Filling The Manger: A Kindness-Centered Approach To Advent And Christmas
Filling the Manger Book Cover (1)
As we approach Advent, a season of anticipation for Christ’s coming into the world, we are called to be Christ in the world today, through our acts of kindness and love. Jennifer Catney’s Filling the Manger shares a Christmas tradition that helps us all, children and adults alike, to be more intentional in spreading kindness. Jennifer is a cherished and dedicated parishioner of All Saints Parish who radiates kindness and positivity throughout our parish community! Her picture book introduces the tradition of filling a manger with straw for the infant Jesus to lay in, one piece of straw at a time, each representing an act of kindness and love we put into the world, big or small, toward friend or stranger.
This year at All Saints Parish, we are beginning our Advent season in faith formation with Filling the Manger, to focus our sights on love and kindness, being Christ for others as we await the birth of Christ this Christmas.
Our parish and faith formation program are thrilled to kick off Advent by hosting a family and parish gathering on the First Sunday of Advent. Our family gathering will include a story read-aloud of Filling the Manger with author and parishioner Jennifer Catney, as well as an opportunity for all to construct their own manger and straw to take home and share the tradition of filling the manger to welcome the infant Jesus into a world of kindness, love, and joy!
After reading the story, the tradition is brought to life through constructing a manger. A manger can be a great way for children and families to flex their creativity! The manger can be as sophisticated or as simple as you would like, using materials ranging from a small wooden box to a brown paper lunch bag that is cut down to the base of the bag with a couple inches of bag on the side. Feel free to decorate and make the manager your own! The next opportunity for creativity comes in the form of straw for the manger. Some materials could include yarn, curly ribbon, paper cut into small strips, packing paper, shredded paper, or dry spaghetti pasta. Jennifer Catney has simple instructions, wonderful ideas, and even printable images of an infant Jesus on her website! To check out the activity to put this tradition into action, order a copy of the book, and learn more about the author, visit fillingthemanger.com.
Filling the Manger story and activity is sure to be a wonderful start to the Advent and Christmas seasons, sparking joy and kindness, as a community activity in faith formation as well as to explore at home together as a family! What better way to welcome Jesus into the world this Christmas than to be a witness to Jesus’ gospel message of peace, love, and kindness in our everyday lives!
