During Advent, we prepare to celebrate Christmas—Jesus's birth. We take this time to prepare in a special way to welcome Jesus into our hearts and into our lives. The Christmas event can take on a special meaning for children when they become actively involved in the preparation. This short novena is meant to help your child, and even you, "build" a Christmas crib. Each day there is a suggestion for the practice of a virtue which is associated to some part of the Christmas scene, for example, "We offer Jesus the manger of our love." A short child-friendly re-telling of a Scripture passage that focuses on the virtue is followed by a verse of a song and brief prayer appropriate for children. The detail of the manager scene for each day can be colored by the child.
