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Summer Art, Week 8

7/27/2022

One of the great works of the Level 2 Atrium is the copying of a personal missal. In this work there are ten prayer cards which are copied and then illustrated by the child. This is often a work which extends throughout the whole 2nd grade year. One child this year, after completing her missal, chose to "redo" four of her images. Here are the ones she chose to remove from her missal and replace.

"The Liturgy of the Word" There is a person here reading God's Word. The altar is set with the cross and candle as well as the chalice and monstrance. There is a merging of the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and Adoration in this image.

"The Offering / Doxology" When our greatest gift from God, Jesus, is truly present with us in the Eucharist He is offered back to God as our greatest response. This image shows a beautiful, colorful heart radiating out to a boarder of crosses. What a powerful image of the Mass.

"The Mystery of Faith." The cross dominates in this drawing, but the drop of water being added to the wine provides much food for thought. Our participation in the Mass. signified in one way by the drop of water, allows us to participate in Jesus' death and resurrection.

"The Sign of Peace" Here we see the child's synthesis of the Breaking of the Bread, the Sign of Peace, and the reception of Communion. In each one of these gestures Jesus is sharing His love, His peace, His very self.

Summer Art, Week 7

7/20/2022

During the final work time of the year two second grade girls took time to draw and write. The following are images of their work.

"Dear Jesus, I will follow you always and promise to obey you. Hail Mary..." The image of Our Lady which accompanies this prayer reveals the child's understanding of Mary as perfectly living what the child is expressing to God. In the image of Mary we see the child Jesus held in her arms, a huge smile on her face, beautiful roses growing at her feet, and stars surrounding her.

"I am the true vine. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes and those bear more fruit but every one that does not falls off." The text on this card is not an exact copy of Scripture but comes from the child's memory of the passage. She has illustrated this parable with an image of a tree producing beautiful fruit of many colors, surrounded by blue sky and healthy green grass.

Summer Art, Week 6

7/13/2022

In the Level 2 Atrium the children have an increased desire and capacity to express the prayer of one's heart in written words. The following two images both come from second grade girls who took time in the Atrium to express a moment of their personal conversations with God.

This child has drawn a room, presumably her bedroom, where she is pictured kneeling in pray at a prayer table, saying, "God, I believe in you."

"Two pleasing things to God" 1. Prayer. Prayer is a time where we talk to God and he talks to us. A good place to pray is also by a cross. 2. Confession. Confession is a time we tell the priest our sins but we are actually talking to God." The words of this illustration show the child's internal work of articulating how Confession is one form of prayer.

Summer Art, Week 5

7/6/2022

Beginning with the Level 2 children, as an acknowledgement of their reasoning mind, art in the Atrium is to be accompanied by writing. The amount of writing expected depends on the ability of the child. For some, copying a prayer word or phrase is enough to elevate their work while others copy a Scripture verse or write out their thoughts and ponderings.

The following booklet was composed by a 1st grade boy who selected several Scripture cards, copied them, and then illustrated them in a manner similar to that done by the Level 1 children who make prayer card booklets.

The cover of this Scripture booklet lists its title as "The Holy Book" and then shows an image of a Bible, acknowledging it contains God's Word.

"Your word is truth." The image of Offering illustrating this Scripture takes me to a hymn verse by Thomas Aquinas on the Eucharist: "Seeing, touching, tasting, are in thee deceived. How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do. Truth Himself speaks truly or there's nothing true."

"Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise." This verse begins the Divine Office each day. The child's illustration of a person kneeling shows that this Scripture can only seen as prayer.

"Your kingdom come, your will be done." This is the prayer of Jesus, the prayer of the apostles, and the prayer which we, too, are invited and encouraged to pray.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad." How beautiful that this drawing shows the distribution of the Eucharist. On the left you see the host and in the center is the chalice. Could this be the heavenly banquet with garments of white on those sharing His Body and Blood and halos of light around all?

"Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long." The image of the Bishop, coming from the Origin of the Eucharist material, is so fitting to the prayer of a true shepherd's heart.

Summer Art, Week 8

Summer Art, Week 7

Summer Art, Week 6

Summer Art, Week 5

Carolyn Kohlhaas

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