Last Updated on November 11, 2025 by Ginny Kochis
The Works of Mercy Printable Advent Calendar features 24 suggestions for prayer, sacrifice, and service you can do with your quirky Catholic Kids. It’s a gentle, flexible tradition for celebrating the season of Advent, suitable for all ages and stages of neurodivergent family life.
“Why am I the worst when it comes to Advent? It’s a mess for my family, every single year.”
I hear this question pretty frequently, and boy, does it hit home. For a solid five or six years, when my kids were younger, I always felt like I was falling behind. I was deep into the Catholic mom blog space, not as a creator, but as a consumer. And every single year, it was a battle to:
1. Keep Advent from becoming an all-out sugar fest
2. Keep my neurodivergent children regulated and in some semblance of a routine
3. Find activities and crafts we could do that didn’t end in meltdowns over too-sticky glue or reality not meeting expectations
Everybody else online (and even in my homeschool group) was carrying along swimmingly, and I had a sad-looking Charlie Brown Jesse tree wilting in the corner, getting knocked over as often as I set it up.
For me, the answer was my own expectations. Liturgical living had become this *thing* in my head. A *thing* I had to do. A mom I had to be in order to raise good, holy, Catholic children.
And I was wearing myself out.
Eventually, I realized something super important: God didn’t care about my family’s craft skills. He cared about the state of our souls. Trying to force our quirky Catholic family into a typical box wasn’t just frustrating; it was soul-crushing.
It wasn’t bringing any of us peace.
It wasn’t helping us prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior.
It kept the focus on appearances, not the interior.
By Christmas, we were all completely strung out.
So, what is my advice now?
First and foremost, slow down. Say no, and don’t be afraid to say it, either. You don’t have to do the thing, or volunteer for the thing, or even put the thing on your calendar. Take the extras off your agenda and just be with your family at your own pace.
Next, focus on quality, not quantity. Pick one way to observe the season and stick with that. At my house, we use my Works of Mercy Advent calendar because it’s flexible across our family’s needs and age ranges. Each day gives a suggestion for a practical work of mercy, and if it’s a good day for it, we do it.
Lastly, remember that no one is judging you. I think sometimes we extend ourselves out of fear that if we don’t do X, Y, or Z, our friends, family, and acquaintances are going to have *opinions*. The truth is, most people are so wrapped up in their own stuff they don’t have time to look sideways at you (and if they do, it’s a them problem, not a you problem).
Let go. Let it be simple. Don’t worry about how things are “supposed to be.” Focus on what’s going to be the most restful, meaningful thing for your family. God knew each of you before He formed you, and He loves you. That doesn’t change because the stores have decorations up.
If you’re curious about my Works of Mercy Advent Calendar, here’s how it works.
Each day provides a suggested activity for living out a Corporal or Spiritual Work of Mercy during the four weeks of Advent, like:
- Feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty
- Give up a favorite snack for the day
- Offer hot cocoa or cider to the garbage or mailman
- Clothe the naked
- Choose three household items to donate
- Visit the sick
- Inquire about visiting hours at nursing homes and take a plate of treats
- Shelter the homeless
- Call your parish office and find out which families could use help around their house
- Visit your parish and pick up trash around the grounds
- Bury the dead
- Take flowers to the local cemetery
- Lay a wreath on the grave of a veteran
- Visit the Imprisoned
- Sign up for Project Angel Tree
My Works of Mercy Printable Advent Calendar comes as a digital file you can print at home. Instructions come with the file, but just in case:
- Download the file
- Set your printer to print on both sides, flip on short edge
- Cut along the white lines
- Fold on the dotted line
- Hang with twine, clothespins, yarn, garland, whatever works!
- Counsel the doubtful
- Talk about your hopes and dreams. Make a plan to put them in action.
- Instruct the ignorant
- Learn one new thing about the Catholic faith
- Admonish Sinners
- Set a kind and good example for the people in your home
- Comfort the Afflicted
- Leave a special treat on the doorstep of a neighbor who could use cheering up
- Forgive Offenses
- Let go of a grudge you’ve been holding
- Bear Wrongs Patiently
- Refrain from saying anything negative about anyone today, yourself included
- Pray for the Living and the Dead
- Go through your Christmas card stack and pray for each family
This is just a sample of the twenty-four suggestions, but what I love about them is that they are flexible and meaningful, not chocolate you pop out from behind a door. You can do the suggested activity that day, or you can look at the calendar and book it. If it’s a rough day and everybody’s dysregulated, you can skip it.
Or use it to change the scenery and get everybody back on track.
When I posted this Works of Mercy Advent Calendar initially, I focused on the penitential spirit of the calendar the most.
It still offers that option now, but I prefer to think about it more in terms of sweeping out the cobwebs for baby Jesus. Getting our hearts and our homes ready to receive him, whatever that may look like for us.
Enjoy this post? Read on:
100 Simple Activities for Your Family’s Best Advent Ever
Such simple ideas for works of mercy that we can do every day, in Advent or otherwise! Thanks for this. 🙂
Sure! Thanks for stopping by.
THIS IS AMAZING. I am so right there with you, Ginny – it’s such a challenge to stay true to the liturgical seasons when everything else is full steam ahead to the next holiday. Thank you for this!
It’s crazy, isn’t it?
This is perfect; I’ve wanted to do something like this but just remembering to try to sit down and put it together is hard! I love how simple this is. 🙂
These are great ideas!! Thank you so much for sharing! I love the idea of find a spiritual and corporal work of mercy and focusing on one daily (or, in my case, most likely – honestly – once a week).
We were of like minds, friend!
What a great, tangible, way to prepare for Advent!
Thank you!
Great idea to make this easy for families to do together! It’s funny – I’ve heard really conflicting things about if Advent is “supposed” to be penitential, or more focused on preparation. Either way people approach it, I think works of mercy are always in season 🙂
I think my pastor just leans more toward the penitential side of things in general 😉
You have SO many good ideas here, for ways to GIVE during Advent. I love that. So many of these are familiar… things we try to make part of our life regularly. But some of them we could definitely use some working on!
Thanks for all the inspiration!
Of course!