First Sunday of Advent

It's our most favorite time of the year!! Today was the first Sunday of Advent..

Advent is the official beginning of the new year in the Catholic Church and it is a time of hopeful waiting and penance for the coming of Christ at Christmas at the end of the month.

 It is a liturgical season filled with such wonderful traditions.

On the first Sunday of Advent we always set up out Nativity scene.  We have a large Fontinini set and we set it up on a large table in our dining room.  These pictures are a bit out of order, but you will get the idea.

At the left side of the table is our "desert".  Towards the back the Roman soldiers are declaring the census and Mary and Joseph are off for their journey. 

Some shops in the middle..

In the back is the stable.  Currently uninhabited.  Next to the stable is the "chicken house" and we assume they own the stable.  The sparkly stuff behind the well is our running river.

a view of the whole scene

Our Advent Wreath.  One candle is lit for each week of Advent.  Three purple candles and one rose.  The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which is known as Guadete Sunday.  Guadete means rejoice...the birth of Christ is ever closer.

Our mantle is pretty stripped down.  All the way to the left is a little statue of St. Lucy, whose feast is on Dec. 13th.  Then a wooden St. Nicholas, whose feast is on Dec. 6.  In the center is our Advent calendar.  Behind each door is a scripture reading for the day.  And then the three round containers next to it contains a treat a day for each day lovingly prepared and wrapped for each child by my stepmom and dad.  Next to that is a little statue of the Three wisemen.

This is a little Holztiger nativity set for the kids to play with.  And next to it there  you can see a little St. Nicholas nesting doll we found at a flea market a few years ago.

And a reminder of what the season is about.  Not quite time to celebrate yet, but a time to prepare our hearts and mind for the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.

We also set up a Jesse Tree but things have been busy around here and we just have not had the time to get it set up yet.  It is on my list for tomorrow.