Primary advent calendar 2013

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Children of the world unite, Preparing for the special night, Waiting for the joyful birth, Of the child who is God’s light on Earth.

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The First Sunday of Advent Advent is a special time when we get ready for the coming of Jesus.

Throughout Advent as we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we will hear the story of baby Jansel. Jansel lives with his family in Guatemala, in Central America.

Matthew 24: 37-44 Today’s Gospel reading tells us we must be ready when Jesus comes again. We cannot be sure when this will be, so we must try to be ready all the time. Think about how you get ready for different visitors at home or in school. How can we get ready to welcome Jesus into our lives?

The Advent wreath is a very special symbol.

The evergreen leaves mean everlasting life, the circle of the wreath with no beginning and no end reminds us of the eternity of God and the four candles are the four weeks of Advent.

How to make an Advent wreath: 1. Cut a hole in the middle of a paper plate 2. Draw around your hands on green recycled paper and ask others to do the same 3. Stick the cut-out hands around the outside of the paper plate to make the leaves 4. Make four candles by rolling paper into tubes (3 purple and 1 pink) 5. Attach a paper flame to one candle on each Sunday of Advent

This year’s calendar is all about food.

Not everyone has enough food to eat, even though there is enough food to feed everyone in the world– is this fair? What can we do about it?

Baby Jansel used to be malnourished. This means he was unwell and underweight because he did not have enough healthy food to eat.

Jansel is much better now. He has been going to a health clinic that is supported by CAFOD. At the clinic, families are given food and medicine. Doctors weigh the children to check they are a healthy.

Jansel’s mum was filled with hope when she went to the clinic.

Food is essential for life.

We all need it.

But 1 in 8 people in the world do not have enough food to eat.

Many of you have been Hungry for change.

So far an amazing 10,000 children and young people have joined our Hungry for change campaign, calling for a fair food system where everyone has enough food to eat.

Christmas is nearly here! As we start to think about gifts under the Christmas tree, CAFOD has some special World Gifts that are a bit unusual, like the gifts of water and food.

One of the exciting new gifts this year is squirming worms, which make compost that improves a farmer’s soil, leading to better harvests and more food.

Jesus taught us to share what we have with others. If you buy these gifts you do not get to wrap them up or to hold them, but you do make a real difference to poor communities around the world.

When you are shopping this Christmas, look out for the Fairtrade mark.

When you see the Fairtrade mark it means that the people who have made the gift or farmed the food are being paid a fair wage for their work.

This Advent we have an exciting Fair Trade competition for you to find your Fair Trade feet.

Design your own Fair Trade sock, and win the chance to have your sock produced.

Find all you need to know on Picture my World.

Good luck!

As Christmas gets closer and we make preparations for this special time, why not try making some delicious dishes from around the world?

Try making yummy Peruvian banana cake or Mozambican beans in tomato sauce!

Share a meal with somebody today. Remember to say grace before meals.

Choose one thing to share with others this Advent.

The Second Sunday of Advent

Matthew 3: 1-12 Today’s Gospel reading is about John the Baptist. John told everybody that Jesus was coming and they need to change their lives for the better to help them be ready for Jesus.

Are there things in your life you could do better? Are you always helpful? Do you always share?

Do you let everyone join in your games?

The feast of the Immaculate Conception

Today is a special feast for Mary, Jesus’ mother. CAFOD works with mums (and dads) all over the world, like Jansel’s mum.

Jansel’s mum is called Santa! Santa works hard. At the health clinic, Santa has learnt about healthy eating and how to grow vegetables for her family to eat. Santa knows her children need to eat well, so that they are healthy and can concentrate and do well in school.

When we are getting ready for Christmas we sometimes get carried away with thinking about all of the things we want.

What is the difference between a need and a want?

This Advent, take time to think about what you need so that you can become the best person you can be.

Light a candle. Pray the Hail Mary together so that all people may have the things that they need.

Today is Human Rights Day

All people have the right to basic things like food. Jesus teaches us to love one another and work for justice in our world. We have a responsibility to help our sisters and brothers around the world to obtain their rights.

Earlier this year, six Catholic primary schools from the Reading area spoke up out about the right to food. In a CAFOD Primary Public Speaking Final, the pupils talked about how unfair it is that people are hungry when there’s enough food in the world for everyone.

The pupils called on us all to take action, by reducing our waste, eating local, sustainable and more Fairtrade foods and by joining CAFOD’s ‘Hungry for Change’ campaign.

Take action this Advent and organise your own Speak up for CAFOD event!

Grace before meals is a traditional prayer of thanksgiving for the food we eat.

As Christmas approaches, we remember how Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. Some people are forced to make journeys because there is fighting where they live and it is too dangerous for them to stay.

Remember all those families who have had to leave their homes in search of safety in places like Syria.

Think about your wishes for the world this Advent.

How can you try to make these wishes come true?

Earlier this year, 6 year old Angus bought a gift with a difference! Angus bought a goat for a family, to help them help themselves.

The goat gives up to 12 pints of milk a week, which the family can drink or sell.

The goat also gives the family free fertiliser to use on the garden and help them grow food!

Angus raised money to buy the goat by helping his Nanny and Granddad during Lent and by being extra good.

Christmas is getting closer and all around us everyone is getting very excited.

Remember to think about the real meaning of Christmas. What are we preparing for?

Why is Christmas such a special time?

Make a Christmas card for someone to show them that you care.

The Third Sunday of Advent Matthew 11:2-12 In today’s Gospel reading John the Baptist sends some friends to check that Jesus is the special person he has been waiting for.

Jesus tells them he is the one who has come to heal the sick and to bring good news to the poor. This answer tells John that Jesus is the special person he has been waiting for.

What can we do to help other people?

How can we help people who are sick, or hungry, or poor?

Find out more about the work of CAFOD.

Hearing from the doctor today that my son is the right weight makes me so happy.

Santa is very happy that Jansel is growing well.

Santa used to worry about her children if they did not put on weight. At the clinic the children have special food to help them become a healthy weight.

Watch the film, think about what makes Santa and her family happy.

What makes you happy and how can you make others happy? Do something today to make someone else happy.

Light a candle together and pray for happiness for all families around the world.

Earlier this year pupils in St Alban’s Primary School in Cambridge wanted to raise awareness about food waste and CAFOD’s Hungry for change campaign. They came up with the great idea of decorating wheelie bins, using values like dignity, rights, family, solidarity, stewardship.

As a Christian, we are called by Jesus to live out these values and work for justice and fairness in our world.

Think about how to live out these values this Advent.

How can we treat our sisters and brothers around the world with respect and fairness?

There is one week to go to Christmas!

Read the Christmas story with a friend. Imagine what it would be like to be each person in the story. How would you be feeling if you were Mary or Joseph, or perhaps a shepherd or one of the wise men?

Retell or act out the story. Or draw pictures to illustrate each step of the story.

Draw or make a Christmas star using recycled paper.

Write the name of someone in your class that you think has been a true Christmas star and say something nice about them!

Santa’s hope for the future is that Jansel and all her children go to school and have a career.

Santa knows how important healthy food is to help her children. It helps them concentrate in school and reach their full potential.

Make the most of your day at school! Learn something new, be thankful for the books and resources you have and remember how important education is.

Today is International Solidarity Day

Let’s think about what solidarity means.

All people are God’s children. That makes us sisters and brothers. We are connected to each other. When we walk alongside our sisters and brothers around the world and learn from each other, we call this solidarity. Even though there are huge distances between us, we are still one family—the family of God. Solidarity is one of CAFOD’s values.

Do something today in solidarity with your sisters and brothers around the world.

Remember people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

As Christmas approaches, think about the different traditions at Christmas time. How is Christmas celebrated in your home? What different traditions does your family have?

Do you know any other traditions from different parts of the world?

Find out about traditions in another part of the world.

Why not use our big book or film to find out more about life in Bangladesh?

The Fourth Sunday of Advent Matthew 1:18-24 In today’s Gospel reading an angel comes to tell Joseph that everything will be all right and that Jesus is not an ordinary baby, but is very special. He is the son of God.

Do you have a baby brother or sister or cousin? Think of some of the things that babies need.

No matter where they are born in the world, babies need the same basic things.

Sometimes it is hard for families to provide all of these things because of what is happening around them. For example, in countries like Syria, many families have had to leave their homes because fighting makes it dangerous to stay.

Today make peace with someone you have fallen out with.

Pray for peace around the world.

Santa has a message to people who support CAFOD. I thank you for the help you’ve given, your support is making a real difference to our lives

What are you thankful for?

Think of someone who has helped you or been kind to you and say thank you to them.

Light a candle together and say a prayer of thanks to God.

Today is Christmas Eve Christmas is almost here!

Remember to take the time to light a candle and prepare to welcome Christ, the Light of the World, into your lives.

Pray together

God of light, We welcome you into our lives.

Inspire us to share your light with others and to make a change in our world so that we may all have enough to eat and may look to the future with hope.

Happy Christmas!