wisdom 
• Counsel
• Understanding 
• Fortitude
• Knowledge 
• Piety 
• Fear of the Lord 

2.) What is confirmation, in your own words? 
3.) What are the symbols of confirmation and what do they mean? 

• Laying on of hands: The Bishop stretches out his hand over the children and calls down the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a profound gesture which is also used in other sacraments including the anointing of the sick and ordination of a priest. This gesture is also used during the consecration of the bread and wine at Mass, so that they become the body and blood of Christ. In Confirmation, the Bishop or Priest calls upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit to overshadow the person being confirmed.
  
• Anointing with Oil: Chrism, which is a special oil blessed by the Bishop is used for anointing during the confirmation ceremony. Anointing is a symbol of being called and strengthened for an important task, which is derived from ancient times. In Confirmation, the person is being anointed to go forth in life as a Catholic, as a disciple of Jesus, as a person of the Spirit, with confidence and strength.

• Words: The bishop or priest performing the confirmation recites the words ‘Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit’. This symbolizes a legal contract when signed and sealed is considered authentic and binding. To be sealed with the Spirit is to be confirmed as a Christian believer.
• The Sign of Peace: This Sign of Peace is used within the Confirmation ceremony as a sign of our unity and that we are one people of God, one body of Christ. When the bishop or Priest says ‘Peace be with you’ during the Confirmation ceremony or during Mass, he is saying it on behalf of the community to symbolize that we are all one with the Church.
  

If your child is learning virtually, please review Chapter 11 and 12 with him or her. I encourage you to have your child complete the weekly challenges that are featured in the chapters as well.