December: The Dignity of New Life
Suggested Family & Parish Activities:
Learn more about the Year of Mercy: the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy was announced by Pope
Francis as a year to be lived intensely in each particular Church, allowing every person to encounter the
mercy of God the Father. The year begins on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception and 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. On this day, the Holy
Father will symbolically open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica as a ‘sign of communion of the whole
Church.’
Anyone who walks through these Doors of Mercy, says Pope Francis, will ‘experience the love of God who
consoles, pardons, and instills hope.’
The theme of the Year of Mercy is ‘Merciful like the Father.’ Pope Francis says, ‘wherever the Church is
present, the mercy of the Father must be evident. Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find
an oasis of mercy.’
Visit the Year of Mercy page on the Diocese of Syracuse website throughout the year for resources,
events, and more! http://bit.ly/1LxrW5D
Attend the symbolic opening of the Holy Door at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse
on December 13, 2015. More details will be announced soon on the diocesan website!
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Make confession as a family: in the Diocese of Syracuse, parishes will be open on December 14 from 47pm for faithful who wish to make confession during Advent and as part of their observance of the Year
of Mercy.
Making confession as a family is a beautiful way to grow closer to God. Preparing as a family, too, can be
an educational and special opportunity to talk about your faith and develop a deeper understanding of
what mercy truly means!
Preparing for confession: begin with prayer as a family, placing yourself in the loving presence of God.
You may wish to read related Scripture passages, like Luke 6:36, Hebrews 4:16 or Psalms 86:5. Review
your life since your last confession, searching your thoughts, words and actions for what did not conform
to God’s love, His Law, or the laws of the Church, and if you’re comfortable doing so, talk about these as a
family (reviewing the Ten Commandments may be helpful, especially for younger children). This is called
an Examination of Conscience.
Examination of Conscience for:
Children
Teenagers
Married Couples
Now, you’re ready to make your confession. Review our simple guide to making a good confession (you
may even consider printing it and bringing it with you – but don’t worry; the priest will answer any
questions you may have and walk you through the process!)
Talk about it as a family: following confession, talk to one another about how it made you feel to receive
God’s mercy and love. Are you encouraged, hopeful, relieved?
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Blessing of the Bambellini: the Blessing of the Bambinelli is a Roman tradition, celebrated by the Pope
each year on the third Sunday of Advent (Guadete Sunday). Children bring the Baby Jesus, or Bambinelli
in Italian, from their family Nativity scene to Mass for a special blessing. It’s a beautiful way for parishes
and families to collaborate and highlight the birth of Jesus in the midst of tinsel, lights, and presents.
In your parish: order enough Bambinelli so that children who do not have them will be included. Invite
families to participate by including announcements in your bulletin, on your website, and on social media.
Encourage children to bring a friend! Invite grandparents to be part of the effort. Offer refreshments
after Mass to continue the conversation.
At home: after the blessing, bring your Bambinelli home and keep the conversation going as a family.
Talking points could include:
 Why is your faith important to you?
 How do you live your faith each day?
 What things do you do on a regular basis that please Jesus? (i.e. being a good listener, helping
your brother/sister, saying please and thank you)
Bambinelli may be ordered by contacting Mary Hallman at mhallman@syrdio.org or 315-470-1429.
Watch a video of the blessing here. Download a poster for your parish here.
The following is the blessing used composed by Pope Benedict XVI for the annual blessing in Rome:
Let us pray:
God, your Father, you so loved humankind that you sent us your only Son born of the Virgin Mary, to save
us and lead us back to you.
We pray that, with your blessing, these images of Jesus, son to come among us, may be a sign of your
presence and love in our homes.
Good Father, give your Blessing to us too, to our parents, to our families and to our friends.
Open our hearts, so that we may be able to receive Jesus in joy, always do what he asks and see him in all
those who are in need of our love.
I know bless these Bambinelli and the children who present them in the name of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. (Holy wáter may be used)
We ask you this in the name of Jesus, your beloved Son who comes to give the world peace and who lives
and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
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Preparing your parish for The Light is On for You, December 14: parishes throughout the diocese are
asked to remain open from 4-7pm on December 14 so that faithful may come and make confession
during Advent. Below are some simple steps to make your parish a welcoming place for those who will
be receiving God’s mercy and love:
Welcome & Hospitality:
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Prepare the gathering space between the entry door and the area where faithful will make
confession. Is it warm and welcoming? Do you have information available about your parish and
the Year of Mercy? Can guests easily figure out where to go once they arrive? Is there a quiet,
sacred space for people to prepare prayerfully?
Arrange to have greeters available to welcome guests. Assign 2 greeters at the door to welcome
people and point them in the right direction and perhaps a third greeter situated a respectful
distance from the confessionals to answer questions or point people towards a place to pray
following their penance.
Have related materials available for guests, like prayer cards, a brochure with the Act of
Contrition, and your weekly bulletin.
Invite people back by saying goodbye to them on their way out and handing them a flyer with
regular confession and Mass times as they leave.
Communications:
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Make sure that the pastor’s Homilies leading up to The Light is On For You focus on God’s mercy
and the importance of making confession during Advent as a means of preparing for the Nativity
of the Lord.
Offer bulletin announcements, pew cards or other take-home materials that promote the event
and inform people about how to make a good confession (download our guide here).
Share information about the event and confession in general on your website, or point them to
the diocesan website.
Consider opening the Church an hour or two before 4pm and invite people to come early, spend
time in prayer, talk with the pastor, and experience fellowship.
For more resources, visit http://syracusediocese.org/about-us/the-light-is-on-for-you-campaign/.
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Celebrate Pope Francis’ birthday with service and prayer: the Holy Father celebrates his birthday on
December 17. Consider performing a service activity as a way to recognize this special day, using the
Corporal Works of Mercy as inspiration!
Suggestions:
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Create a Blessing Bag with travel-size toiletries, socks, and non-perishable snacks and donate to
your local Catholic Charities. Blessing Bags are a simple but meaningful way to provide the
homeless with small, much-appreciated comfort items. Learn more: http://bit.ly/1LxAauw
Spend a few hours caring for creation. Ideas include shoveling a neighbor’s driveway, sprinkling
salt on a potentially slippery sidewalk, or picking up trash in your neighborhood. Read Genesis
2:15.
Pray to Mother Mary. Pope Francis has a special, sacred devotion to Jesus’ mother. The prayer
to Mary, Undoer of Knots is a beautiful way to honor the Holy Father’s birthday:
“Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother
whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and
immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots
that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots.
Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into
your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your
precious care. In your hands, there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and
intercessory power with your Son and my liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. (Mention
your petition here.)
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only
consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and,
with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, O safe refuge.”
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Acknowledge the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8: the Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception celebrate’s Mary’s conception without sin, and is a uniquely Catholic
tradition. It is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Read today’s Scripture:
Reading 1: Genesis 3:9-15, 20 (God confronts Adam and Eve after they have eaten of the forbidden
tree); Reading 2: Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 (Christ chose us to be His children); Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
(The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces the birth of Jesus, to which Mary replies ‘Let it be
done to me as you say’)
Recite the Hail Mary as a family
Talk about the beautiful and sacred role of mothers (great for younger children):
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What does the word ‘mother’ mean to you?
To what large family do you belong? (The Church – Mary is the ‘Mother of the Church’)
When did you join this family? (At baptism)
When did Jesus give us Mary to be our mother? (When he was dying on the cross – read John
19:26-27)
Mary likes us to ask her for help. What might we pray to Mary?
Talk about Mary’s relationship with her son Jesus. They were probably just like any mother
and son while Jesus was growing up! What kinds of things do you think they did together?
What kinds of things do you like to do as a family?
Print the following image and encourage children to color their own picture of the angel Gabriel’s visit with
Mary (See page 7)
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Preparing the Nativity scene: Advent is a time to get ready for the Christmas Feast Day. Setting up a
Nativity in the home is just one of the beautiful ways to spiritually prepare for Christ’s birth:
Set up the Nativity in accordance with Scripture. Add Mary and Joseph on Christmas Eve and Jesus on
Christmas Day. Add the shepherds on January 1 (the Gospel on this day is Luke 2:16-21). Then, add the
three Wise Men on January 3, the Epiphany of the Lord.
Pray the Nativity Prayer, by St. Augustine:
Let the just rejoice, for their justifier is born. Let the sick and infirm rejoice, for their savior is born. Let the
captives rejoice, for their redeemer is born. Let slaves rejoice, for their master is born. Let free men
rejoice, for their liberator is born. Let all Christians rejoice, for Jesus Christ is born.
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