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Children of the world unite,
Preparing for the special night,
Waiting for the joyful birth,
Of the child who is
God’s light on Earth.
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The First Sunday of Advent
Advent is a special time when
we get ready for the coming of Jesus.
Throughout Advent as we prepare for the
birth of Jesus, we will hear the story of baby
Jansel. Jansel lives with his family in
Guatemala, in Central America.
Matthew 24: 37-44
Today’s Gospel reading tells us we must be
ready when Jesus comes again. We cannot
be sure when this will be, so we must try to
be ready all the time. Think about how you
get ready for different visitors at home or in
school. How can we get ready to welcome
Jesus into our lives?
The Advent wreath is
a very special symbol.
The evergreen leaves mean
everlasting life, the circle of the wreath
with no beginning and no end reminds us
of the eternity of God and the four candles
are the four weeks of Advent.
How to make an Advent wreath:
1. Cut a hole in the middle of a paper plate
2. Draw around your hands on green
recycled paper and ask others to do the
same
3. Stick the cut-out hands around the
outside of the paper plate to make the
leaves
4. Make four candles by rolling paper into
tubes (3 purple and 1 pink)
5. Attach a paper flame to one candle on
each Sunday of Advent
This year’s calendar
is all about food.
Not everyone has enough food to eat, even though
there is enough food to feed everyone in the
world– is this fair? What can we do about it?
Baby Jansel used to be malnourished. This means he
was unwell and underweight because he did not have
enough healthy food to eat.
Jansel is much better now. He has been going to a
health clinic that is supported by CAFOD. At the clinic,
families are given food and medicine. Doctors weigh the
children to check they are a healthy.
Jansel’s mum was filled with hope when
she went to the clinic.
Food is essential for life.
We all need it.
But 1 in 8 people in the
world do not have
enough food to eat.
Many of you have been Hungry
for change.
So far an amazing 10,000
children and young people have
joined our Hungry for change
campaign, calling for
a fair food system where
everyone has enough food to
eat.
Christmas is nearly here! As we start to
think about gifts under the Christmas tree,
CAFOD has some special World Gifts that
are a bit unusual, like the gifts of water and
food.
One of the exciting
new gifts this year is
squirming worms,
which make compost
that improves a
farmer’s soil, leading
to better harvests
and more food.
Jesus taught us to share what we have with
others. If you buy these gifts you do not get
to wrap them up or to hold them, but you
do make a real difference to poor
communities around the world.
When you are shopping this Christmas,
look out for the Fairtrade mark.
When you see the Fairtrade mark it means that
the people who have made the gift or farmed
the food are being paid a fair wage for their
work. Find out more about Fairtrade here.
This Advent we have an exciting Fair Trade
competition for you to find your Fair Trade feet.
Design your own Fair Trade sock, and win the chance
to have your sock produced.
Find all you need to know about the competition here.
Good luck!
As Christmas gets closer and we make
preparations for this special time, why
not try making some delicious dishes
from around the world?
Find lots of step-by-step
recipes here.
Try making yummy Peruvian
banana cake or Mozambican
beans in tomato sauce!
Share a meal with somebody today. Remember to say grace before meals.
Choose one thing to share with others this Advent.
The Second Sunday of Advent
Matthew 3: 1-12
Today’s Gospel reading is about
John the Baptist. John told
everybody that Jesus was
coming and they need to change
their lives for the better to help
them be ready for Jesus.
Are there things in your life you
could do better? Are you always
helpful? Do you always share?
Do you let everyone join in your
games?
The feast of the Immaculate Conception
Today is a special feast for Mary, Jesus’
mother. CAFOD works with mums (and
dads) all over the world, like Jansel’s mum.
Jansel’s mum is called Santa! Santa works
hard. At the health clinic, Santa has learnt
about healthy eating and how to grow
vegetables for her family to eat. Santa
knows her children need to eat well, so
that they are healthy and can concentrate
and do well in school.
When we are getting ready for Christmas
we sometimes get carried away with
thinking about all of the things we want.
What is the difference between a need and
a want?
This Advent, take time to think about what
you need so that you can become the best
person you can be.
Light a candle. Pray the Hail Mary together
so that all people may have the things that
they need.
Today is Human Rights Day
All people have the right to basic things like
food. Jesus teaches us to love one another
and work for justice in our world. We have a
responsibility to help our sisters and brothers
around the world to obtain their rights.
Take action this Advent and organise your
own Speak up for CAFOD event!
Earlier this year, six Catholic primary schools
from the Reading area spoke up out about
the right to food. In a CAFOD Primary Public
Speaking Final, the pupils talked about how
unfair it is that people are hungry when
there’s enough food in the world for
everyone.
The pupils called on us all to take action, by
reducing our waste, eating local, sustainable
and more Fairtrade foods and by joining
CAFOD’s ‘Hungry for Change’ campaign.
Remember to tell us about your actions by
emailing schools@cafod.org.uk
Grace before meals is a traditional
prayer of thanksgiving for the food
we eat.
As Christmas approaches, we
remember how Mary and Joseph
journeyed to Bethlehem. Some
people are forced to make journeys
because there is fighting where they
live and it is too dangerous for them
to stay.
Remember all those families who
have had to leave their homes in
search of safety in places like Syria.
Find out about the wishes of children
from Syria in this film.
As you watch the film, think about your
wishes for the world this Advent.
How can you try to make these
wishes come true?
Earlier this year, 6 year old Angus
bought a gift with a difference! Angus
bought a goat for a family, to help them
help themselves.
The goat gives up to 12 pints of milk a
week, which the family can drink or sell.
The goat also gives the family free
fertiliser to use on the garden and help
them grow food!
Angus raised money to buy the goat by
helping his Nanny and Granddad during
Lent and by being extra good.
Christmas is getting closer and all around
us everyone is getting very excited.
Remember to think about the real meaning
of Christmas. What are we preparing for?
Why is Christmas such a special time?
Make a Christmas card for
someone to show them
that you care.
Download Christmas cards to
colour here.
The Third Sunday of Advent
Matthew 11:2-12
In today’s Gospel reading John the Baptist sends some friends to
check that Jesus is the special person he has been waiting for.
Jesus tells them he is the one who has come to heal the sick and
to bring good news to the poor. This answer tells John that Jesus
is the special person he has been waiting for.
What can we do to
help other people?
How can we help people
who are sick, or hungry,
or poor?
Find out more about
the work of CAFOD.
Hearing from the
doctor today that my
son is the right weight
makes me so happy.
Santa is very happy that Jansel is
growing well.
Santa used to worry about her
children if they did not put on
weight. At the clinic the children
have special food to help them
become a healthy weight.
Watch the film about Jansel’s
story.
As you watch the film, think about what
makes Santa and her family happy.
What makes you happy and how can you
make others happy? Do something today to
make someone else happy.
Light a candle together and pray for happiness
for all families around the world.
Earlier this year pupils in St Alban’s Primary School in Cambridge
wanted to raise awareness about food waste and CAFOD’s
Hungry for change campaign. They came up with the great idea
of decorating wheelie bins, using values like dignity, rights, family,
solidarity, stewardship.
As a Christian, we are called by Jesus to live out these values and
work for justice and fairness in our world.
Think about how to live out
these values this Advent.
How can we treat our sisters and
brothers around the world with
respect and fairness?
There is one week to go to Christmas!
Read the Christmas story with a friend. Imagine what
it would be like to be each person in the story. How
would you be feeling if you were Mary or Joseph, or
perhaps a shepherd or one of the wise men?
Retell or act out the story. Or draw pictures to
illustrate each step of the story.
Draw or make a Christmas star using
recycled paper.
Write the name of someone in your class
that you think has been a true Christmas
star and say something nice about them!
Santa’s hope for the future is that Jansel and all
her children go to school and have a career.
Santa knows how important healthy food is to
help her children. It helps them concentrate in
school and reach their full potential.
Make the most of your day at school! Learn
something new, be thankful for the books and
resources you have and remember how
important education is.
Today is International Solidarity Day
Let’s think about what solidarity
means.
All people are God’s children. That
makes us sisters and brothers. We
are connected to each other. When
we walk alongside our sisters
and brothers around the world and
learn from each other, we call this
solidarity. Even though there are
huge distances between us, we are
still one family—the family of God.
Do something today in solidarity with your
sisters and brothers around the world.
Remember people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
Solidarity is one of CAFOD’s values.
Remember to send us photographs of something
you have done with CAFOD schools@cafod.org.uk
As Christmas approaches, think about the
different traditions at Christmas time. How is
Christmas celebrated in your home? What
different traditions does your family have?
Do you know any other
traditions from different
parts of the world?
Find out about traditions
in another part of the world.
Why not use our big book or film to
find out more about life in Bangladesh?
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Matthew 1:18-24
In today’s Gospel reading an angel comes to
tell Joseph that everything will be all right
and that Jesus is not an ordinary baby, but is
very special. He is the son of God.
Do you have a baby brother or sister or
cousin? Think of some of the things that
babies need.
No matter where they are born in the world,
babies need the same basic things.
Sometimes it is hard for families to provide
all of these things because of what is
happening around them. For example, in
countries like Syria, many families have had
to leave their homes because fighting makes
it dangerous to stay.
Today make peace with someone
you have fallen out with.
Pray for peace around the world.
Santa has a message
to people who
support CAFOD.
I thank you for the help
you’ve given, your
support is making a real
difference to our lives
What are you thankful for?
Think of someone who has helped you or been kind
to you and say thank you to them.
Light a candle together and say a prayer
of thanks to God.
Today is Christmas Eve
Christmas is almost here!
Remember to take the time to light a candle and prepare
to welcome Christ, the Light of the World, into your lives.
Pray together
God of light,
We welcome you into our lives.
Inspire us to share your light with others
and to make a change in our world
so that we may all have enough to eat
and may look to the future with hope.
Happy
Christmas!