This year, Advent begins on Sunday, Dec 1, 2024, and will end on Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024.
Before Advent begins, take some time to create a plan that will prepare your heart to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Advent is a season inviting us to step away from the hectic pace of the world around us, calling us to slow down and contemplate the profound Mystery of the Incarnation. As the start of a new liturgical year, Advent builds week by week toward the joy of Christmas, offering a fresh beginning to renew our faith, hope, love, and joy.
Without mindful preparation, these four weeks can pass by in a blur. Now is the time to consider how you’ll fully enter into this beautiful season of expectation. Explore these Catholic resources to support your Advent journey toward spiritual renewal. Start with just one or two practices, allowing yourself space to focus, grow, and truly savor this beautiful time of year.
Advent Overview
Catholic Gifts 2024 | Our Annual Catholic Christmas Gift Guide Is Here!
Advent Resources For Kids
Reusable Sticker Advent Calendar | Shining Light Dolls
St. Nicholas Day Orange Sticker Book | Shining Light Dolls
My MagnifiKid – Daily Advent Prayers
Names of Jesus Advent Chain (free)
Drawing Closer to God: A Catholic Art Show for Kids| Augustine Institute and Formed.org
Advent Books To Read
Prepare Your Heart: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation | Fr. Agustino Torres CFR
Join Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR—founder of Corazón Puro—on a multimedia Advent journey led by the saints and the Holy Family to prepare yourself to enter into the story of Christ’s birth through prayer, charity, and joyful acts of service to the needy.
Advent with Our Lady of Fatima |Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
In these spiritually-rich pages, award-winning Catholic author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle brings you powerful prayers and readings guaranteed to shield you from the annual holiday sales frenzy that, during the holy season of Advent, distracts even sincere believers from preparation for the coming of the Christ Child.
Behold: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation| Sr. Miriam James Heidland SOLT
In this beautiful guided journal for prayer and meditation, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT—author of the bestselling bookRestore—will walk with you as you explore familial wounds with the help of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Advent Reflections| Cardinal Zen
Rejoice! An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture, Year C | Fr. Mark Toups
This Advent, join Fr. Mark Toups as he invites you to embody the trust Mary and Joseph lived out as they trusted God, one step at a time.Through daily reflections on the Sunday Mass readings and guided meditation videos,Rejoice! An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripturewill help you build a daily, sustainable habit of prayer that you can carry with you into the new year.
The Road to Bethlehem: Daily Meditations for Advent and Christmas
This Advent Season, let the great and prolific Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori, guide you on a daily prayerful pilgrimage from the start of Advent through the birth of our Lord to the Epiphany. Drawing on Sacred Scripture and his profound saintly counsel, St. Alphonsus takes you into the details of Christ’s birth for prayerful reflection that will have your imagination placing you at the feet of our infant Lord. With meditations on the poverty of our Lord becoming man to Jesus weeping as a baby and lying on straw, St. Alphonsus will bring a humble intensity to your Advent prayer life. The contents of these meditations are marked by both joy for the birth of our Lord and sorrow for what we know He will suffer for our salvation. Few saints have written with such passion, depth, and simplicity on the incarnation and nativity of Christ as Saint Alphonsus Liguori. TAN Books is pleased to present this little work for the first time to join several other TAN works by St. Alphonsus, such asThe Glories of Mary,Preparation for Death, andVisits to the Blessed Sacrament. This book,The Road to Bethlehem: Daily Meditations for Advent and Christmas, is taken from the original book entitledThe Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy or the Mysteries of the Faith.
Advent Books For Teens
Advent and Christmas: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens| Katie Prejean McGrady
Following the success of their bestselling devotionalLent: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, youth ministry experts Katie Prejean McGrady and Tommy McGrady offer devotions that help teens make sense of the things that matter most in their lives such as relationships, their future, and coping with stress.
Realistic and easy to use, each daily devotion starts with a brief Bible quote that connects with a topic important to teens such as insecurity, pressure, trust, fitting in, finding hope, and choosing joy. A brief reflection helps teens consider the day’s topic through their faith.
Advent Books For Kids
All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children | Katie Bogner
All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Childrenis a resource unlike any other. Explore the rich traditions surrounding Christ’s birth as you journey through Scripture to understand the story of salvation and discover the meaning behind many of our celebrations during Advent and Christmas. Highlighting treasured customs from throughout Church history,All about Advent & Christmasfeatures the stories of saints we celebrate throughout December and explains numerous other aspects of Catholic liturgy and teaching. With detailed illustrations to make the liturgical seasons come alive,All about Advent & Christmaswill guide readers of all ages closer to the Savior whose birth we look to with joy.
The World Waits | Elizabeth Pham
There are many wonderful children’s picture books about Christmas, but few about the season of Advent. InThe World Waits, Elizabeth Pham explores this period of anticipation through the eyes of an anthropomorphic Earth experiencing the progression of human history and its longing for a Messiah. We see the world first plunged in the darkness of pre-Christian times. Then we see the world uplifted by the coming of Christ (the world sees a star!). Then we see the world cycle through the post-Christian era, when Christ seems perhaps more elusive and mysterious than ever (the star left almost as quickly as it came). But then, with the conclusion of the book, we see that the world has not given up hope ― the world still waits. We wait for Jesus’ coming at Christmas each year, we wait for His coming in the Blessed Sacrament during Mass, we wait for His coming at the end of time, and we wait for His coming into our hearts in all seasons and situations.
The Wise Men Who Found Christmas| Raymond Arroyo
In this thrilling, visual adventure capturing the wonder of the Christmas season, New York Times bestselling author Raymond Arroyo shares the true, hidden story of the mysterious Magi, who risked everything to discover the truth.Based on new historical evidence,The Wise Men Who Found Christmasis the miraculous, untold tale of three seekers who followed a star and found themselves in the middle of the greatest story ever told. Stunningly illustrated by Diane Le Feyer, this enchanting family keepsake is sure to become part of your Christmas tradition – and a reminder that chasing truth is often the greatest adventure of all.
My MagnifiKid – Daily Advent Prayers
Daily Advent Reflection Apps And Videos
Hallow #Pray25: The Hallow app will guide you in praying alongside God’s chosen people, tracing the story through all of Scripture: from the Garden of Eden to the manger in Bethlehem where Christ was born.
New Advent Program from Fr. Mike Schmitz:Face to Face : This Advent, join Fr. Mike Schmitz in a journey through the daily readings as he confronts our doubts and reveals God’s love with app-exclusivedaily video reflections and scripture passages. Discover who God is, who we are, and how we are made worthy to stand in his presence. What if you knew that December 25th Christmas Day was the day that you were going to die?
Into the Deep (Dan Burke): What is prayer, exactly?What sets authentic Christian prayer apart from the many “spiritual” practices being promoted today?How does one pray? Is it really necessary? These questions—and many more—are answered in the new video series by Dan Burke, Into the Deep: Finding Peace Through Prayer. Find out more HERE.
Renewal Ministries Advent Mission: Thisonline Advent Mission will help you build a solid foundation for the spiritual journey! Dr. Ralph Martin will teach and answer questions on the first stages of the spiritual journey, as found in his bookThe Fulfillment of All Desire.
Camp Wojtyla’s Jesse Tree Advent Series with Dr. Scott Powell
For Kids:Holy Heroes Advent Adventure
Catholic Goals For Advent
Catholic Advent Traditions
St. Andrew’s Novena (Start November 30!)
St. Nick’s Day
A Christmas Tree
Pray the O’Antiphons
Advent Acts Of Kindness
Engaging in acts of service and kindness during the Advent season can bring the joy of Christ to both the giver and the recipient. Here are some ideas for Advent acts of service:
- Donate to a Food Bank: Collect non-perishable food items and donate them to a local food bank to help those in need during the holiday season.
- Write Letters to Service Members: Show appreciation for the men and women in the military by writing heartfelt letters expressing gratitude for their service. Many organizations can help you send these letters to deployed troops.
- Visit a Nursing Home: Spend time with residents of a nursing home. You can sing Christmas Carols, play games, or simply engage in conversations to bring joy to those who may be lonely during the holidays.
- Adopt a Family: Connect with local charities that facilitate “adopting” a family in need. Provide them with gifts, groceries, and other essentials to make their holiday season brighter.
- Create Care Packages for the Homeless: Assemble care packages containing essentials like socks, toiletries, and non-perishable snacks. Distribute these packages to homeless individuals in your community.
- Organize a Toy Drive: Collect toys and gifts for children in need. Many communities have programs that distribute these gifts to families who may struggle to provide presents for their kids.
- Offer Free Services: If you have a skill or talent, offer it as a free service to others. This could include babysitting, tutoring, pet sitting, or even offering to help with household chores for those who may need assistance.
- Bake and Share Treats: Bake cookies, cakes, or other treats and share them with neighbors, friends, or co-workers. Include a kind note to spread holiday cheer.
- Create an Advent Calendar of Kindness: Instead of a traditional Advent calendar with chocolates or toys, create one focused on daily acts of kindness. Each day, do something nice for someone else, whether it’s a compliment, a small gift, or helping with a task.
- Give money: Support local or worldwide missions. Check outMISSIO!
- Decorate and clean: Volunteer to make your church for beautiful Christmas.
Movies To Watch During Advent
The Story of the Nativity: The Truth of Christmas
The story of the birth of Jesus is often misunderstood. But this fast-paced, thought-provoking look at the true story of the Nativity clears away widespread misunderstandings of Jesus’ origin. Join top scholars, inspirational speakers, and popular authors as they explain the story behind the story of the birth of Jesus.
Bo, a brave donkey, and all his new hilarious animal friends go on the adventure of their dreams filled with lots of laughter.
Based on the children’s book “Angela and the Baby Jesus” by Frank McCourt (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Angela’s Ashes”), comes a funny, heart-warming, and poignant story from the Oscar nominated studio Brown Bag Films about the power of family and the innocent desire of a child to ensure everyone is safe, warm, and loved at Christmas time.
Movies not to watch: “Journey To Bethlehem” Find out why HERE.
Advent Prayer
All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, forever and ever.
Advent Prayer
Quotes To Contemplate
“Advent invites us to a commitment to vigilance, looking beyond ourselves, expanding our mind and heart in order to open ourselves up to the needs of people, of brothers and sisters, and to the desire for a new world.”
– Pope Francis
At this Christmas, when Christ Comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of advent by loving and serving the othes with God’s own love and concern.
—Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road pregnant with the Holy and say, “I need shelter for the night. Please take me inside your heart, my time is so close.” Then, under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime intimacy, the divine, the Christ, taking birth forever, as she grasps your hand for help, for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us. Yes, there, under the dome of your being, does creation come into existence eternally, through your womb, dear pilgrim, the sacred womb of your soul, as God grasps our arms for help: for each of us is His beloved servant never far. If you want, the virgin will come walking down the street, pregnant with Light, and sing!”
— St. John of the Cross
“Open wide your door to the one who comes. Open your soul, throw open the depths of your heart to see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the sweetness of grace. Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of eternal light that illuminates all men.”
—St. Ambrose of Milan
More Catholic Resources
5 Ways To Prepare The Way Of The Lord: An Advent Spiritual Exercise
5 Ways To Prepare The Way Of The Lord: An Advent Spiritual Exercise
7 Advent Resources The Whole Family Will Love
7 Advent Resources The Whole Family Will Love
Preparing to Prepare: Everything You Need to Get Ready for Advent
Preparing To Prepare: Everything You Need To Get Ready For Advent
Preparing To Prepare: Everything You Need To Get Ready For Advent
Advent: What is it that I want to prepare for?
Get all your shopping done before Advent with the annualCatholic-Link.org Christmas Gift Guide and Giveaway! This year, all email subscribers will be eligible to WIN one of FOUR incredible Catholic gift packages.
Catholic Christmas Gift Guide | Over 150 Catholic Gifts For Everyone On Your List!
Catholic Christmas Gift Guide | Over 150 Catholic Gifts For Everyone On Your List!
