Here is an Advent Challenge for all Seton families.
Dear Seton Community,
Our virtue of the year is gratitude. One way of expressing gratitude for all the gifts we have received is giving gifts to others—gifts of time, gifts of service, gifts of prayer. What better time to give these gifts than Advent, as a way to express our thanks to Jesus for giving Himself to us.
Our challenge is asking each family to give one or more gifts of time, service, and/or prayer to others. There are so many ways to give these gifts. Your family can brainstorm ways to make Advent a true time of giving. Here are a few to get you started:
Volunteer at the St. Lucy Project (https://www.ccda.net/need-help/food/) or the House of Mercy (https://houseofmercyva.org/). Make donations to either project or to your parish’s food pantry. Monetary donations are always welcome, but it is even better for your family to donate needed goods—go shopping together or work together to declutter and find items to donate.
The Mother of Mercy Free Clinic (https://www.ccda.net/mercyclinic/) needs baby items for 30 expectant mothers they are currently serving. Take the kids to the dollar store (now the $1.25 store!) to shop and fill a basket with baby items. Add diapers and one or two other large items.
Bake cookies to take to the police and fire stations and include a note of gratitude and a promise of prayers. Think of others who would appreciate this kind of remembrance.
Spiritual works of mercy are also important. Make a family Eucharistic Holy Hour each week during Advent. If you can’t get to a church that has adoration, you can pray before the Blessed Sacrament when it is not exposed and get just as many graces. Take your family to a daily Mass. Pray family Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets. Offer your prayers for specific persons and let them know you are praying for them. Or offer your spiritual activities for broader intentions such as our priests, victims of violence, or families in crisis. Learn the Spiritual Adoption Prayer for children in danger of abortion (your children know it) and say it together every day.
The Challenge begins now and extends through the two weeks of the Christmas season (ends January 8) to give your family plenty of time to perform these works of mercy.
We want each member of the Seton community to be inspired by the works of mercy performed by other members. Please fill out and submit the form below or print out the form here and drop it off at the front office when your family performs a work of mercy. We will publish these works (without names) for all of you to see and be grateful for—and perhaps get more ideas for your own family.
Thank you for participating in this Challenge. Remember Jesus’ words in St. Matthew’s Gospel, read on the Solemnity of Christ the King: Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to Me.
God bless, Mrs. Carroll
Current works of mercy: Daily Mass…Assisting and companion to the elderly…Untrim a tree at All Saints…Honoring deceased family member…Serving at daily Mass…Cleaning the church preparing for Christmas mass…Visiting elderly man who lives alone…Decorating the church for Christmas…Driving the All Saints Church van to pick up the elderly for Mass…Honoring Deceased Members of the Military…Distributing Gifts to needy families on Saturday for the All Saints Giving Tree…Sorting Gifts for the Giving Tree at All Saints…Buying, storing and transporting 75 Bikes for the All Saints Giving Tree…Transporting gifts for the All Saints Giving Tree…Daily Rosary…Going to daily Mass…Purchased gifts for giving tree at St. Johns…Helping with the Giving Tree at All Saints…Volunteering at the House of Mercy…Donating items to the House of Mercy…Putting on an Advent retreat for the children of our parish…Visiting the House of Mercy to help put together food baskets for the poor…Singing Christmas Carols at the English Meadows Nursing Home…Visiting the Gates of Beautiful for Disabled Children…Purchased groceries for a homeless pregnant woman.