THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
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| Christmas Scene The Twelve Days of Christmas Icon. |
Day 2: Candles- The Light of the Word.
During Advent, our local
supermarket put their magazine with recipe ideas and of course how we can
spend our money at their store in preparation for Christmas. One of their
articles the 12 days of Christmas disappointed me because they had used the carol'
The Twelve Days of Christmas' and used it to mean the twelve days before Christmas.
Not the twelve days after Christmas- Christmastide. Obviously, there is
more money to be made before Christmas than after for a supermarket.
In my twelve days of Christmas series, I quote from the article 'Fresh Food Kids' and then add a spiritual connection to help us remain in the season of Christmastide. Christmas is not just a day as the shops would like us to believe. Jesus is the reason for the season.
DAY 2: CANDLES- THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
ACTIVITY: TO MAKE CANDLES
"You need a candle, cardboard or
craft paper and a glitter pen. Using card or paper cut out letters to
spell 'Merry Xmas'. Decorate with glitter pens. Choose your candles, colour and
height can be optional as long as letters can fit on them. Stick Merry across
the 4 candles, one letter for each candle apart from the letter R which both
needs to go one candle. Repeat this with the word 'Xmas".
Well that is the secular idea given
in the article. However, why not encourage your children to steer away
from the word ’Xmas" as it takes the Christ out of Christmas and
place a more appropriate Christian Christmas message on their candle. You may
wish to sit down with your children and ask them to name their top 5 favourite
Christmas greetings, and then have a discussion of these answers to help give
them in a Catholic/Christian influence.
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
Either before or after the children
make their decorated candle, help them to reflect on the real meaning of the
candle and why Jesus being the Light of the World is important at Christmas.
Here we can turn to Scripture to help us.
Candles, lamps, light and flames represent the manifest presence of God as the Light of the World. With so many references to God being "light" in Scripture, representations of light such as candles, flames and lamps have become common symbols of Christianity:
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (NIV)
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV)
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? (NIV)
Light represents the presence of God. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and to the Israelites in the pillar of flame. The eternal flame of God's presence was to be lit in the Temple in Jerusalem at all times. In fact, in the Jewish Feast of Dedication or "Festival of Lights" we remember the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple after being desecrated under Greco-Syrian captivity. Even though they only had enough sacred oil for one day, God miraculously causes the eternal flame of his presence to burn for eight days, until more purified oil could be processed.
Light also represents the direction and guidance of God. Psalm 119:105 says God's Word is a lamp to the feet and a light to our path. 2 Samuel 22 says the Lord is a lamp, turning darkness into light.
Candles, lamps, light and flames represent the manifest presence of God as the Light of the World. With so many references to God being "light" in Scripture, representations of light such as candles, flames and lamps have become common symbols of Christianity:
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (NIV)
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV)
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? (NIV)
Light represents the presence of God. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and to the Israelites in the pillar of flame. The eternal flame of God's presence was to be lit in the Temple in Jerusalem at all times. In fact, in the Jewish Feast of Dedication or "Festival of Lights" we remember the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple after being desecrated under Greco-Syrian captivity. Even though they only had enough sacred oil for one day, God miraculously causes the eternal flame of his presence to burn for eight days, until more purified oil could be processed.
Light also represents the direction and guidance of God. Psalm 119:105 says God's Word is a lamp to the feet and a light to our path. 2 Samuel 22 says the Lord is a lamp, turning darkness into light.
As the children light their decorated
candle, you might like to offer the following prayer or a spontaneous one
of our own on the theme of the light of the Word.
Jesus, as we light
this candle, we remember You- the Light of the World
in this season of Christmastide, help us to bathe in that glow of Your presence
to stay away from the darkness of sin
and to be a light shining the way to You for others.
in this season of Christmastide, help us to bathe in that glow of Your presence
to stay away from the darkness of sin
and to be a light shining the way to You for others.
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