24 Christmas Stories for Little Ones Ignatius
Cover illustration : Gretchen VonS Layout Design : Élisabeth Hebert, assisted by Amélie Hosteing Layout : Sophie Boscardin and Gilles Malgonne
Ignatius 24 Christmas Stories for Little Ones
Contents ■ December 1 The Advent Calendar ������������������������������ 6 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 2 AWreath for the LongWait till Christmas ���������������� 9 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 3 The Annunciation ��������������������������������� 12 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 4 Great Things Grow from Little Seeds ����� 15 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 5 The Visitation ��������������������������������������� 18 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 6 Saint Nicholas ��������������������������������������� 21 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 7 Two Little Pine Trees ���������������������������� 24 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 8 The Christmas Nativity Scene ��������������������������������������� 27 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 9 The Three Little Trees ��������������������������� 30 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 10 The Magi ����������������������������������������������� 34 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 11 Christmas beyond Borders ������������������� 37 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 12 Christmas Card Greetings ������������������� 40 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Adeline Avril
■ December 13 Peace on Earth! ������������������������������������� 43 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 14 A Christmas Tree for Baby Jesus. ....... 46 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 15 Little Hans’ Wooden Shoes ������������������� 49 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 16 A Good Deed for Christmas ���������������� 52 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 17 Christmas in Poland ����������������������������� 55 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 18 The Donkey in the Christmas Stable ����� 58 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 19 Treats from Provence ���������������������������� 61 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 20 The Angels’ Christmas Preparations ����� 64 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Éric Puybaret ■ December 21 The Christmas Guest ���������������������������� 67 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 22 The Shepherds ��������������������������������������� 70 Story: Anne Gravier Illustrations: Gretchen VonS ■ December 23 Herod and the Three Wise Kings ��������� 73 Story: Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations: Adeline Avril ■ December 24 Christmas Night ����������������������������������� 76 Story: Charlotte Grossetête Illustrations: Éric Puybaret
6 Lewis received an Advent calendar this evening. But . . . there is nothing to see except an empty path leading to closed stable doors. Lewis is a little disappointed. “Well, why don’t you try looking for window number 1?” his mommy asks with a smile. The Advent Calendar December 1
7 Lewis’ eyes light up with curiosity. There it is! And when he opens the first window, Lewis finds a person walking along the path. He is carrying a lantern, the first light in the dark night of the calendar! Then Daddy says, “With this nice little man, we’ve set off on the road toward Jesus. We’re going to prepare our hearts for Christmas.”
8 Jesus, I want to walk toward you. Help me to spread joy all around me! “But how?” asks Lewis. Mommy thinks for a moment: “By spreading smiles around us, like little lamps to light the way. “They’ll lead us to the doors of the stable where the greatest Light of all awaits us!”
for the Long Wait till Christmas December 2 9 It is cold in the little monastery of Bergen in Sweden. The monks are running out of wood for heating and have very few candles left for light. And now that snow is piling up on the roads, there won’t be any more logs coming. In fact, there are still four candles left, but the monks are saving them to mark the four weeks until Christmas on the Advent wreath. A Wreath
10 On the first Sunday of Advent, the abbot lights the first candle. The monks draw near. The candle warms them with its soft glow. And so, each Sunday, the monks gather around the Advent wreath for their weekly ration of warmth and light.
11 Christmas is still far away. Teach us to be patient, Lord, and to prepare our hearts well. When at last, on Christmas night, the final candle goes out . . . someone knocks at the door of the abbey. There stands a man with an armful of logs and four candles. Jesus is born! The Light of the world!
12 December 3 The Annunciation This is the story of what happened in Nazareth a little over two thousand years ago. Mary lives in the village of Nazareth. She is engaged to Joseph, the carpenter. One day, God sends the angel Gabriel with great news to announce to her. Gabriel enters Mary’s house and says: “Hail, Mary, the Lord is with you. You will soon be expecting a baby, a little boy whom you will name Jesus. He will be the Son of God.” Mary cannot understand: “But how can that be? I’m not even married to Joseph yet!”
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14 Mary, sometimes I say No when Mommy asks me to do something. Help me to say Yes, like you. The angel reassures her: “Mary, nothing is impossible for God!” Mary trusts in God. So she says to Gabriel: “I am the servant of the Lord. Yes—I am ready for everything you have said!”
76 It is cold, and the shepherds sleeping in the hills around Bethlehem shiver in the winter wind. Suddenly, they tremble with fear as well: an angel has just appeared before them! “Do not be afraid”, the angel says to them. “I come to bring you great news: a Savior has just been born in a stable in Bethlehem.” The shepherds run and quickly find the baby of whom the angel spoke. December 24
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78 “There was no place in the inn”, Joseph explains to them. “So we took shelter here just in time for the birth.” The mother, Mary, watches over the Baby Jesus with wonder. Overwhelmed with joy, the shepherds bow down before him.
79 Thank you, dear God, for giving men the most beautiful gift in the world: the birth of Jesus. Thank you for the joy of Christmas! Then they set off running through the streets of Bethlehem, crying out to the people: “Wake up! Come quickly to see the Son of God!” For how could they keep this wonderful news to themselves?
Original French edition: 24 Histoires de Noël pour attendre Jésus © 2011 by Fleurus, Paris © 2011 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco • Magnificat USA LLC, New York All rights reserved. ISBN Ignatius Press 978-1-58617-682-2. • ISBN Magnificat 978-1-936260-33-1 The trademark Magnificat depicted in this publication is used under license from and is the exclusive property of Magnificat Central Service Team, Inc., A Ministry to Catholic Women, and may not be used without its written consent. Printed by Tien Wah Press, Malaysia Printed on June 15, 2011 Job Number MGN 11007 Printed in Malaysia in compliance with the Consumer Protection Safety Act, 2008.
24 stories, one for every night in December during the holy Season of Advent, to read to your littles ones as they await in wonder the birth of Jesus 9 781586 176822 From 3 up
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