Every Thursday, we have our faith formation program. We have three groups that meet in the evening and one group in the morning. For the past few weeks, we have been having trouble with our electricity. We were dependent upon the city for lights. Well, it seems as though every Thursday, we were without electricity. It made waiting during the Advent season even more meaningful.

On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we shared the life of Mary the Mother of God, being called by God to be holy, born without original sin. We then gave our kids a challenge to be like Mary and give a gift to others as Mary gave freely the gift of her Son, Jesus to the  world.

Every child was given a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste and toothbrush, a piece of wrapping paper and some tape. They were asked to wrap it as a gift and think of someone who is poor that they know. They all said I am; I want this gift; but…we said, “no” this is for someone who is poor, someone you may see everyday on the street in your neighborhood. It took awhile for them to understand that they were to give this beautifully wrapped gift away to someone–not their mother, father, sister, brother or anyone in their family–but to someone who would least expect a gift. They were to say, when they give the gift: “Jesus loves you! Merry Christmas!” The group in the morning returned after giving their gifts and shouted “Mission accomplished.” They shared the joy that the person showed when they received the gift.

After they finished wrapping their gifts,  they left by two’s singing in Kreyol: “Go, go, go people and walk together with Jesus.”🎄💫