Why, this blog has been neglected for quite some time. And so much has happened. However, my creativity is coming back ... I just need to figure out how to update this blog. Blogger's not letting me do anything except post this right now.
Advent always seems a little further than it is to me ... and suddenly, I flip the calendar and there it is! A new Advent season in preparation for Christmas.
Fortunately, Advent is also my favorite liturgical season, so I've drawn, written, and thought about it throughout the whole year.
My Etsy shop is well-stocked for the 2018 Advent season, which begins on Sunday, December 2, with favorites, such as Jesse Tree ornaments (in different sizes and shapes), and the digital coloring books that launched my shop, Christmas in Sweden and Las Posadas Christmas.
I've also updated my Advent Activities & Coloring book with some new drawings for you as well as hand-picked other favorites from previous publications.
Here's a peek at some of the included pages:
The Immaculate Conception Coloring Page
Saint Lucia Coloring Page
Make Your Own Advent Wreath Coloring Page & Activity
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To get this digital Advent coloring and activity book for just $10, visit my Etsy shop, purchase, and download it all superfast! (And if you're a religious instructor, DRE, or small-group leader, I've also the same digital book available with licensing permission for all your students for just $17.
"When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage..."
For the past two years, I volunteered at the Liturgy of the Word for Children at one of our Masses.
To help keep the children engaged, I always drew the Sunday Gospel reading on the enormous dry-erase board in our meeting place.
Recently, I've been thinking how much fun it'd be to have an actual printable to accompany the Sunday Gospel. And so, I drew up one for this Sunday: an Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ Coloring Page.
Feel free to download the complete printable (the above image is only part of it), and use* it as a:
Conversation starter after Mass to discuss the Gospel with your kids
A Mass journaling page
A printable for your Faith Formation class or homeschool study
And more!
I hope you enjoy it! (And if you're on Instagram, be sure to tag me at @paper_dali so I can see your coloring work. : ) )
* All rights reserved. You may use my Epiphany coloring page for your family, homeschool group, and Faith Formation program but not for your company, work, or financial gain of any sort. Questions? Email me at mypaperdali@gmail.com.
When I was a child, the feast day of Saint Nicholas had a hazy, almost mythical quality to it. My parents spoke of putting out their shoes at night and receiving gifts by morning on December 6, but they did not carry the tradition for us children. The feast day was something from the homeland, not something to be celebrated in the United States, and it bore little importance to real life.
December 6 came and went for many years of my life without much attention except for a vague thought in the back of my mind that "oh, it's the feast day of the guy who became Santa."
Then, I became a mother and learned about this patron saint of children. The hazy outline of Saint Nicholas became stronger, and his personality boldly marked. This was not a soft, cozy sort of apparition from the past. Saint Nicholas was a brave and fiery bishop during turbulent times.
After reading Elizabeth Foss's brilliant "Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home" book, my husband and I made a conscious decision to celebrate the liturgical cycle, to learn and grow and pray about the meanings of the different days the Church sets aside for us to celebrate.
Saint Nicholas came into our life then ... and we've never let go. This bishop, with his generosity and kindness and steadfast spirit, inspired his community so long ago and continues to inspire so many, many others today.
He's far more than this vague prototype of Santa Claus. He's not just an old-timey version of Santa. He was fiery in his faith and defender of the Church's teachings.
You can learn more about him through this brief video:
As our family learned more about this saint, I found myself drawing him often. Here are a few printables of Saint Nicholas that I'd like to share with you:
Ah, December and all its wonderful Catholic feast days! You sit down to make some plans for your favorite days, but then you realize just HOW many feast days there are in December and how maybe keeping everything organized can be a bear. Simple Catholic Feast Day Planning Sheet
To help stay focused on what to celebrate, we always choose a handful of feast days of our favorite saints. Saint Lucia always ranks high, as does Our Lady of Guadalupe ... and Saint Juan Diego and, oh, there's Saint Thomas Beckett ...
Oh, right. Yes, choosing just a few can be difficult.
Once we do, though, we make sure to highlight, underline, and bold that day on our calendar and also consider why we're celebrating. What about this saint or feast day speaks to us specifically?
Because we're Catholic, we do love our food and drink! Find inspiration from the saint's own life or homeland.
To get to that point, we often read about a saint's life or watch a movie about the saint's life. (Formed.org in particular has a good selection of saint movies for families.) If we give ourselves more room in the planning, we can pick up books about the saint as well.
... and please do NOT offer my works as downloads from your site.
