Advent and Christmas

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS WITH THE SAINTS

Compiled by: Anthony Chiffolo

Daily readings from the teachings of the saints. Readers walk day-by-day with the saint recalling the Scriptures they read, meditating on the thoughts they had, praying as they may have prayed talking openly with God.

Build Your Own Bethlehem: A Nativity Scene and Activity Book for Christmas time.

Gertrud Mueller Nelson with Peter Mazar

Here are all the characters - and then some - for building your own nativity scene! Each figure is yours to pop loose and set up as the days of Christmas unfold. There's the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. There's the stable with scampering mice and cooing doves that sit in the rafters. There's the ox and ass and a flock of sheep accompanied by shepherds and their faithful dog. There's an angel, of course, and a star. Epiphany's three holy kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, are here too. And there are surprises the gospels "senior citizens", Anna and Simeon, who wait 40 days to meet their newborn Lord.

This beautiful, full-color activity book (the pop-out figures are found inside) suggests eight occasions, from Christmas until Candlemas, a full 40 days, for using the figures to tell a portion of the nativity gospels, like a puppet theater! The art of Gertrud Mueller Nelson and the sturdy pop-out figures truly bring the Christmas stories to life.

Building your own Bethlehem is a wonderful way to keep the spirit of Christmas alive well into the new year? Perfect for home or classroom, perfect for every age.

Celebrate these Advent and Christmas stories at home or in the classroom:
The Annunciation to Mary
The birth of Jesus
The coming of the shepherds
The flight into Egypt
The visit of the Magi
and more!

Christmas Presence Twelve Gifts That Were More Than They Seemed

Hardcover

This Christmas open your heart and your home to twelve of the finest contemporary spiritual authors and their insights into the true meaning of Christmas. In heartfelt stories from their own lives, they share the simple truth they have come to know about the greatest of all mysteries.

Christmas Presence is a collection of twelve touching stories about gifts that were "more than they seemed." Each author recalls a special Christmas gift and how it evoked emotions and feelings that are both priceless and unforgettable. With a style that is warm and engaging, the stories explore how the true spirit of Christmas--the presence of the divine in the world--can be experienced in the gifts we give and receive during the holiday season.

This beautiful hardcover book is sure to become a treasured classic that people will read again and again, year after year.

CONTENTS

• Introduction by Gregory F. Augustine Pierce
• "Christmas Shopping in the Mall of the Heart," Kass Dotterweich
• "Dad's GIft," Tom McGrath
• "The Christmas Stockings," James Stephen Behrens
• "The Year of the Toaster," Alice Camille
• "Christmas in Connecticut, 1972," Michael Leach
• "I Had Already Named Him 'Buddy,'" Patrick Hannon
• "Five Golden Days," Delle Chatman
• "The Frog in the Manger," Fredric Hang
• "Big Harriet, in Open-Toed Platform Heels, Walking Bosco and Bismark," Carol DeChant
• "The Christmas Kaleidoscope," John Shea
• "The Frequent Bald Statements of Love We Exchange," Patrick T. Reardon
• "The Story That Gives Us Stories," Vinita Hampton Wright

Hardcover:

160 pages

COLORING BOOK ABOUT ADVENT

A fun and creative way for children to learn about preparing for the coming of Jesus. With text by Michael Goode and illustrations by Margaret Skelly.

Helps children understand this time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. Full-color illustrations. 

• Pages: 32
• Author: REV. JUDE WINKLER, O.F.M. CONV.
• Size: 5 1/2 X 7 3/8
• Color: ILLUSTRATED
• Binding: PAPERBACK