My Prayer Journal and Prayer Puzzles

This is something that came to be at the end of the year.  All of the children had been working on their Missals and a few especially loved doing the work.  They asked me if they could make another book.  We had been discussing prayer and how to pray for the sick, etc.  So I got the idea of a Prayer Journal.  They loved it.  It meant I had to go home and cut out beautiful pictures from Christmas, birthday, and all occasion cards and put them in the box you see to your left.  There are only 5 pages in the journal but they could add pages if they wished.  I told them that they had to talk to Jesus as in a letter to him.  The picture they would glue on the left and perhaps this would give them an idea what they would write to Jesus.  Lined paper is pasted on the right only.  Then when they are finished I tie yard through the holes and tie the pages together just like we do with the Missals to take home.  This material is kept in the bookcase behind the starfish.

Under this old desk I keep the prayer puzzles which really help the children learn their prayers.   So when they come early which most do, they know I will test them on their prayers and while waiting they should be doing these puzzles to learn the prayers.  They really help.  A catechist friend made a couple of them for me and I really don't know if they are CGS material.  However, they work well and they help the children learn their prayers.  So I made one for each prayer we learn in Level II.

     After I retired from classroom teaching I took 5 computer courses at Cochise College.  Never did I dream how much they would help me with CGS.  I've made all the Scripture booklets for our atriums and prophecies, prayer cards, prayer books, Maxim booklets, Ten Commandment booklets.  It's been so helpful.  I had a mother one year tell me she was disappointed that we didn't prepare the children for Reconciliation using the Ten Commandments.   I told her that we use the Maxims and showed her what they were.  However, she wasn't convinced one bit.  So after that I thought, "Well, how much extra time would it be to introduce the Ten Commandments to the children in one of the class meetings?"  From that time on I've done so.  In the Maxim Booklet and the Ten Commandment booklet, I have written in small print at the bottom of each page an "Examination of Conscience" for each Maxim or Commandment.  These booklets go home with the children to prepare them for Reconciliation.

Rosary Puzzle

 The Rosary Puzzle was something I saw when I started as an aide in the atrium in 2004.  I made an assumption that somehow I missed seeing this material in my training.  Later when I was expected to start an atrium from scratch, it just seemed natural to have it.  I saw how well it worked for the children in the atrium.

This year due to Covid, we did a few Zoom classes up until December.  The Annunciation, The Visitation and The Adoration of the Shepherds were presented.  It always seems that this is the perfect time to begin the rosary with the very "first story" of Jesus life especially because the Rosary is really the story of the life of Jesus.  As we are talking about prayer after lighting each candle, it seems like the perfect time to introduce one Joyful Mystery each week and pray a decade after I read the Bible story to them and then discuss it with them.  I've put in their envelopes for pickup in our office a rosary for each child and a rosary coloring sheet as well as the two items you see below.   As an assignment at home I ask them to say just one decade of the rosary using the Joyful mystery we read after lighting the Advent Wreath each evening.  They could read the same story from the Bible.  It also gives them practice with the Our Father and Hail Mary.

I tell them it would be a good way to thank Mary for saying, "Yes," and thank Jesus for coming to us and being born.

My husband is very good in his workshop and has taught me to use the tools as well.  We used a drummel drill to make the little circular round depressions in the wood to fit the small wooden caps.  These are actually wooden covers to hide holes in wood after drilling and putting a screw in place.  You can buy them in any hardware store in a bag.  They come in different sizes and these are the smaller ones.  I do the painting and staining.

After reading what the CGS Group on Facebook had to say,  I read that some of the catechists had heard of a rosary puzzle but never saw one,  I added these photos for them and realized I hadn't posted them here in my blog.  So here it is.  Hope you like it.

Prayer Cards

Since we won't be meeting in the atrium due to the Corona Virus until April 14th, I've decided to make a few prayer cards for the prayer table and maybe work on some other materials.  I just happened to have bought wedding invitations a long time ago for this purpose but never used them.  They were 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 originally but I cut them down to 7-1/2 x 4-1/2.  They have a very pretty shiny silver design for a border.  I decided to color them.  I used "Apple Chancery" font as I'm not very good with calligraphy.  Then I laminated them.  Project complete.

Level I      First Week of Advent

The boy in the photo above, was drawn to the little altar today and he worked for a very long time doing this work.  The other two boys, were creating things as gifts for family and friends for Christmas.  I tell them that everything they make has to be about Jesus in the atrium.  

Last week I presented the two "Prophecies of Light and Names" and read The Annunciation.  Today we read The Visitation and learned how to fill the Cruets.  Usually the class can't wait to work with these materials but every class is different with a different personality.  Pernella, the girl in the forefront can write and so wants to write letters to Jesus to thank Him.  Her thoughts are beautiful.  I started a prayer journal for my Level II classes as they can read and write.  However, I've promised her that I'd bring in a prayer journal for her which I've made and have cut out religious art for them from cards.  They can choose any pictures they want for their prayer journal.   The class is small today as it's close to the holidays.  I have a family of three children and another with a brother and sister.  So when they are absent that is five children.   Today six are present but are out of view.

Level II    Beautiful Advent 

Advent is a great time of year for the children.   So I love to decorate the atrium in purple.  The small table in front of the prayer table is for the Nativity Narratives which I will present to the class.  I always do one or two prophecies before each Bible story. Here you can see The Lion and the Lamb, my favorite prophecy, also called "The Peaceable Kingdom."   We have already finished reading The Annunciation the week before and on this particular week we read The Visitation. 

When we do The Adoration of the Shepherds and Birth of Jesus, the prayer table cover is changed to white for the celebration of the feast of Christmas.   Last week we read The Presentation in the Temple and tonight we did The Magi.  Next week is our last Nativity Narrative and it is the Flight into Egypt.   After that we will be getting ready for the children's First Reconciliation and the prayer table cover will be changed back to green.

Below are some of the many activities that the children choose to do.  There is a variety of art work to choose from as well.    

This girl is creating an altar with all The Articles of the Mass: 

 the crucifix, chalice, purificator, cruets, corporal, lavabo, towel, paten, bookstand, missal, lectionary, and lectern.  

 

 

 

They also learn the articles by working with the small altar as shown below.



 















 
 The girl on the left is working with a prayer puzzle to help her learn.  If the children learn a prayer, they get to choose a prize from a basket.  It's always something religious such as a rosary or medal.   The boy on the right is enjoying seashells from The Gifts of the Kingdom.  There are drawers where I keep Blue Boxes of seashells; Green Boxes of seasonings, tea, plant parts, cocoons, etc. and Red Boxes with a good variety of rocks and geodes.  I've made a rock book that they can look up the rocks to name them.  They love this activity and usually it becomes a group work because they like to share and discuss the many items. 

    The girl (right) is working on an Advent Wreath.

                                                                 

 

 

 

 

This girl (below) enjoys working alone doing a prayer puzzle.   She's working on the Act of Contrition.

This boy (right) is working on the Liturgical Calendar.






Of course, during Advent the children are always 
working with the Nativity Narratives.  They are expected  to read the Scripture as well as work with the materials. 

The Holy Bible

 Introducing the Books of the Bible to the children is challenging at best.   I tell them that Bible means "book of many books" and that there are 73 books in the Bible.  I ask them, "What do you notice about these books?"  They usually respond that they are all different sizes.  Which I then explain means the length of the book.  If it's tall that means there are more pages in the book.  If it is short this means that it's a very small book with fewer pages.  Then someone notices the colors.  I explain that the red books are all the Old Testament which tells the history of the Jews and begins with creation until the Parousia which is when we will see God in heaven in his radiant beauty or as the Bible says, "in His all and all." There are 46 books in the Old Testament.  The green books represent the New Testament and there are only 27 and these tell of Jesus when he lived on earth.

I begin by telling the children about the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.   That the Jewish people call this The Torah and it is the Jewish Law that they believe Moses handed down to them.  Genesis is the first book which tells of creation.  Exodus is a book that tells how the people escaped the Egyptians after 400 years in slavery.  I tell them about the parting of the Red Sea and give them the background.  Leviticus, the third book, I tell them, teach the Levite priests how to take care of the temple and set everything up according to their laws.  They needed new laws for everything as they had never been free men before.  Numbers, the fourth book, was a census of all the Jewish people who had spread out in many different places.  Deuteronomy, the fifth book, tells them the "Second Law," as Deutero means second.  They needed laws on how to live as good neighbors just as we do.

I then tell them that the next group of books are The Historical Books, which tell the history of the Jewish people when they get out of slavery and how they live their lives back then.  I pick up the smallest book in the group and I tell them that this is the Book of Ruth.  It may be very small but it is very important in this history.  She was the great grandmother of the greatest King of Israel - King David, an ancestor of Jesus Christ.  Then I tell the entire story of Ruth.

Afterward, I give out a Bible to each child and show how Bibles come in all shapes and sizes.  We read the story of Creation as the children take turns.  This will conclude their introduction to the Bible.  On another week I'll talk to them about the History Books and the following week the Wisdom Books.

I usually save the bottom shelf to discuss right before Christmas as we do some of the prophecies right before Christmas and we do all the Nativity Narratives from the New Testament.

In the photo below the boys are doing the Giant Bible Puzzle.  There is one for the Old Testament and a separate one for the New Testament.  These boys have worked on this for three weeks. 

Feast of Pentecost - Last Class of the year

 As this is the last class and Pentecost is still four weeks away, I explain this using the Liturgical Calendar so we get plenty of practice with it.   Since the first Sunday of June will be Ascension Sunday, I read to them from Acts about the Ascension.  Afterwards we begin discussing the Trinity, as the second Sunday of June is Trinity Sunday.  Before they go for the summer I want to be sure that all questions are answered regarding these feasts.  Finally we begin with the Bible story of Pentecost and I tell them what it was like back then for the Apostles.  They were so frightened and locked the doors until a driving loud wind came thru the room and tongues of fire appeared over their heads.  Then I light the candle and begin reading the Scripture.  We discuss how the Apostles received all those gifts that day and they gained great courage and were no longer afraid to go outdoors and teach the people about Jesus.  In fact, they could speak in many languages.  Then I light the Paschal Candle and tell them to listen carefully as I describe each gift because I will ask them to choose which gift they would like to have for themselves if they could have just one. 

  As I light the first candle from the Paschal Candle, I name a gift and ask a child to read the meaning of the gift from the poster.  Then I talk about it more while placing a small card naming the gift in front of the candle.  I light each candle from the Paschal Candle and do the same until all seven gifts are explained.  I just noticed that while taking this photo I left out the 7th Gift - Fear of the Lord "Awe"  (Will correct at a later date).

  Now I ask each child which gift they have chosen.  When they choose their gift, I give them their own red votive candle to hold during the ceremony which is lit from the specific gift candle.  They love this ceremony and take it very seriously when choosing.

    I always give them a little foldout booklet of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit which I order from Autom every year.  It also gives the definition of each.  This year we made a mobile of a dove out of a paper plate with the 7 Gifts hanging from it to take home.  I also have the Venn Diagram of the Trinity pictured above the prayer table which I give them to color every year.   Another diagram I give out is of a tree showing the roots of the tree as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, while the Fruits of the Holy Spirit are named on all the branches.