This week Fifth and Sixth Class students reflect on what Advent means to them and how they prepare for Christmas.
Advent means preparing my heart for Jesus to come in. I love getting ready by making Advent calendars, wrapping gifts, and giving presents because it makes me feel closer to Jesus. At the Academy, we even get time to make gifts for our families. This year, we’re creating calendars with ideas for small acts of kindness, like helping with dishes or wrapping presents.
Doing service at the Academy has always made me feel like I am really impacting some people that may not be able to afford what we might take for granted, like clothing and food on our dinner tables. It’s amazing that the Academy gives Middle Schoolers this opportunity. Also, for many years, our families and friends have come together to assemble baskets that we bring to Christmas Basket Mass to join those of Academy families. My family goes to Christmas Eve Mass in the Shrine, and it is my favorite mass of the year. It reminds me to open my heart fully.
— London L. ’28
Advent means a time to prepare for Christmas, to help others, and to help yourself become more selfless. I help my siblings with homework often during Advent, and I do extra chores. Service learning helps me think about a lot of people. It makes me feel really happy to bring older people joy.
In my family, every year we drive around to look at Christmas lights and make cards to thank people for putting up great displays. My favorite is a church that sets up a display with a lot of moving stuff. Every year, my family delivers baskets from St. Vincent de Paul to people in need.
— Ian S. ’29
I prepare my heart during Advent by praying more, going to mass, and asking if I can go to confession. The Academy helps me because they have service learning and masses during December. Advent means a time to prepare for God to be in our hearts at Christmas, and it’s also a time to try to help others. I like going to church every Sunday and watching the Advent candles being lit.
— Sam T. ’28
Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves, to open our hearts and minds for Jesus. It’s a time to transform ourselves into better people, to be the best versions of ourselves we can be, so when it’s Christmas, we can be really amazing people, and we can act more like Jesus did. My favorite part is dinner, and we have our Advent wreath on the table. We also have a prayer book with nice analogies that you can you can apply to your life to help you be a better person.
— Stefanina B. ’29
