The Twelve Days of Christmas Series: Day 7 Placemats and Called by Name

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES.

During Advent, our local supermarket put out 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 6: PLACE-MATS AND BEING CALLED BY NAME

ACTIVITY: TO MAKE PLACE-MATS

"To make a place-mat for a Christmas Day table setting, cover an A4 drawing canvas with brown paper. Cut out an image from wrapping paper or your own drawing and stick onto the place-mat with glue. Decorate with ribbon, buttons, stickers or gift tags. Stamp or write the name of the person who will be sitting at that place-mat."

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: BEING CALLED BY NAME.

Either before or after the children make their place-mat setting, you may wish to reflect on the following scripture.

' But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:  "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine'. [Isa 43:1]

When people are invited for dinner and the table is set, they become for that meal, part of the family who invited them.  When the table is set and the place-mats are named, they are no longer just place-mats, but they take on the identity of the person who is named. At God's table He has set each of us a place with our own name. He invites us to His banquet every week on Sunday for Mass and also every day during the week.  Let us remember how special and how unique we are in the sight of God and how He knows each of us by name.

You might like to offer the following prayer or a spontaneous one of our own.

Jesus, You know and love me by my name,

You consider me to be special and unique in Your sight.

Help me to treasure the dignity of being a child of God

and being made in Your own likeness.