Advent Glows With Prayer At OLA School

By SHARON BLACK, Special To The Bulletin

Published: December 18, 2003

ATLANTA—With the razzle-dazzle of Christmas in full swing, the real meaning of the Advent season might be obscured for most children. At Our Lady of the Assumption School, as well as at their sister Catholic schools in the archdiocese, faculty and staff strive not to let that happen. Every day is filled with prayer, Advent activities and community service.

“Every school day is always started with prayer, but during Advent the power of our children’s prayers seems more evident,” said Joan Tiernan, Ph.D., principal.

During this time, creating Advent prayer angels is a popular school-wide activity. Each student is given one to decorate for the school’s Christmas tree. On the back, students write their prayer intentions. The majority of the prayer cards have soldiers in Iraq and their families listed, as well as the sick and the poor. Their depth brings tears but also joy to those who read the heartfelt prayers of the students.

Eighth-grader Hayes prays “for all the poor little sick children at Camp Sunshine.” Hayes has personally experienced the power of prayer as he is a cancer survivor himself, after having been diagnosed with cancer in third grade.

Chris in seventh grade prays “for all the kids who have the flu bug that is really bad this year.”

Mary in fifth grade prays for “Bryan Griffin and his family and friends.” Bryan, a 16-year-old Dunwoody High School student, was killed in a car accident on Dec. 5.

Another fifth-grader, Cole, prays for “a cure for diabetes.” Also in fifth grade, John prays for “world peace, suffering families and the poor.”

First-graders are praying for all of their loved ones, including their pets. Palmer in first grade prays “for Rosco, my dog”, as does his classmate, Drew, who prays for his dog, Purdy. Odi, another first-grader, prays “for everybody in the Holy Land,” while his classmate, Rey, simply prays for “everybody that needs a prayer.”

Seventh-grader Erin shares that “prayer is the best way to tell God your thoughts and feelings.” On her Advent prayer angel, she prays for her grandparents, other family members and an end to abortion.

Gabe in seventh grade prays for “his family, an end to the war and no more poverty.” Gabe said prayer is his special time with God, and he feels Advent prayers prepare the way for Christmas.

Third-grader Matthew said, “I think the Advent prayer angels are a great idea.” He listed his grandparents on his card and said he likes to pray every day.

Megan shared that she put the Graf family on her card because of the loss of their baby, Patrick. She said, “Praying makes people feel better about things because they know they can trust God and can tell him anything.” She prays when there is something bothering her.

Megan’s friend Hannah said, “It’s good to pray during Advent for those families who do not have any money for Christmas.” She likes to pray and “hopes all of our Advent prayers are answered.”

“Prayer is a very profound and defining moment of our students’ day,” said guidance counselor Laura Ray. “They know it is important, and the content of their prayers demonstrates how much they care about others. There is a strong sense of family at OLA, and during a time of crisis we all pull together. This is a very loving and nurturing school community.”

The school is filled with the real spirit of Christmas as evidenced not only by the Advent prayer angels but also by the many Advent and community service projects being done in every classroom. The entire school collected 350 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. In pre-K classes they are studying the letter “J” and have plenty of “J”esus projects planned. In addition they light their Advent wreaths, and work on their angels and Jesse tree.

The kindergarten classes form an Advent circle every morning to light the appropriate candle on the Advent wreath and say “Little candle shining bright, share with us your little light.” Then they go around the circle letting each child share what they would like to pray for. They conclude by holding hands and saying the Our Father.

First-grade classes made stained glass ornaments and cards for a home for adults with severe disabilities as a service project. Third-graders made Jesse trees for their classroom doors, kept an Advent journal, and prayed for a family in need which their spiritual angel found for them.

Fifth-graders participated, in conjunction with the New Life in the Spirit Cenacle at OLA, in the Appalachian Angel Christmas project. They collected new items for the “poorest of the poor” in the Appalachian area of West Virginia.

Middle-school religion classes concentrated on symbols and the meaning of the Advent wreath. They also prepared for the season by praying and reading related Scriptures and keeping a daily journal of prayer and reflection to count down to Christmas.

Mary Lynn Lowery, religion coordinator at OLA, said her seventh-grade students have been keeping Advent journals. Some students write about their feelings and relationships, while others write prayers or quote Scriptures to connect with the Advent season. She said her students realize that Advent is not just a time for parties but a time to focus on the birth of our Savior and the people who mean the most to them.

“Often, we celebrate Christmas before it happens. We decorate, we worry about exchanging gifts and we dash to parties,” Lowery said. “We find ourselves so caught up in the preparations that we forget Christmas is more than just one day – it is a season that lasts until Jan. 11. I encourage you to find peace this Advent season. Spend time focusing on the people you love and how much they mean to you. Remain patient and faithful. Foster hope in your hearts. Help make our world a loving and peaceful place for all God’s children.”

The OLA School sends an Advent blessing by Richard Becher to all:

Follow, where the Spirit Of Hope leads you.
Listen, as the Child of Peace cries for you.
Rejoice, as the Love of God embraces you.
And go now with Hope, Peace and Love in your hearts
And the blessing of Creator, Child and Spirit forever with you.