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Christmas 2022 Junior Saints, part 1

“Christmas is full of fun festivities like spending time with family and watching Christmas movies, but there is a deeper meaning to why this holiday is so important. Christmas is the day Jesus was born... He suffered so that we could live our lives freely and so that we can keep faith in him to further our purpose in this world.” – Artwork and writing by Lindsey Rivadeneira, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills, Maryland

For the Christmas Junior Saints in December 2022, students were invited to draw a picture of the first Christmas, and write about what Christmas means to them. 

St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills

“The first Christmas means that I am thankful that God sent us his only Son to guide us on the right path.” – Artwork and writing by Lupita Torres, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills

“To me, Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus, our merciful hero… Christmas is also a time when we get to spend a lot of time with our loved ones. It’s a terrific opportunity to think back on our mistakes, seek mercy and extend forgiveness to others. Christmas fills our hearts with happiness, love and serenity.” – Lukas Berhe, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills

“What the first Christmas means to me is a time of love. Christmas is not all about presents. Christmas is about Jesus’s birthday and everything Mary and Joseph went through so Jesus could be born safely. Jesus is God’s son. Christmas is the time to go to Mass. Christmas is a time to make people happy, not just with gifts. We should thank Jesus, because he died for our sins. Christmas is a celebration of God’s utmost gift, which was the birth of Jesus.” – Artwork and writing by Ailey Williams, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills

“Christmas means to me the birth of God's Son (Jesus). Christmas is about giving presents to people you love, matching PJs with my family, and sharing with my friends." – Isabella Herrera, first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills  

“Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’s birthday. It makes me feel happy.” – Gianna-Molla Nkeng,  first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills 

“Christmas is Jesus’s birthday. Jesus is our Savior.” – Miguel Jesusman,  first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills 

“Christmas is about when Jesus was born. He is the Savior.” –  Jacob Villagomez,  first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills 

St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. It means so much to me that I am able to spend time with my whole family. I also love the emphasis on giving back. It reminds me to be thankful and appreciative of all I have.” – Artwork and writing by Brooke Hughes, eighth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda, Maryland

“To me, Christmas means spending time with my family. It also means attending church with my extended family and brunch with them afterward. Spending time with my extended family doesn’t happen very often and having time with my family on Christmas morning is one of my favorite things.” – Artwork and writing by Claire Schreiber, sixth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“The first Christmas is very meaningful to Christians today because it was the day Jesus was believed to have been born. Christmas means so much to me because I get to spend time with my family, eating food, giving and receiving, while also celebrating our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” – Artwork and writing by Isabelle Delgado, eighth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“Christmas to me means many things. I think that Christmas is most importantly about Jesus. That day thousands of years ago, our Savior was born, which is why it is so important  to me. I think the bottom line of Christmas to me is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. But we should also on that day celebrate a day of family. We aren’t meant to celebrate this wonderful day for Christians alone, I think. For me, it means a time of family and celebration. So Christmas to me means a time of celebration, of our Savior being sent, and a time of union with our family.” – Artwork and writing by Coco Chiu, sixth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“What do I do at Christmas time? I make gingerbread cookies and gingerbread houses with my mom. I go sledding with my dad. Sometimes, my grandparents come for Christmas. We decorate our Christmas tree and put decorations outside. Christmas means to me to spend time with my family.” – Artwork and writing by Sarah Juzbasic, fourth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

Artwork by Alexandra Hughes, eighth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“The First Christmas is the day our Savior is born. He came to save us from sin and death, and he loves us so much. Mary and Joseph were both really brave to travel all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which is a really long way. And they went through lots of danger traveling just to give birth to Jesus, so they must have really loved him. Joseph was a really brave and loving (foster) father, because that night in Bethlehem he and his family couldn’t find anywhere to rest for the night, and for Mary to rest until they were offered to stay at a stable for the night. And both of them were so grateful and joyful, and then Mary gave birth to her son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.” – Crista Beuermann, fifth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda 

Artwork by Mary Baker, fourth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

“Christmas means a lot to me. It means to be with my family. It also means I can celebrate my brother’s birthday on Christmas morning. It’s also a special day and people should pray more.” – Elena Millan-Obregon, fourth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda

Artwork by Sophia Delaney, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda 

Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

Artwork by Cecilia Shiavone, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings, Maryland

Artwork by Jake Busse, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

Artwork by Joe Malenab, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

“What Christmas means to me is that it’s Jesus’s birthday today. I always say a ‘Happy Birthday’ song to him… I love all the family time (at Christmas). I get to see them so much that day, because we have school most of the time… I love seeing my family. Christmas is such a good day of love and kindness. The day of Jesus’s birth is (all about) love. Love still lasts in every day of life because of God…” – Reagan Tomaszek, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

Artwork by Liam Jackson, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

“Christmas is fun, because I get to spend time with family and friends. I like setting up my Christmas tree and seeing Christmas lights on houses. I like singing Christmas songs at school. Christmas is a joyful time of year.” – Stewart Heller, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

Artwork by Millie Jernigan, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings

St. Peter’s School, Waldorf

Drawing of the Blessed Mother Mary holding baby Jesus by Eden Butler, sixth grade, St. Peter's School, Waldorf

The Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham

During Advent, we prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Advent is important, because we want to be ready for the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25. Christmas isn’t about presents, but it’s about celebrating the coming of the king.” – Artwork and writing by Sydney Esene, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham, Maryland

“On Dec. 25, we celebrate Christmas, Jesus’s birthday. But Christmas isn’t just about the presents or giving them. Christmas was the day Jesus was born. Christmas is a day of loving and preparing for Jesus to come again. Always remember what God has done for you.” – Charlean Ndi, fifth grade, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham

“I believe that the meaning of Christmas extends far beyond the fact that is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In my opinion, Christmas does not revolve around the presents we may receive from our loved ones, or even the gifts we may give. But it does represent the first and second coming of our Lord… Christmas is a day of joy, thanks, peace, gratefulness and far more.” – Artwork and writing by Jordan Esene, fifth grade, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham

Christmas is a time for family and friends and being loving. Family and friends are an important part of Christmas, like in the Bible, Jesus’ family was all there when he was born… In the song Mary Did you Know, it talks about the things that Jesus will do and what having Jesus will be like. That song also applies to us (and) the wonderful work that he has done…” – Artwork and writing by Awah Ndi, fifth grade, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham

Artwork by Lily Inogbo, the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham

Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

Artwork by Ryleigh Rye, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons, Maryland

“Christmas means a lot to me because it is Jesus’s birthday, and I love when my family comes over to have a family dinner. I see some of my family I don’t get to see often, so it is a fun day. I also like to go to church then go home. That is what Christmas means to me, to be around family and celebrate Jesus.” – Austin Parks, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Christmas means joy to me. There are family and friends to enjoy. All those presents are very fun. The most important one is Jesus. God’s only son came here to save us by dying on the cross. This reminds us when the Savior entered our world. Many years later he would die on the cross for us.” – Nate Mekonnen, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

Artwork by Sadie Grey, fourth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“What Christmas means to me is kindness to others. When we give out gifts, we are getting joy out of making someone happy. When someone receives our gift, they will be happy. Jesus was all about joy. Jesus would make people happy, too. Some people forget about joy and only think about getting. Christmas is about giving, not getting. People can also forget what started Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Jesus is the reason for Christmas. Without his birth, we wouldn’t have the holiday season. His birth was one of the most important things to ever happen. We wouldn’t have Christianity without Jesus. Make sure not to forget Jesus during the holidays.” – Conner Matters, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Many people are under the misconception that Christmas is all about getting presents. Well, Christmas is more than that to me. To me, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. On Christmas we should celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is so important to us, and we should celebrate him for all he has done. Christmas also means family to me. On Christmas it is a time you can come together as a family and go to church. This is what Christmas means to me.” – Kaleb Smith, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

Artwork by Annabel Kortokrax, third grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Christmas means to me the love I have for Jesus, my family and everyone in my life I care about and that cares about me. It is a day to celebrate Jesus and everything he does for everyone in this whole world. He shows us love and kindness every day of the year, but Christmas is the one day a year we get together with our families and give gifts and celebrate the birth of Jesus with one another…We all get brought together by the birth of Jesus and the love of Jesus. The feeling we get on Christmas morning with our family is pure joy, love and happiness, and this is all because of Jesus.” – Adrianna Grissett, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Christmas means to me Jesus saved us because he loves us so much. You might not see him, but you feel him in your heart, and we go to Mass and we sing songs for God and Jesus and pray.” – Hannah Ragusa, second grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

Artwork by Charlotte Adams, sixth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Christmas is important to me because we spend time with our family. We invite our friends to celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Jesus’s birth and his birthday, because if Jesus was not born, there would be no Christmas. Our tradition in the Philippines is nine days before Christmas, we attend evening Mass…” -- Meshach Dippold, third grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“What Christmas means to me is the birth of Jesus. That is everything to me. Without Jesus’s birth I wouldn’t have the relationship with God that I do. We have fun decorating our tree and setting up the Nativity scene.” – Artwork and writing by Jack Bowen, fourth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

“Christmas means many different things to many different people, but to me it means spending time with family and Jesus entering the world. I know all the presents and cookies are cool, but don’t forget about Jesus, because that’s the true meaning of Christmas…” – Artwork and writing by Kalina Dillard, fourth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons

January 2023 Junior Saints

In January, we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. For the January Junior Saints, draw a picture and write about something that you like about your Catholic school, parish religious education class, or Catholic homeschooling. The drawings and writings should be emailed to [email protected] by Wednesday Jan. 11, 2023 to Mark Zimmermann, the Catholic Standard's editor,  and they should include the name, grade and school or parish of the student printed clearly.

Due to time constraints involved with reviewing the volume of submitted work, it is requested that schools or parish religious education programs limit their entries to 10 drawings and 10 writings from their students. The best formats to send are jpegs for artwork and word documents or pdfs for writing, if possible. Thank you!

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