Catholic Activity: Posters for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany
Older children enjoy preparing a series of posters for the family bulletin board to help explore the messages of the season. Colored construction paper, clippings from newspapers, magazines, headlines, words and letters, snapshots, maps — anything that would serve in a montage arrangement can be used to illustrate the different Comings.
DIRECTIONS
Older children enjoy preparing a series of posters for the family bulletin board to help explore the messages of the season. Colored construction paper, clippings from newspapers, magazines, headlines, words and letters, snapshots, maps — anything that would serve in a montage arrangement can be used to illustrate the different Comings.
The principal theme, He Will Come, is the subject of the Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent. Its text is full of suggestions: the terror of the unprepared, the longing of those who are ready, signs of Christ in the sun, the moon, the sky, the symbolism of the fig tree, many more. "When these things begin to take place, stand erect, lift up your heads, for your deliverance is at hand" (Luke 21:28).
The theme He Comes can be illustrated with symbols and figures related to the Mass and the sacraments, pictures of those to whom He comes sacramentally and those who still do not know Him, and so forth.
A third poster might be Out of Israel He Came. It would show richly decorated, colored paper figures of Adam, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Isaia, Moses, Elizabeth, Zachary, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph. The liturgy for the season provides the stories and prayers to go with these names.
A fourth poster for Christmas, He Came, would combine both modern and traditional Nativity scenes with photographs of contemporary "madonnas" from the mission magazines, and texts from the Christmas Masses.
A fifth poster, Thy Kingdom Come, could celebrate the Epiphany with pictures recalling many of the earthly kingdoms of the past and present, the Magi, ourselves. One might also include symbols of Christ and the New Jerusalem, and the quotation: "Behold, I make all things new!" from the great vision of the new heaven and new earth (Apocalypse 21:5).
Activity Source: Homemade Christians by Mary Reed Newland, George A. Pflaum, Dayton, Ohio, 1964
