5 Day Advent for Paramhansa Yogananda’s Birthday – January 5

I wrote this years ago – we used to do this with our children every year while they were young. I would feel a very deep joy every evening –It felts disproportionate to the times and effort it took – I felt the Gurus’ blessing encouraging me , “Yes –Please do this.” - In this spirit I share it. Blessings to you and your family, Mary Kretzmann

Here are a few ideas to help you make Master's Birthday more meaningful for your family. As most of you know, the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and end onJanuary 5th, Paramhansa Yogananda’s Birthday! The following day is

Epiphany

, which honorsthe wise men coming to visit the Christ Child. (Paramhansa Yogananda write that Jesus retunedtheir visit during the lost years of Jesus.) Since they are our very own gurus, it is worthwhile toalso keep this tradition in some simple way.(Y ogananda said that Babaji, Lahiri, and SriYukteswar were the three wise men.)Then the Christmas season honors all of our gurus andgives deeper meaning to Master calling his mission the "second coming of Christ". You coulduse a large white pillar candle to symbolize this. Divine Light if our Master’s every night during“Master's advent”.Start on January 1 and do part of the arati ceremony each night at the family altar (or setup a picture of Master in the living room), and have a story from Master's life that relates to thataspect of our nature which we are focusing on in the arati that night.I hope to write up a little booklet for you with stories to use, but for now see what youcan do with the ideas below. There are many suitable stories in

Autobiography of a Yogi.

January 1 – TASTE- prasad.

Story idea: divine nectar? Also, any stories about his childhood or mission.

January 2 - SOUND-

We will have an arati on the aspect of sound (kirtan is divine sound, aswell as the bells and the conch shell). Story ideas: Lahiri Mahasaya saying to Master's Mother that he will be an engine bringing many souls to God, or stories about Master hearing AUM, the power of mantra, etc.

January 3- SCENT-

as above but substitute incense for the candle.Story idea: when Master's room in Boston smelled like a lotus after he saw the vision of Jesusand Krishna walking on a sea of gold. (The Path, page 437)

January 4 - TOUCH

- Use holy water or vibuti for the arati.Story ideas; any stories about Master healing people such as the one in A.Y. when he healed hissister.

January 5 - LIGHT-

Opening prayer. Explain how the arati is to offer our senses to God so thatwe can experience Him more and more in everything we see and do. Then do the candle part of the arati ( Offer it at the altar first, around the pictures, then to each member of the family). Thentell a story about Master related to Divine Light or Sight ( example: how he was healed as achild from a flash of light that emanated from Lahiri Mahasaya'a picture). You could then ask the children how they could try to see God everywhere, i.e. concentrating on seeing beautyrather than evil around us, etc.. Talk to them about the spiritual eye; children can sometimes seethis light if they go to sleep loving God, such as after prayers and spiritual stories. Show themhow to concentrate at the spiritual eye. Tell other stories about Master if you wish to do so.

January 6 - Epiphany-

Move the three wise men closer to the Christ child in your familycrèche, and tell the story of the three wise men. Perhaps give the children or the whole familysome sort of spiritual gift, such as a special book or tape, etc. (This could also be done onMaster’s Birthday)You could read "I was Made for Thee" each evening at the end of each little aratisatsang. It is good for children to hear the words of Master, to become familiar with them. Thesethings enter their consciousness at some level and may thus be of help to them in some time of need or confusion. (More on the Magi, click here)

I Was Made for Thee,

Whipsers from Eternity

, by Paramhansa Yogananda

I was made for Thee alone.I was made for dropping flowers of devotionat Thy feet on the altar of the morning.My hands were made to serve Thee willingly;to remain folded in adoration, waiting for Thy coming;and when Thou comest, to bathe Thy feet with my tears.My voice was made to sing Thy glory.My eyes were made a chalice to hold Thy burning loveand the wisdom falling from Thy Nature's hands.My lips were made to breathe forth Thy praisesand Thy intoxicating inspirations.My love was made to throw incandescent searchlight flamesto find Thee hidden in the forest of my desires.My heart was made to respond to Thy call alone.My soul was made to be the channel through which Thy lovemight flow uninterruptedly into all thirsty souls.For younger children you could use the song"My voice was made to sing Thy Glory".My voice was made to sing Thy GloryMy ears were made to hear Thy callMy eyes were made to see Thy beautyShining through us allMy hands I give into Thy serviceMy mind will learn Thy truths alone.My soul I offer as a channelTo guide Thy children home.

Birthday Of Paramhansa Yogananda – Jan.5

Today, January 5, is the birthday of Paramhansa Yogananda. This has always been significantto me because he has been my divine Guru since age 22. So, his birthday also marks a renewedspiritual birth in me, and in my family.It is also very significant for me because January 5th falls well within the “Twelve Days of Christmas”. This is because the first day of Christmas is either counted from Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.Here is a quote from aninteresting articleon the twelfth day of Christmas:

The Oxford English Dictionary says it falls on 6 January – although it then goes on to say that ‘strictly’ it’s the evening of 5 January which was ‘formerly’ the twelfth and last day of Christmas.

As a child, our family put up very few Christmas decorations before December 24th. We would put up a wreath on the door, and a few other things perhaps, but on the 24th the home became awonderful flurry of Christmas activity. The tree came in with the wonderful scent of balsam fir filling the home. My father and the four children decorated the tree mostly, while Mom madeChristmas cookies in the kitchen. She had made a few batches before Christmas Eve – but wewould only be allowed one or two, and they had then been saved for Christmas Day and beyond.I have very positive memories of Christmas coming in with such a gust into our home. Why?Because we had prepared inwardly, all through Advent, which is counted by the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Each Advent we would have the advent wreath on the dining room table, 4candles surrounded by greens. The candles were lit each night (week one had one candle, week #2 had 2 candles, and so on. ) There were some stories, prayers and sometimes the song,

OCome of Come Emanuel

.Each of us made a personal promise to Jesus, something we would do during the advent seasonto bring us closer to Christ. Some years I made the commitment to walk to daily Mass on myown every day during advent, even though I was only a school age child. Mass was at 6 AM andthis was December in New Hampshire, but luckily the church was only a few blocks away andthose were safer times, for the most part! Daily Mass is much more inward than Sunday Mass.People came dressed in their regular clothes for the day, and I knew they were there simply because they loved God. No “Sunday finest” required or expected. Some were dressed asmechanics or similar jobs, and I was dressed in my school clothes.It was very peaceful and quiet, and in those moments I felt closer to God and Christ. When Ifound the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda as a young woman, and learned to meditate everymorning and evening – I found that same quiet closeness to God that I had felt as a child at dailyMass.That inward preparation for Christmas throughout Advent made the approach of Christ’s birthvery real to my heart. By Christmas Eve, even though I was very excited about the tree andSanta and presents, I was equally moved, but in an inner way, to set up the family crèche. It hada place of honor in the living room, taking up a beautiful cherry table in the living room. Iremember sitting up late at night on Christmas eve, watching the glow of the logs in the fireplaceand feeling the inner approach of Christmas…