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By Mary Lou Rosien
“It is in giving that we receive,” St. Francis tell us. How do we help our students to really see the value in that? The key is in helping them to start to look outward while still providing some satisfaction and mystery inward.
You are never too old for St. Nicholas. When five of my children were little, my husband was laid off from work. At Christmastime we were completely broke. On the feast of Saint Nicholas (Dec. 6th) we heard a knock on the front door and were blessed to find a significant gift of money and a copy of the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The card was signed from Saint Nicholas. This act of kindness towards us ignited an interest and belief in this particular Saint that has never waned. To this day, when kids at school question my children about whether they believe in Santa, they respond emphatically that they believe in the true story of Saint Nicholas!
As they have grown, they become excited to share their blessings with others. They imitate St. Nick by anonymously leaving gifts for families that are in need, and by following the age-old tradition of leaving their shoes out for St. Nicholas to leave treats in on his feast day. Last Christmas we discovered that our youngest had set out his daddy’s and grandpa’s shoes, because he didn’t want them to be left out.
Let the older kids be “special elves.” One friend of mine allows her older children to help put gifts under the tree once the younger children are asleep. Another designates her tween-age middle children to bake the cookies for the neighbors. The combination of being made to feel special and helping others brings back some of that old Christmas magic they felt when they were little.
Start a secret neighbor angel tradition. One friend has her children secretly drop off a paper angel with treats and a little poem about the Christmas angel bringing love and blessings. They include instructions to put the angel in a visible spot, so others would know that they already had Christmas spirit. The poem encourages the family to bless someone else by repeating the process. Pretty soon there were angels in everyone’s windows.
Attend or take part in a Nativity play. Remembering God’s gift to us makes us want to share the gift of ourselves with others.
As our students learn to look outward and become part of the spirit of Christmas themselves, they will feel the magic of Christmas continue.
Feast Day December 6th
Nicholas was born into a wealthy, Christian family. His parents died when he was still fairly young. He wanted to live as Christ instructed, so he sold what he had and served the poor. He was rumored to be responsible for many secret acts of kindness, including paying the dowry for the three daughters of a poor man. He was later made Bishop of Myra. He was eventually imprisoned under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Released much later, he died on December 6, 343.
Mary Lou Rosien lives in North Chili, NY with her husband and seven children. She is the author of Managing Stress with the Help of Your Catholic Faith (OSV Publishing)»
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Teaching Catholic Kids
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