Blessings are a beautiful way to celebrate the liturgical season. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Blessings consist of prayer, Scripture, and sometimes a special ritual sign” (1668). Blessings can be prayed by anyone who has been baptized and in our family, they are usually led by Dad.
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Bring more reflection and prayer into your family life by integrating one or all of these blessings into your celebration of Advent and Christmas.
No time to get the full-color prayer cards? Here are the printable versions:
Blessing of the Advent Wreath
This blessing is said when you first put up the Advent Wreath at the beginning of the season. Then every week, you will say an additional prayer as you first light a new candle on the Advent Wreath.
We like to bless the Advent Wreath on the evening before the First Sunday in Advent. You can download the Advent Wreath blessing below:
Blessing of a Nativity Scene
Setting up the Nativity Sets is a favorite past time at the Holy Heroes’ home. We have several from all around the world (Mexico, Italy, and Africa) as well as other well-loved sets that we look forward to getting out each Christmas.
You can make this family activity even more meaningful with the Blessing of a Nativity Scene. Especially for younger children, this is a great way to teach them about what the Nativity scene represents!
Blessing of the Christmas Tree
Finally, the biggest physical symbol of Christmas within the home is the Christmas Tree. For small children, setting up and decorating the tree is the epitome of the Christmas preparations! This year, after you bring the tree inside and decorate it, take time to gather as a family to bless this symbol of Christmas.
Note that you are meant to pray this blessing prior to the first lighting of the Christmas Tree. This brings greater meaning to the Christmas Tree by illustrating that Jesus is the Light of the World and it is only through Him that we have light in our lives.
With these three Blessings, you can bring a deeper meaning to your Advent season and Christmas preparations. If you would like to learn more about Blessings, check out the video below:
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is the Brand Manager for Holy Heroes after handling many other roles over the years. Make sure you sign up for our emails to receive more of Clara’s writing!
