An Idea for Celebrating 12 Days of Christmas Community

Winter walks...

Surprise parties for friends...

Creating artworks...

Hikes in the woods...

... and more.

All of these joys of community were a part of our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings last year when, after prayer one day, five things came together to prompt me to suggest an idea to our local homeschool group.  

What 5 Considerations Led to Our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings Initiative


Basically, between the beginning and middle of Advent last year, five things came to my mind...

1. 'Tis a Season for Celebration

A number of folks in our local homeschool group mentioned to me that they wished they could connect with other people more often, but that their regular scheduled commitments prevented them from doing so. Thus, Christmastide - with its vacation from regularly schedule activities - seemed a great time to reconnect.

2. Some Seek New Gifts of Friendship

A few of the newer folks in our local group also told me that they would welcome more opportunities to meet and befriend others. They sought the gift of new friendships - and what better time is there for gift giving than Christmastide?

3. Some Mommas Just Cannot Get Out
Around the same time, other members of our homeschool group members had become relatively homebound due to one-car family needs, new babies, seasonal depression, and more. Some of these Mommas mentioned that they would welcome social opportunities, but just could not get out.

4. Pre-Christmas Customs Inspire Christmastide GatheringsAs I thought about all these folks in our local homeschool group that sought community, I happened to read a picture book to my children about the pre-Christmas custom Las Posadas and was struck with the how beautiful the idea of community celebrating together in the book sounded.

5. Ideas from Others Inspire
Around about the same time, someone in an online group that I am in mentioned how her church community offers 12 nights of potlucks over the 12 days of Christmas.

When praying one day, all of these thoughts converged and the idea of celebrating 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings came to my mind.


How Did Our Group Organize our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings?

Once the idea of 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings formed in my head, I simply threw the idea out on our homeschool's Facebook page, stating:

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IDEA - WHO'S IN?
I had an idea this morning that I want to share to see if anyone wants to try it: How about if we have 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings among friends this year? Anyone who wants to can post an event at a time and location of their choice between December 26 and January 6, inviting all other friends to join in. If you'd like to do this, comment on this post and/or just go ahead and make an event for the group. 

You could simply invite folks over to your home for a playdate. You could ask people to come over to lend a hand or hold a baby while you get to something. You could put together a tea time. You could host a small service project or craft time. You could do a potluck. Day or night.  Whatever works.

If your home is not a place guests can come, you could post a library met up, a playground meet up, a sledding meet up, (if we get snow), a service meet up, a free community event meet up, or whatever.

Or, team up with another family to host something!

You could also get clever and do something around the symbol of whatever day of Christmas it is - partridges, maids a milking, and what not.

The idea is simply to have 12 days of opportunities for friends to get together to celebrate the season and the blessings of friendships - new and old - among our community!

Anyone in? Anyone want to try this? Anyone want to help me see that every day (or as many as possible) between December 26 and January 6, one friend or another will post/host an event that other friends could join in one, hopefully, building community and blessings among us and providing casual opportunities for those who may be new to the group, unable to get out during non-vacation times of the year, blue due to the dark/wet of the seasons, too busy at other times of year, or whatever to meet/get together? If so, pick a date and we'll post an event! 

Immediately, some people commented on the posts, and, so, I created a running list of who offered to host on which days, and, also added separate detailed event posts accordingly.

In the end, some of our hosts had to cancel or postpone gatherings due to unexpected sickness, etc., so our group did not end up with an actual 12 day string of opportunities to gather. However, we did have quite a few, and all were enjoyed!

We are thinking about trying our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings againn as a low-key way for friends - old and new - to (re)connect over Christmastide.

If your local homeschool group, church group, or network of family and friends seeks opportunities to connect as a community, I encourage you to try a similar initiative. Doing so is not hard and brings extra blessings to the season.

May your Christmastide be filled with blessings, beauty, and connected community!

3 Truths about Building Catholic Community

Recently, I was asked about how to build Catholic community with children.

As I thought about all the successful ways that my family has worked at building kid-inclusive Catholic community among our homeschool network and in our local church collaborative, I realized three truths.

~1~

No Catholic community thrives - or even survives - without the Eucharist at its center and regular participation in the Sacraments among community members.

Years ago, when my own parish was undergoing some changes, I asked multiple families at a nearby parish what they thought was working to make their community such a close-knit, faith-filled one.

I expected to hear about children's programming, coffee hours, faith formation classes, Bible studies, church outings, and more.  Instead, every single family I asked said the same thing: the Eucharist!

As I understand, a priest who had a great love for the Eucharist had transferred to their parish and had become a driving force for Perpetual Adoration. He also added more times when people could receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After that, things just began to bloom at the parish and the warm and friendly "external" initiatives that I had been witness to grew. 

The "internal" seed of love for Jesus in the Eucharist and a focus on the sacraments makes a huge difference for church communities. It also makes an enormous one for families. 

So, if you seek to build a strong Catholic community for your children, do partake in the Sacraments and get close to Jesus in the Eucharist as often as you can. Make participation in Mass, Reconciliation, Adoration, and more a regular thing. This will increase grace and strengthen you. It will also, typically, help you become familiar with other Catholics in your area and plant the seeds that can grow into a supportive, vibrant community.

Beginning Children's Adoration

If your parish does not offer regular Sacraments or opportunities to participate in Holy Hours, Children's Adoration, or family Adoration, talk to your priest about initiating such things or find another parish close to you to be your Catholic home-not-far-from-home for these things.

Likewise, do not be afraid to branch out from your local parish to attend events, Masses, Adoration, Reconciliation, relic tours, and more at nearby parishes when opportunities arise. Doing so can keep you and yours focused on Christ while also widening your Catholic community. Plus, as you live wonderful faith-filled experiences, you can share them with friends - new and old - as mini religious pilgrimages.

Going on a Pilgrimage with Friends

Similarly when you're traveling, continue to make God a priority, never missing a Mass, but going to MassTimes.org to find a parish close to where you are. You might even consider making a holy pilgrimage as part of your vacation by visiting the shrines and other holy places or checking out The Real Presence to find a place to pop in to see Jesus.

Processing during a Day of Prayer

As you and your children focus on Christ and participate in Masses, the Sacraments, and faith events close to home and further afield, your will gain grace and experience truth and beauty. You may also meet some wonderful people while your children come to understand that Catholic community does not stop at the doors of our own churches. We are truly part of one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Our community extends to every part of the world, praise God!

~2~

Prayers have power - especially when shared.

As the Venerable Patrick Peyton said, "The family that prays together, stays together." This is certainly true, and I would venture to say that the community that prays together also stays together. So, when building Catholic community with kids, do focus on prayer.

Begin praying in your own domestic church daily:

• Set prayer pegs.
• Read from Scripture.
• Make time to pray the Rosary with each member of the family offering an intercession with each decade or even with each Hail Mary in a single decade if that;s all you can manage.
• Pray at meal times.
• Offer morning prayers and bedtime ones.
• Allow your children to witness you in private prayer, and encourage them to pray daily on their own, listening for God’s call and responding to it when they hear it.
• Of course, pray for the Lord to put into your path a strong community of faith-filled friends and acquaintances.

Find times for you and your family to pray structured, formal prayers and unstructured, free-flowing ones, and you will find your family strengthened.

Honoring Mama Mary with Friends

Then, let the strength flow out to the community. 

Invite others to pray with you, go to prayer events, partake in the Children's Rosary. Build traditions based on the seasons celebrated in the liturgical calendar and invite others to pray, feast, and play with you during these annual celebrations.

Understand that there will be times that others do not accept your invitations, but there will also be times when many may. Whatever the case, embrace the relationships that begin to bloom as God answers your prayers for community. If your experience becomes anything like my family's, you will find yourselves in a garden of blessed relationships!

Making Mary Gardens with Friends

~3~

Relationships take time and bloom beautifully when we remember PEPS.

Just as we don't come to know and love Christ all at once, but rather keep developing a relationship with Him throughout our lives, we do not go from meeting fellow Catholics with kids to making lasting bonds with them in mere seconds.

Relationships need time and space to grow.

Thus, I am a big advocate of intentionally making time to share with other Catholic families - both at faith-centered events and just in everyday ways - so that relationships can germinate, grow, and bloom.

In doing so, I like to follow a model I call PEPS: Pray, Eat, Play, and Serve. With these four ideas as cornerstones, I have found community grows.

Pray

As I have already mentioned, centering ourselves in the Eucharist and praying are vital to building Catholic community. 

Joining in Community Prayer

Of course, Mass is the ultimate prayer to share together, so, whenever possible, it is fruitful to share Mass experiences together.

Other communal prayer options can sometimes seem awkward at first, but little unites people in the end like prayer can. For prayer is such an intimate act that, when shared, it draws people close to each other over time and also becomes a natural part of being together as Catholics.

Just the other day, when a Catholic friend of my son's was at my home for a sleepover, I had a message from a friend about a sudden and serious health concern. Immediately I called my children to pause everything and, together, my children and our sleepover guest paused and prayed a decade of the Rosary together for our  friend's special intention. It was natural, beautiful, and unitive.

Similarly, mealtime grace, prayers for the dead, emergency vehicle prayers, prayers for special intentions, and more have each been shared by my children and their friends as we go about our daily activities.

Likewise, adults and children in our Catholic community are always just a word, phone call, or private message away from sharing prayer intentions and making offerings for one another. This network of praying friends is such a beautiful and powerful thing for which I am grateful!

Eat

Enjoying Faith through Food on a Feast Day

Jesus broke bread with others and so should we.

Of course, just as families should enjoy regular meals together, making at least one mealtime a day a family priority for togetherness, inviting communities to get together for meals in small groups or as a parish is something to prioritize as well.

Celebrating with Faith through Food and Fun

There is just something about eating together that bonds people. Plus faith through food is fun, especially for kids!  

Start meals with a prayer, enjoy conversation, linger, and love one another.  

Pair eats with a book club meeting, Bible study, faith video series viewing, movie night, outing, or anything else, and it becomes an event.

Without doubt hospitality is a pleasurable and important part of Christian life and a prime way to build community.

Potlucks, picnics, teas, sit down meals... Any time we share meals with others, we build community.
Eating together with those we wish to grow in faith alongside can become such a welcome part of community life.

Play

Most certainly kids love to play, and play is good for adults, too. So, when building Catholic community, remember to include the levity of play.

Impromptu Playdates on Saint Days Can Be Fun

We've always found that pairing formal prayer times with hands-on activities or good old-fashioned play helps children who have the wiggles and also brings about giggles.

We've also found that occasionally layering liturgical year celebrations into regular playdates works beautifully as does centering playdates specifically around saint days.

When Saint Day Meets Playdate

Similarly, we've come to recognize that just getting together with friends who are strong in faith to hike, swim, boat, play board games, ... whatever is a blessing. Not everything has to be planned out, directly related to faith, or paired with something more somber. Simply enjoying relaxed fun time together is essential to building Catholic community with kids!

Serve

Jesus is a servant-king that asks us to serve one another, too.

Getting together with others to serve is an excellent way to connect and opportunities abound. 

You can cook together for a meal train for new moms, sick friends, etc.

You can join community events to pack meal boxes for the hungry before holidays.

Volunteering as a Family with Friends

You can participate in gift drives and wrapping.

Make Pro-Life Gifts

You can create events where kids get hands-on making things for pro-life causes, homeless people, neighbors, and more.

Making Love Buckets

You can simply focus on Works of Mercy together.

There are many ways children can enjoy living a life of service, and, undoubtedly, as children do good together, they form even closer bonds.

Relationship with God and with others go hand-in-hand.

As you keep Christ at the center of your life, focus on the Eucharist and Sacraments, pray, and remember PEPS, no doubt you will begin to find that an enriching, supportive community of friends develops which will help you and your children stay connected spiritually and socially.

I believe God places a natural desire within each of us for fellowship and, if we listen to that desire and prioritize participation in experiences that match our needs and schedules, we will discover deepening relationships with Christ and others - and ensure our children do as well.

I would love to hear about your successes and challenges in building Catholic community with kids and plan to share more about this topic in the future, so stay tuned and enjoy every blessing of community that comes your way!