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Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families
Advent is a season almost forgotten by the secular world. With new toys and electronics available, why should we focus on this time of anticipation? Most everyone cannot wait for Christmas morning to arrive, but is it for the right reason? Sarah A. Reinhard designed"Welcome Baby Jesus" for you and your family to capture some of what's intended by the liturgical season of Advent. Each day has a Scripture quote from the Sunday gospel readings, a brief reflection, and an action to complete. With each passing Sunday, your Advent Wreath will grow brighter, your family's faith will grow stronger, and the true meaning of this season will be discovered.
- GenresChildrens
79 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2011
14 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Reinhard
9 books309 followersCatholic wife, mom, word nerd, and coffee addict living in Ohio in the midst of family, village, and lovely chaos. Always reading at least a stack of books simultaneously and always looking for recs.
Author in the past, reader in the present. Who knows what the future may hold? ;)
Author in the past, reader in the present. Who knows what the future may hold? ;)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 28, 2022
My family have read through this booklet three of the last 4 years now. My children have loved it each time we have worked through it together. It as well as the companion volume Welcome Risen Jesus are wonderful reads. The these for the weeks of advent for the reflection are:
Get ready!
Repent
Love
Anticipate
Rejoice!
There is a devotional reading for each day from the first Sunday of Advent until January 1st and also the feast of the Epiphany. This year there is 6 days between those two. My kids love this devotional book. Even after our third time through they look forward to reading it together each day. Each day follows the same format. There are three main sections. Think – Pray – Act and a verse of the day. My children love the daily prayer section that we pray together. They also love the act section with gives a suggestion of something to do to apply the lesson from the devotion. A sample devotion is:
Feast of Epiphany
Think: We don’t hear a lot about people “prostrating themselves” before other people. I always picture these kings, in all their fancy clothes, lying flat on the ground before Jesus, who was probably sitting on Mary’s lap or on the ground close to her. The floor might have been dirt, and the kings must have been quite a sight.
Then to see the things they brought! They brought gifts fit for a king, though what they saw before them was far different than the usual image of a child king. Jesus was, to all appearances, the child of a carpenter, not wearing the fancy garments or surrounded by the court the kings must have expected.
Even seeing their surroundings, the kings still laid themselves out on the floor at Jesus’ feet. They recognized him as a king, even though he didn’t look the part.
We’re called to do the same. In our everyday lives, Jesus asks us to recognize him in the people around us, to act in a way that shows others that we serve Jesus. The greatest gift we give Jesus is the love we give to the people around us. That’s the message of Christmas.
Pray: Jesus, I want to honor you as the Magi did, but I don’t have a lot to give. Take my heart and make it yours. Take my actions and bless them so that they glorify you. Take my prayers and help me grow. Amen.
Act: Draw a picture of the gift you would bring to Baby Jesus.
On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
This book is an excellent Advent devotion for the whole family. I have done it with children as young as 4 and as old as 11 over the years we have done it and all of them really enjoy it. As a family we highly recommend this book.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Sarah A. Reinhard. As well as an author profile and interview with Sarah.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
Get ready!
Repent
Love
Anticipate
Rejoice!
There is a devotional reading for each day from the first Sunday of Advent until January 1st and also the feast of the Epiphany. This year there is 6 days between those two. My kids love this devotional book. Even after our third time through they look forward to reading it together each day. Each day follows the same format. There are three main sections. Think – Pray – Act and a verse of the day. My children love the daily prayer section that we pray together. They also love the act section with gives a suggestion of something to do to apply the lesson from the devotion. A sample devotion is:
Feast of Epiphany
Think: We don’t hear a lot about people “prostrating themselves” before other people. I always picture these kings, in all their fancy clothes, lying flat on the ground before Jesus, who was probably sitting on Mary’s lap or on the ground close to her. The floor might have been dirt, and the kings must have been quite a sight.
Then to see the things they brought! They brought gifts fit for a king, though what they saw before them was far different than the usual image of a child king. Jesus was, to all appearances, the child of a carpenter, not wearing the fancy garments or surrounded by the court the kings must have expected.
Even seeing their surroundings, the kings still laid themselves out on the floor at Jesus’ feet. They recognized him as a king, even though he didn’t look the part.
We’re called to do the same. In our everyday lives, Jesus asks us to recognize him in the people around us, to act in a way that shows others that we serve Jesus. The greatest gift we give Jesus is the love we give to the people around us. That’s the message of Christmas.
Pray: Jesus, I want to honor you as the Magi did, but I don’t have a lot to give. Take my heart and make it yours. Take my actions and bless them so that they glorify you. Take my prayers and help me grow. Amen.
Act: Draw a picture of the gift you would bring to Baby Jesus.
On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
This book is an excellent Advent devotion for the whole family. I have done it with children as young as 4 and as old as 11 over the years we have done it and all of them really enjoy it. As a family we highly recommend this book.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Sarah A. Reinhard. As well as an author profile and interview with Sarah.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
December 26, 2013
This was an excellent family devotional for the Advent season. The content is written so young children can understand it, but I felt that I gained a lot from it as well. Each day's reading only takes 3-4 minutes plus lighting the Advent candles.
Reinhard is Catholic, but I didn't find the book to be exclusively Catholic. I believe it would work for anyone who wanted to spend a little extra time focusing on the Advent season.
We will probably use this devotional every year for the next few years. I suspect it is appropriate until kids are about 8 or 9 and can handle something a little more in depth.
Reinhard is Catholic, but I didn't find the book to be exclusively Catholic. I believe it would work for anyone who wanted to spend a little extra time focusing on the Advent season.
We will probably use this devotional every year for the next few years. I suspect it is appropriate until kids are about 8 or 9 and can handle something a little more in depth.
January 7, 2018
This was our first venture into Advent, and we enjoyed it. This book was decidedly catholic, but we still learned quite a bit and enjoyed doing it with our Children. Our oldest is currently 5, and she seemed to comprehend most of the content. Our 2.5 year old ensured we did "Addie-vent" each morning, but did not really understand much. All in all, a good primer for a young family.
June 27, 2013
Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families by Sarah A. Reinhard is a beautiful resource to help families prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.
The length of this booklet is ideal and perfectly manageable, even in the busiest of schedules at the the busiest time of year. All you need is a few moments each day to come together as a family and read an insightful page or two. (You could even do this before, during, or after a meal.)
Each reading contains a short Bible verse, wise words for thought, a prayer, and an act—something concrete we and/or our children can attempt that day to help prepare our hearts, homes, and souls for Jesus (such as helping someone, giving up something, or making a gift for someone).
You will find a treasure trove of reflections in Welcome Baby Jesus. And while the readings are encouraging, enlightening, and inspiring, they remain entertaining and simple enough to use with children—a great alternative to the modern Advent custom of opening a numbered door to grab a piece of chocolate! Instead of giving to ourselves, we can give to Jesus.
My two kids and I looked forward to using Welcome Baby Jesus each day, and we incorporated it as a part of our homeschool routine. Not only do the pages guide you through a spiritually beneficial Advent season, they continue through the rejoicing of Christmas, the Octave of Christmas, and the Epiphany.
In a world consumed by commercialism, this colorful booklet shines with the message of the true meaning of Christmas. I highly recommend Welcome Baby Jesus as a valuable spiritual resource for all Catholics!
Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Catholic novelist
The length of this booklet is ideal and perfectly manageable, even in the busiest of schedules at the the busiest time of year. All you need is a few moments each day to come together as a family and read an insightful page or two. (You could even do this before, during, or after a meal.)
Each reading contains a short Bible verse, wise words for thought, a prayer, and an act—something concrete we and/or our children can attempt that day to help prepare our hearts, homes, and souls for Jesus (such as helping someone, giving up something, or making a gift for someone).
You will find a treasure trove of reflections in Welcome Baby Jesus. And while the readings are encouraging, enlightening, and inspiring, they remain entertaining and simple enough to use with children—a great alternative to the modern Advent custom of opening a numbered door to grab a piece of chocolate! Instead of giving to ourselves, we can give to Jesus.
My two kids and I looked forward to using Welcome Baby Jesus each day, and we incorporated it as a part of our homeschool routine. Not only do the pages guide you through a spiritually beneficial Advent season, they continue through the rejoicing of Christmas, the Octave of Christmas, and the Epiphany.
In a world consumed by commercialism, this colorful booklet shines with the message of the true meaning of Christmas. I highly recommend Welcome Baby Jesus as a valuable spiritual resource for all Catholics!
Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Catholic novelist
December 11, 2013
Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families (Sarah Rinehard). It is exactly what I was looking for - a way to more fully incorporate Jesus into the season and leave out the guy in the red suit.
This book is just lovely! Each day, there is a verse from the Bible, and three small sections to read - Think, Pray, Act. My daughter gets really excited about doing the action of the day (one day it was pray for someone who had annoyed or upset you). After we say the prayer for that day, we light the candles on our Advent wreath. This book will definitely become part of our annual Advent traditions. Highly recommend it!
For more of my reviews, check out http://melosbookshelf.blogspot.com
This book is just lovely! Each day, there is a verse from the Bible, and three small sections to read - Think, Pray, Act. My daughter gets really excited about doing the action of the day (one day it was pray for someone who had annoyed or upset you). After we say the prayer for that day, we light the candles on our Advent wreath. This book will definitely become part of our annual Advent traditions. Highly recommend it!
For more of my reviews, check out http://melosbookshelf.blogspot.com
April 20, 2014
My family used this book this year for family prayer " Mom's table time discussion." My youngest are so excited this time of year it is hard to gather for prayer and discussion. Rule at our house is:
When mom rings the bell all gather around mom's table for prayer, discussion, family read aloud etc..
even if it is difficult to understand that's where discussion takes place. They loved this book and there were no grumpy faces.
When mom rings the bell all gather around mom's table for prayer, discussion, family read aloud etc..
even if it is difficult to understand that's where discussion takes place. They loved this book and there were no grumpy faces.
November 27, 2016
Good advent devotion for children and parents
Did a great job keeping us focused on the true meaning of Christmas and giving each of us things to do each week and day to prepare for Jesus birth.
Did a great job keeping us focused on the true meaning of Christmas and giving each of us things to do each week and day to prepare for Jesus birth.
June 29, 2017
This was a wonderful companion to our Advent and Christmas seasons! We really enjoyed it!
March 7, 2013
My 5 yr. old grandson looked forward to the daily reflections and activities.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews