Make It Happen
- Welcome young adults. If you are serving a meal or refreshments, allow people some time to chat.
- Begin by showing the Busted Halo video “Advent In 2 Minutes.”
- Discussion Questions: Do you think that most people you know practice Advent the way it’s presented in the video? How do most people today spend these four weeks leading up to Christmas?
- Ask: What is a prophet? (wait for answers before sharing)
- Answer: A prophet is someone who speaks for God. In the Old Testament, prophets often challenged kings and the people when they were not honoring the Covenant with God. Prophets defended the poor and advocated for social justice. The role of a prophet is to be countercultural and speak the truth to power. Prophets were not popular people! When the Israelites were in exile, the prophets spoke words of comfort and hope for the future.
- Ask: What prophet do we traditionally hear a lot during the Advent season? (wait for answers before sharing)
- Answer: Isaiah. BUT surprise, in Year C of the Lectionary (this year), we don’t hear Isaiah during Mass; instead we hear from Jeremiah, Baruch, Zephaniah, and Micah.
- Distribute the handouts with the readings. Play some quiet instrumental music while the participants have a chance to read the passages and consider the reflection questions. (10 minutes)
- Once people have finished, gather in the large group again and give people a chance to share their reflections.
- Close with the video “The Advent Conspiracy.” Before you show the video ask: “What is prophetic about the Advent season in today’s world?”
- Final Discussion Question: How can you conspire to make your Advent more prophetic? Name one concrete intention for your Advent season.
- End by encouraging participants to make use of Busted Halo’s Advent Surprise Calendar for daily prayer and spiritual practice this Advent. (You could even show the reflection for the day that you meet as a closing prayer!)
Ideas
- What outreach opportunities does your parish offer during the Advent season? Connect young adult participants with those programs (adopting a family for Christmas gift-giving, preparing meals for the homeless, etc.).
- You might also make this program a “virtual” Bible study and e-mail the readings and reflection questions to young adults each week. You could also post the readings and questions on your Facebook page and ask people to share their reflections in the “Comments” section.
Help: Encourage young adults to follow Busted Halo’s Advent Surprise Calendar to enhance their spiritual practice during this busy season.
Watch
- Busted Halo’s “Advent in 2 Minutes” video
- Advent Conspiracy video (scroll down to “Promo Video”)
