Catholic Activity: Wreath of Victory

Because children love the Advent Wreath so much, it may be a good idea to make a Wreath of Victory in honor of Christ, the Easter Victor.

DIRECTIONS

At other times we made our own customs. For instance, for Pierce, our older boy, now a pre-adolescent, we devised a Wreath of Victory, a symbol easy to understand. It is the prize won, as it were, for the long hard contest of Lent. In the words of St. Paul, "forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth myself to that before, I press toward the mark, to the prize." Made on the Advent wreath form, the Wreath of Victory hangs in our living room during Eastertide. These customs, added to the prayers of the liturgy, help our children to realize that their song and prayer ascend to heaven with those of their elders "like the roaring of the waves of the sea, so that one in heart and one in mind, their uplifted voices signify that unity which befits brothers, who are sons of one Father."

Because our children love the Advent Wreath so much, we decided to make a Wreath of Victory in honor of Christ, the Easter Victor. Made of laurel and entwined with flowers, the wreath hangs in our living-room suspended from the light fixture by three white ribbons, equally spaced on the frame. From the florist, we obtained gold letters. Each ribbon bears two words: He shall — Come again — With glory. The wreath is given to the children who share in Christ's triumph by their struggles during Lent in the warfare of life against darkness.

The wreath contains another symbol. Just as the Advent Wreath reminded us of the cycle the world waited for the coming of Christ in time, so the Wreath of Victory reminds us of the cycle in which we are now awaiting His Second Coming in glory.

We use white on the wreath because it is the color appropriate to the Resurrection. White is said to show the mystery of the eternal Light which knows neither spot nor shadow. It symbolizes as well our Easter purity and joy.

Activity Source: Family Customs: Easter to Pentecost by Helen McLoughlin, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1956