“Remembering” Advent and Christmas
Creative ways children can learn about and memorize Scripture.
Photo from Photos.comI was a little girl at Bible Camp, and I was sitting in the shade behind the public school listening to the young Protestant youth minister urging us to memorize our daily Bible passage. I don’t remember any of the passages exactly, but I do remember that the words were very important—and I remember that we got prizes when we were successful. As a Catholic child, memorizing Bible passages was new to me, but I liked it, and I knew it was important.
Memorization of Bible passages is still important for children today. And important for us as catechists too. How can we say we treasure God’s Word when we aren’t familiar with it? We memorize dates and events that are significant to us and store them in our hearts. Why not Scripture too? Advent and Christmas offer us many wonderful passages to share with those we teach. These activities will get you started.
Mary Remembered
In the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke (2:15–19), we hear that after the shepherds visited the baby Jesus and shared with Mary what the angel had told them, “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” She remembered them and must have revisited them again and again as she journeyed with Jesus—even to the moment of his death and resurrection.
Activities with your class
- Challenge your class to a memorization marathon. Pull together a collection of short Scripture passages, for example, from Luke 3: 1–18, which focuses on John the Baptist, and put these on slips of paper in an envelope. Children can draw them out and try to memorize them, Do something special to celebrate their success, and then post the passages around the room so they can remember them after the marathon.
- Visualization is another technique to help children remember passages. Once they understand the meaning, ask them to create a mental image of it, even drawing a picture of what they see and then writing the passage beneath it. For example, Luke 1: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” A child might say, “When I hear this passage, I see Mary holding a magnifying glass with a picture of Jesus beneath it with music notes soaring from her.” Your visual learners will love this opportunity!
Suggested Resource
For Scripture commentary that will help children understand the readings of the Advent and Christmas season, visit the site textweek.com, click on Scripture index, find the passage, then scroll down to children resources.
Mariette Martineau is an author and trainer who has worked in the areas of youth, family, and intergenerational ministry and lifelong faith formation. She is currently a student completing her bachelor of education to teach in Canada’s public Catholic schools.
