Station One

Creation Covenant

Countdown to Jesus – about 4,000 years

Scripture – Genesis 1:27, 31, 2:16-18, 21-25 – God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God looked at everything he had made and found it very good. The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden. Except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.

The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him. So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.”  That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.  The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame

Reflection – God had made all creation “good” and had given Adam and Eve dominion over it all. They lived in perfect Covenant with God. There, God created marriage, started a family with God at its’ center, and their love was a blessing for all creation.

Meditation – What was God doing in the Garden?  Why was God doing it?  What is God doing in my life?  Why?  How is God blessing my life?  Today, was I a blessing for others?  During Advent be a blessing for others.

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily.

Station Two

Proto-Evangelium

Countdown to Jesus – about 3,999.98 years

Scripture – Genesis 3:5-6, 3:14-15 – The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then God said to the snake, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.

Reflection – The effects of this original sin of disobedience, is that Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden or paradise.  Their broken covenant with God or His Divine Life living in them is a terrible fall from grace. However, God renewed His covenant and promised that a savior would come through a woman that would crush the head of the serpent. This was the very first good news in a fallen sinful painful world!  Thus they and us begin the wait for the savior…..

Meditation – What was God doing in my workplace/home/school today?  Why was God there?  Did I invite God to be there today?  Did I or my spouse/family/friends invite God into the sinful painful world?  What good news did I hear today?

O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar!

Station Three

Noah’s Ark

Countdown to Jesus – about 2,500 years

Scripture – Genesis 9:12-15 – God said: This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature—every mortal being—so that the waters will never again become a flood to destroy every mortal being.

Reflection –Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, their souls had lost God’s Divine life and were bound to a life of sin and death. Noah’s Ark prefigures and represents the church. Noah’s family was saved through the flood waters by the wood of the Ark.  We must be in the Church to be saved from sin, death and evil by receiving the sacraments which gives us God’s Divine life and sustains us as members of His family.

Meditation – In what ways do I at times disembark the ship and how can I again enter the Ark of Salvation?  What is God doing when I fall into temptation?  How has God prevented me from falling into sin.

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily

Station Four

Abraham and Isaac

Countdown to Jesus – about 2,000 years

Scripture – Genesis 22:17-18 – “I will bless you and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth will find blessing, because you obeyed my command.”

Reflection – After almost 2,000 years, one man had such faith and hope in God that he was willing to make a huge sacrifice for Him, not even denying the offering of his son. Because of this, God promised a blessing of innumerable children. Did Abraham know how long it would take for the promise to be fulfilled?

Meditation – Do I imitate Abraham’s faith and hope in God in my daily life? What small offerings did I give to God today in my daily life? How did I grow in patience when waiting for God to fulfill His promises?

O Come O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.

Station Five

Moses

Countdown to Jesus – about 1,600 years

Scripture – Exodus 19:5-6 – Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession among all peoples, though all the earth is mine. You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.

Reflection – After God freed the Israelites from bondage, God and the Israelites became family through a covenant ceremony. Much like a marriage covenant, God and His people made promises and vows to one another.  He promised to deliver them to a land flowing with milk and honey; and He wrote a set of vows with His finger called the 10 commandments.  As the vows of a marriage teach a man and a woman how to love one another and to accept children lovingly,  the commandments teach us how to love and honor God and to lovingly accept the other members of His family.

After the ceremony, the people rejoiced and celebrated, but it did not take long for the people to dishonor God and fall back into slavery to sin, death, and unhappiness. In the sacrament of confession God frees us throughout our lives from sin, death, and unhappiness. How great are the gifts that I have daily at my disposal!

Meditation – In what ways do I fall into sin?  What is God doing when I fall into sin.  What am I doing when I fall into sin?

O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai’s height

Station Six

Jesse

Countdown to Jesus – about 1,000 years

Scripture – 1 Samuel 16:12-13- Jesse had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth with beautiful eyes, and good looking. The LORD said: There—anoint him, for this is the one! Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

Reflection – God choose the son of Jesse, David to be the next king of Israel. Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke show us that Jesus was a descendant of Jesse, and that Jesse’s ancestors go all the way back to Adam. So through Him, we can trace “the seed of the woman” and confirm that Jesus is “the seed.”  God used Jesse and David to fulfill His plan of salvation.

Meditation – Who and what is God using in my life to fulfill His plans?  Am I listening for the Spirit of the Lord speak to me?

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem, unto your own and rescue them!

Station Seven

King David’s Covenant

Countdown to Jesus – about 900 years

Scripture – 2 Samuel 7:13,16 – He it is who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.

Reflection – God promised that an everlasting kingdom would be established through one of King David’s descendants. But it would still be a long time before mankind had a savior who could share God’s Divine Life with them through the sacraments, free them from their slavery to sin, and provide an example of how to obey God!

Meditation – How has God worked out His plan in my life over a long period of time? Is God calling me to a fuller participation in His divine life?  If so what is holding me back?  What am I afraid of?

O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home.

Station Eight

Announcement of the Birth of John

Countdown to Jesus – about 1 year

Scripture – Luke 1:13-16 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Reflection – Finally, it was getting really close to the time for the savior to arrive, so God sent Jesus’ cousin John to help people prepare their hearts, minds, and deeds.

Meditation – Am I looking for moments during this advent season in which God is preparing me for his coming? Is God driving out fears, sins, and death for me so that I can fully accept Jesus this December?

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily.

Station Nine

The Annunciation

Countdown to Jesus – about 9 months

Scripture – Luke 1:30-31, 38 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.   Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection – Mary’s yes to God allowed God to become incarnate in her womb. Due to her own immaculate conception, God made the impossible possible, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”¹

Meditation – Can I imitate Mary’s yes (may it be done to me according to your word) this Advent season starting today and say “yes” to the Lord?

O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar!

Station Ten

The Visitation

Countdown to Jesus – about 8 months

Scripture – Luke 1:41-45 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed* that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Reflection – Through the Holy Spirit, both Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist recognized that the Lord was near! Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months to help her and Zechariah prepare for the birth of St. John the Baptist.  While there, she also was preparing for the birth of Jesus, as the time for His arrival was drawing near!

Meditation – The preparation for the coming of Christ was not done in complete secrecy.  Do I plan and have gatherings with my neighbors on my block and prepare for Christ’s coming together?  Do I take time away from the devices and screens so as to give more time to see Christ in others?

O come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind.

Station Eleven

The Canticle of Mary

Countdown to Jesus – about 7.5 months

Scripture – Luke 1:30-31 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Reflection – though she had not yet seen the face of God, Mary was confident in what the angel had told her. Her pure heart made the perfect dwelling place for Jesus while He prepared for His own birth. She was perfectly obedient to God. Mary knew that the time for the fulfillment of the promise was near, and she was very excited!

Meditation – Can I be excited that Jesus is coming and show that excitement to the people at my work, my school, my family and the places where I go shopping?   Can I be with Joseph and Mary as the growing mystery of the God made man happens in Mary’s heart and my heart?

O Come O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.

Station Twelve

An Angel Encourages St Joseph

Countdown to Jesus – about 7 months

Scripture – Matthew 1:20-22, 24 – Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord* appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Reflection – God provided Mary with the perfect spouse and foster Father for her son, and together they became the Holy Family. Joseph was obedient to what God had revealed through the Angel and helped Mary prepare for Jesus’ birth. God plans out every detail. He knew their needs and He provided Joseph for Mary.

Meditation – Do I know God’s story and how he is coming again?  St. Joseph was silent in the face of the greatest revelation in all history, he trusted God.  God’s next greatest revelation is right now.  Like Joseph, can I practice trust and ask God for the grace to grow in the trust of His plan, in every detail?

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily

Station Thirteen

The Birth of John

Countdown to Jesus – about 6 months

Scripture – Luke 1:60-64 his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

Reflection – Elizabeth and Zechariah named St. John the Baptist the name given by The Archangel Gabriel, and they understood that he had a special role to play in preparing the way for Jesus. The time for Jesus to be born was very near.

Meditation – Can I try to go for one day without talking, texting, emailing or phoning?  I can tell my spouse/family/friends what I am doing and write a prayer like Zechariah.  In what ways can I listen to God and follow his commands as Zechariah and Elizabeth did, even when everyone around me resists or does not understand?

O Come O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.

Station Fourteen

No Place to Stay

Countdown to Jesus – less than a day

Scripture – Luke 2:4-5 And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

Reflection – Even though Mary and Joseph were in the town of their ancestors, no one welcomed them or offered them a place for Jesus to be born. But they relied on God, and He provided a place and people to help them celebrate the birth of the Savior!

Meditation – Like Mary and Joseph, how can I respond to God’s grace in every situation of every day?  Will I let Jesus be the purpose behind every intention?  Do I let God provide for me and through me provide for others?  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit come into my heart and live in me for others!

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily

Station Fifteen

The Nativity

Countdown to Jesus – Rejoice, He is here

Scripture – Luke 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Reflection –  THE SAVIOR IS BORN! God had come to save us and free us from our sin and conquer Death! This was very good news indeed! Just as the world received Jesus on that first Christmas, today we receive Him too, when we choose to receive His Divine Life in the sacraments. Equipped with this power from on high, we can be a part of the fulfillment of the promise to redeem and bless the whole world!

Meditation –  Do I let God provide for me and through me provide for others?  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit come into my heart and live in me for others!

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel

Kids Prayer for Advent

My little Lord Jesus, I love You and thank You for this Advent season. Please help me to understand all that You have done for me. Your loving mother held You in her heart and brought You into this world. Help me to do the same.

My loving Jesus, I choose You, this Advent, as my King and my God. Draw me close to You and help me to see my sins so that I can change the things that You want me to change.

Mother Mary, pray for me this Advent so that I may do all that God wants me to do. You said “Yes” to all that God asked of you. Please pray for me that I may do the same.

Come, Lord Jesus,

Come, Lord Jesus,

Come, Lord Jesus, come!

I love You, Jesus. Amen.

Credits

Thank you to the station banner artists:

Kids Prayer For Advent – https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayer-for-a-fruitful-advent/kids-prayer-for-a-fruitful-advent/

Emmanuel Image – https://www.freemusicpublicdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/emmanuel-e1473051072799.jpg

Scripture – All scripture references are from the The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), 2020

 Salvation History Timeline – used with permission of The RCIA Program of Holy Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta, GA

 Created by the people of St. Scholastica Parish, Erie, CO.