What could we thank God for today?
|
Beginning in the Level 1 (Children's House) Atrium the children are exposed to words and phrases which help to enhance their prayer language. Below are photos of several boys who spent time over several weeks copying some of these individual prayer cards and then illustrating or illuminating that prayer. Below you will find... - Shalom (the cross, the Last Supper table/people, grass for the Garden of Olives, and the light of Jesus' birth and resurrection) - Almighty God (with three hearts coming together) - Emmanuel (with a crucifix) - Rejoice (surrounded by the altar table with the chalice, paten, and several "infinity symbols") - Thanks be to God (with the child at his house and God standing next to him) As the children grow they become more articulate in expressing the prayers of their heart. Below is a booklet of how "God blesses us" composed by a Second Grade child. This came in response to our beginning of the year Synthesis around the Scripture, "Taste and see that the Lord is Good." The Level 2 children also begin working together to help lead our Communal Prayer which closes our time together in the Atrium each week. Finally, after helping to lead Communal Prayer in the Level 2 Atrium, the Level 3 children begin to plan and lead Communal Prayer for their classmates. Choosing a Gospel passage and a theme from that passage they choose songs, additional readings, and write petitions which support that Gospel theme. It is always a gift to pray with the children, particularly when they have helped to plan and lead our time of listening and speaking with God! In the Level 1 (Children's House) Atrium the children enjoy working with model chasubles and model altar items which point them towards the real items used during the celebration of the Mass. They also begin looking at individual gestures (movements which have meaning) which the priest prays at Mass and some that we pray as well. In Level 2 (E1), the children enjoy returning to many of the materials and truths they have pondered in Level 1. Now, however, they work to engage their reasoning mind particularly through the use of their reading and writing skills. They begin to attune their attention to where we are, currently, in the Liturgical Year by labeling the Sundays of the Liturgical Calendar. They also begin to label the articles at the altar and make a large altar collage with many beautiful items which they also label. As they begin their preparations for their Second Year Retreat (and, for some, their First Eucharist), they begin to synthesize their previous work with the gestures of the Mass, laying out symbols for each gesture in the order that these moments are prayed during the Liturgy, The Level 3 (E2) children broaden their pondering of the Mass by looking at each prayer as a pearl which makes up the one greatest prayer, or pearl necklace, of the Mass. Then they look more closely at each of the four sections of the Mass, placing each of the prayers in their proper order and even copying them to make their own complete Missal of the Mass. We pray that each presentation received and each free choice of work related to the Mass, leads each of the children (and each of us adults who work with them) to a more "full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations" (Sacrosanctum concilium, §14). |
Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|