The Meditations of the Passion 

Our children's Religious Education in the atrium ends on the second week of May.  As the children love the candlelight ceremonies, I make them a priority.  They will go on to a summer program and then CCD in the Fall.  I try to give them the benefit of all our CGS presentations so that they have the most memorable year preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.  Therefore, I like everything to be setup in advance of the children arriving.  When they enter, they know we're going to do something special, so they have the anticipation and motivation.  I always tell them what will be happening the following week, as the children often ask me. 

They are excited to come if they know what it is and they never forget!  I honestly think attendance is better as they discuss it with their parents.  I hear them discussing it when  they arrive and leave the atrium.  So I make sure the setting and props are in place when they enter. 

Everything is planned out like a major production and it should be beautiful and appealing.  I have five small low tables my husband made for me and I use them for many different presentations: The Synthesis of the Mass, The Meditations, The Reenactment of the Last Supper, The Leaven, The Growing Seed, The Level I City of Jerusalem, The Cruets and Washing of the Hands and for presenting the Bible Stories each week in front of the prayer table.  So they are very useful.

In addition to placing the buildings from the City of Jerusalem with the Scripture Booklets, I also downloaded photos of these buildings from Jerusalem.  I show them the photos before we start and go around the tables explaining each station.

In addition, I reworded the Scripture to make it easier for the children to read.  Half the class still had trouble with the easier wording because English is their second language.  I've shortened the text as well.  Each candle is lit before reading the Scripture booklet.

    

The last two booklets 8, "The Tomb," and 9, "The Risen Christ," were not required.  I wanted to add them to complete the story of Christ's Passion.  I usually read the booklet on the Resurrection to them which is brief.

 

We have a moment of silence after the  Crucifixion.

 The Reenactment of the Last Supper

   The children get so excited anticipating this day.  It's fun

and exciting to them.  More importantly they relive Jesus'

last night spent with His Apostles at the Cenacle (which comes

from Latin "cenaculum" meaning dining room).  We then

reenact Judas being paid by soldiers, Jesus being arrested

in the Garden and finally crucified, but Risen.  We light the

candles by the crucifix and have a moment of silence. 

 

To relive it in that way really brings it to life for them.  We use 

small tortillas and raspberry lemonade.   Afterward, they finish 

eating the tortillas and drinking the lemonade for a job well

done.  I use five small tables for this setup and for the Meditations 

on the Passion the following week as well.  It takes me about an 

hour to set this up.

The Last Supper

The week before the Reenactment, I  select Jesus, Peter and John 

for their parts and tell everyone about the Reenactment we'll do the 

following week.  The others can sit wherever they choose on that 

day and that becomes their part.  I tell them that we don't know if 

the Blessed Mother or Mary Magdalene were there, but we think they

might have been.  So I assign those parts to a volunteer.

There are always a couple of girls who want to be in those roles.

The Blue Strip - 

"The History of Creation"'                         Timeline

 

 

 

          When I first saw "The Blue Strip," as it is called, I knew that I wanted to take Level II training.  I've always loved history and timelines.  Telling the story of Creation has been very special to me as it celebrates God's love of all His creations.  It is also a good introduction to the Bible.  I now read Genesis with the class beforehand.   I got this idea from a Home School mother who came into the atrium on the first day of class. She somehow knew about this timeline and was ready to let me know what she wanted me to teach.  She did not like the idea of a smaller man, or cave man, presented.  She also said that she reserved the right to teach this to her children.  I respected her opinion because my daughter, sister and numerous younger friends are Home School moms also.  So I listened in hopes of learning something more.  I thought maybe she was against evolution and wanted only Adam and Eve to be the first men on earth.  I'm sure they were and told her so, and that is why I've always read about Adam and Eve from the Bible with my class since then.  I also believe in evolution as we've discovered bones of cavemen, confusing though it is. So this came as a big shock I wasn't prepared for - CGS is Gospel to me.  I never saw her after that until Communion Day.   I suppose she was satisfied that her daughter loved the atrium.  However, I continue to teach Creation very thoughtfully.  I enjoy Science and follow discoveries in outer space of new planets and galaxies to inform the children.  I used the words, "Big Bang" in my Creation story and have found out that this theory has even been debunked by some scientists recently.  However, I read it today in the news online so "Big Bang" is still used in scientific circles.  

 

Presently for Lent I've been reading a book called Luisa Piccarreta and the Divine Will - Teachings of Jesus by Susanne James.  Then I came across the following page.

So now I'm back to square one and will no longer speak of the smaller man as evolution but simply say, "The first men God created were smaller at first and then he created all sorts of homo sapiens (humans) with larger hands and brains.  God loves diversity.  With God all things are possible." If anyone would like to share how they carefully word this description of man's changes when doing the Fettuccia, I'd be interested to learn your thinking on this.   

Miata wrote in to tell me that the smaller man, the hominid, has been removed from the fettuccia and blue strip, and that we should just mention,  "Humans were the first of God's creations that could look around at the rest of creation and ask, "Who made this?"  Humans were also the first beings that could use their hands to improve and make new things out of creation around them."  

I'd already gotten rid of the blue man from the Fettuccia a long time ago after talking to the mother about it and now will get rid of the blue man from the Blue Strip.  Thank you, Miata.  I wouldn't have known otherwise. 

 

The Synthesis of the Mass 

 

Every year I make a new discovery regarding this material

that was not shared in the CGS training.  Several years ago

I discovered that the Chart material listing the different parts of the

Mass were taken from the pages of the Missal for the children.

I first made this discovery when I numbered the parts of

the Mass on the chart because my eyes were having trouble tracking

it and I wanted the children to follow it with me while doing this

work. Then last year I noticed that the numbers on the chart

discussed each page in the Control Notebooks.  The language was

very different on the chart, which is why I never noticed before.  

     Last year and this year I passed out the Control Notebooks to the

children and had them follow with me.  Together we went through 

the Mass, placing the Mass materials on the table.  At the end of

this work, they practiced receiving the unconsecrated host in their

hands.  

     
     Now it makes it so easy to teach the Synthesis of the Mass. 

If only I'd known this from the beginning.  Not only that, it gives

the perfect introduction into creating the Missal and teaching them

the materials they will be using.  The following week I then pass

out the laminated covers to their Missals to include their names

and date.  They really enjoy this work. 

     You can see the Control Notebook

that the boy below is copying.  It

contains graphic pictures of the parts 

of the Mass.  He is copying the words 

of the Priest for the Epiclesis (calling

down the Holy Spirit).

     You can scroll to an earlier posting

of the Synthesis of the Mass to see

the layout of materials used for the

children's work. 

 

     I have decided to paste in the lined paper for the children as that is

the greatest difficulty for them: "gluing them straight."  This program 

captures all five senses which children need to learn.   For example,

the children copy and write seven prayers:  Preparation of the Chalice,

Epiclesis, Elevation of Host and Chalice, Mystery of Faith, Doxology and

the Gesture of Peace, which helps learn these prayers concretely using

their sight and eye-hand coordination.  This is their final work learning 

the Liturgy of the Eucharist after practicing these gestures and prayers 

all year.

    The  Fettuccia

(The Story of Creation)

I have discovered a few important things presenting the Fettuccia, the Italian Ribbon, material over the years.  The children love the work and  the story of Creation.  First, I choose four people who don't usually work together.  Secondly, I give a specific assignment to each child and make a schedule with their names on it in advance before the next request to go outside.  The atrium is situated right in front of a large alley way and I can watch the children from the doorway.  I've shortened the ribbon to fit this area and it's the perfect space to do this work.  These are the assignments for each group:

(1) The First child pulls the wagon outside.

(2) The Second child unrolls the Fettuccia.

(3) The Third child reads from the Creation Book while the others place the wooden symbols on the ribbon timeline as the story unfolds.  

(4) The Fourth child rolls up the Fettucia at the end while others put the wooden symbols back in wagon.  

(5) The Third child also takes the wagon back to the atrium and puts it away.  

You'd be surprised how quiet and serious this work becomes when each child has a responsibility.  Unfortunately they can't do this work in bad weather or in winter, so they know they can only ask me when the weather is good.  They never forget that promise either, so I have my schedule ready.

Another change I've made is that now I only do the Creation Booklet for the children's inside work.  The blue strip art work became too difficult as I'd have to set up folding tables and then take them down at the end of class.  So I haven't done this in five years.  I believe the children get more out of the book anyway as they can read the story.  However, I always have that option.

Also, the small wooden box with wheels was my idea, as it gives me a place to keep these materials under a table in the atrium.  It is pulled by a long thin rope which the children enjoy pulling.  

Refer to an earlier posting of The Fettuccia to see photos of the children in the alley working with this material.

Level I: Children at work in the Atrium

Polishing silver, brass, wood or plants

Small Altar Work

is a very popular pastime in the Atrium and is an expression of peace and quiet in this meditative atmosphere.  It prepares them to work with the materials from the Bible Stories they will be hearing this year.  It also makes them become capable to do different activities independently as much as possible.  As the year goes on with "new work" from presentations of the Bible and the Liturgy of the Mass, they silently go from one work to the next meditating on these materials.  There are seven children in this Level I atrium on Sunday for one and a half hours.  Projects the children are working on are Plant Polishing, Altar work, Brass Polishing, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, Chasuble and altar art work below:

Chasuble Art Work

Plant Polishing

Altar Art Materials and below Liturgical Calendar

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Altar work.

Brass Polishing

 

Parable of the Mustard Seed

       Level II:  Children at work in the Atrium

The Priest's gesture and prayer for Washing of the Hands:  The children work in pairs.  One pretends to be the altar server with the hand towel on his arm who brings up to the priest, the bowl and pitcher.  The other boy serves as the priest and reads the words the priest says as the altar server pours the water over his hands with a small silver pitcher.  Then they switch roles and do it again.  It's a nice work they enjoy doing in pairs.

The Good Shepherd:  These two girls are working with the Parable of the Good Shepherd.  One reads the Scripture while the other works with the materials and then they reverse roles.

Large Level II Altar Work:  This is the first work I give the children in the beginning of the year.  I take them first on a tour of the church on the first day of class and point out the tabernacle, altar, Credence Table, Lectionary, Lectern, and the Sanctuary Lamp.  Some children may never have been in our church.  Surprisingly, some have never been to Mass, so this is most important.  Then when returning to the atrium and I do the Little Altar with them which is a miniature model of our altar in Church.  Most of these children have never been to a Level I atrium.  Consequently, they are not independent and have no idea what work they can do.  This is a good start for them so that they now have the tracing work and this altar they build with cutouts and then label each article.  There are charts they can use to find the answers.  This always takes two class periods and so their first day they paste all the materials of the Mass on the large sheet.  The following week they label with the names of those materials.  This helps them begin to feel comfortable in the atrium after I've showed them how to get their supplies and where to sit. There are ten children in this Level II Atrium on Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.  There are two classes on Wednesday and two on Thursday to prepare for Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

Pentecost 2021 

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Another beautiful year ends cut short by Covid, but we were able to accomplish most of the presentations, if not all the parables.  I felt it was a successful year and the children were well formed for their sacraments.

I explained to the children what happened on Pentecost and how frightened the Apostles were at that time. Before each Bible Story I always give the background of the story and the setting to bring them meditatively into that moment in time.  I then read from the Bible Scripture Booklets the story of Pentecost and then do the same for The Ascension of Our Lord.  After that we are ready for our Pentecost candle ceremony.

As I light each of the seven candles representing each gift from the Paschal Candle, I read the specific gift and its meaning.  We discuss what this means to them.  Each candle has its gift's name on the candle tray, so each candle represents that gift. 

 

 Then I ask each child which gift they would most like to receive.  Each child then chooses their gift and then their own personal candle is lit from the tray of candles.  They always take this work very seriously and give it deep thought.  Sometimes I am amazed by their humility in expressing their greatest weaknesses at this time in expressing why they need that particular gift.  I feel very blessed in these moments of their personal revelations.

 In the last two years, since this is our last class, I wanted to do a project with the children.  We created a mobile with red yarn with the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit hanging from it so they can hang it in their room.  I found this picture online. The two nights before class I'm cutting out the Holy Spirit in five pieces: body, two wings, tail and head.  Then I make the 7 holes and one for the head to hang it.  I put all materials in a zip lock bag for each child.  I cut the 8 strings of red yarn for the bag also.  I bring in a glue gun to put it together for them and they have to tie the strings in the holes and attach the gift names on the other end.  They draw the eyes, beak and legs/feet with colored pencils.  They enjoy doing it and we can work together on this our last day.  They happily go back to the atrium materials when finished.  I always serve Strawberry Lemonade on the last day in paper cups.  They enjoy this.  Also, cupcakes are given out on the last day when dismissed.