LITURGICAL YEAR
In level 1, we are able to introduce
the liturgical calendar to some 3 year olds and to all 4 and 5 year olds -
because our liturgical year, just as the atrium experience, focuses on the life
of Jesus. We look at three main events: His birth, His death/resurrection, and
the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Taken together, these things are the
child's beginning experiences of the Paschal Mystery.
The calendar, as it is utilized at
the youngest ages, includes 6 weeks of Ordinary Time (first introduced as
"after the feast") between the Christmas season and the start of
Lent. In levels 2 and 3, we learn why this period of Ordinary Time changes in
length and we learn how to make these modifications. I personally have found
this material to be basic enough to use for both forms of the Mass at the
youngest ages and for the first presentation in the older atriums, with the
greater details coming in later presentations.
We also look at the colors utilized
during these seasons and on particular feast days.
There are additional booklets and
charts available in level 3 specifically for the children's questions and
exploration for further information on the Mass and the liturgical year -
available for both rites in the atriums I provide for those attending the TLM.
At all levels, we focus on the
"feasts": preparation, celebrating and afterward. A complete cycle of
preparation, of work and of celebration. Ultimately, we live out two such
cycles each year: The Christmas Cycle and the Easter Cycle.
Materials used:
ALL CHILDREN
- The Liturgical Calendar (all
levels/grades)
- wooden calendar with arrows
for the 3 main feasts; arcs for the seasons and prisms for the
Sundays.
- corresponding inner circles to
help us locate the Sundays of Christmas, then those in March - along with
a chart of the full moons to locate Easter Sunday for any given year and
build the rest of the calendar around Easter and Christmas.
- additional center
circle for TLM: indicating the difference in the Ordinary Times
and Septuagesima.
- blank calendars on which to
create their own for any particular year of choice
- Liturgical Colors (levels 1 and
2)
- Set of 4 chasubles and 4
stoles in the 4 main colors used on the calendar: purple, red, white,
green.
- Additional booklets providing
information on each of the colors, what they represent, additional colors
utilized and their significance. Booklets are available to Level 3
children as well.
- Additional
vestments (vestments themselves only available in level 1 and 2
atriums, typically)
- alb and cincture to place on a
wooden stand with the appropriate color for the season
- additional booklets - one each
for NO and TLM to describe the remaining vestments of the priest, the
prayers said when vesting, and significance of each vestment. Booklets
available for level 3 as well.
- Celebrations:
- Prayer table: is always laid
according to the season or feast day - the children can decorate it
accordingly as well
- each season change we have
some sort of ceremony at the prayer table: a procession, a quiet
changing of the color, or anything in between
- Epiphany: usually children are
not in the atrium for Christmas, so we celebrate Epiphany - reading
pertinent Scripture, considering the history we have been exploring and
look towards what this Child truly brings to the world.
- Liturgy of the Light: a
modified form of the Easter Vigil - can be simple or complex; focusing on
Jesus as Light and Truth
- Pentecost: looking at the
gifts of the Holy Spirit and their place in our lives today
OLDER CHILDREN also receive the
following:
- Liturgical Calendar - additions
(level 3 and some level 2)
- a linear lay-out of the
Sundays of the year
- with an extension created by
the children and their own research to create the calendar
for a particular year with each weekday indicated by color as
well
- Preface (level 3 only)
- This hinged wooden material
has permanent words (the ones that don’t change from one Mass to the
next) and a slot into which we slip cards noting a particular Preface for
the particular season or feast day. We discuss the significance of this
prayer, its placement and meditate on the Preface options for a
particular Mass, inviting the children to explore other Prefaces and to
listen for these prayers during the Mass.
LAST UPDATED 10/17/2013
Mass
Our two main sources for the
teaching of our Faith within the atrium are the Scripture and the Liturgy – the
Liturgy representing the Church and the Scripture as the Word of God (the Holy
Bible).
So many of our presentations in the
atrium connect back to the Mass: Eucharistic Presence of the Good Shepherd,
narration of the Last Supper and the Resurrection, narration of the Ascension
and the gift of Pentecost, prayer times, and more.
Our specifically Mass materials
reflect the essence of our faith and build upon each other until the child has
explored every prayer and every gesture of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Holy
Celebration of the Mass; Divine Liturgy).
The focus is always on the
essential:
·
Christ is present with us in various
manners.
·
The Holy Mass is the greatest prayer
of the Church.
·
The priest offers the Mass on behalf
of the people.
·
The work of the people and the work
of the priest are intimately united.
·
All work in the atrium invites the
child to fuller participation in the life of the church, including fuller and
deeper participation in the Liturgy as the child comes to understand and/or to
more deeply appreciate the mystery of this beautiful work, this beautiful gift
from Christ Himself.
·
This work is color-coded:
o
Liturgy of the Word is green.
o
Liturgy of the Eucharist:
§ Preparation of the Gifts is yellow
§ Eucharistic Prayer is orange
or gold
§ Communion is gray or
silver
Materials/Presentations:
Level 1 and above:
· Gestures of Epiclesis, Offering, Mingling of the Wine and
Water (Preparation of the Chalice), Preparation of the Cruets, Breaking of the
Bread, Sign of Peace, Lavabo, Genuflection, Sign of the Cross
o
Of these gestures at level 1, only
the Sign of Peace significantly differs from the TLM to the Novus Ordo
o
We use short booklets in level 1 for
the children to trace and copy
o
The children are invited to repeat
the gesture, not as play-acting, and not as “playing Mass” (these are
appropriate at home, not in the atrium) – but as a way of meditating on what it
means so that they understand what is happening while they are at Mass.
·
Articles of the Altar
o
Miniature items that serve as
nomenclature (naming) lessons on the articles they see at the Mass. These
articles are organized in the following manner:
§ Jesus is present in the Eucharist
§ Jesus is present in the Tabernacle
§ Jesus is present in the Word
§ Remaining articles of the Mass
o
The specific items utilized vary
according to the parish the children attend; or the parish with which the
atrium is associated.
o
In levels 1 and 2, there are
nomenclature cards for matching and tracing; in level 1, there is usually a
pasting work for the children to create an altar scene.
·
Vestments of the Priest
o
The children’s first presentation on
the vestments is received with the Liturgical Colors (See Liturgical Year)
o
Later, the children learn the names
of the other vestments.
o
This work builds in level 2 – and
varies according to the associated parish.
o
The children should also learn about
the prayers the priest says as he vests.
o
This work also has nomenclature
cards/booklets (all levels at varying depths) and pasting work (level 1).
Level 2: All the above
presentations have more detailed card material and booklets, with
juxtapositions of some of the gestures with Biblical narratives (“Epiclesis and
the Last Supper” for example).
·
Synthesis of the Mass
o
All the gestures and events with
which the children are familiar are brought together in a sequential
presentation for the first time. The only new concept is “Liturgy of the Word”
where God’s children are called together to hear the Word of God.
o
This material is color-coded to the
booklets the children have already been using.
o
Late-year first graders may see this
work for the first time (or early second grade).
o
First Communion children receive a
second presentation with additional material in the form of prayer and picture
cards. These cards then become the source of inspiration for a First Missal to be created by the
children, recording these key moments that correlate with the child’s spiritual
depth and focus.
·
Origin of the Eucharist
o
We present the Last Supper to the
children again; this time we keep on going. They have learned about the
Ascension and celebrated the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the Church at
Pentecost. Now, we continue the story further – reaching to the deaths of the
apostles, to the bishops, to the priests, and even to the name of the priest in
our own parish, who received the power to say the words of Jesus through the
laying on of hands and particular graces handed down from Jesus, through the
apostles, the bishops to the priest himself at his ordination. (introduction to
Holy Orders! And the hierarchy of the church! Not a focus now, but a foundation
for later studies).
·
Mystery of Our Faith
o
Simple material with images of the
death, resurrection and Parousia of Christ.
o
Meditation on the words of the
Mystery of Faith as used in the Novus Ordo (not utilized in the TLM – a
modified presentation is utilized to connect the events of the Paschal Mystery).
·
First Communion Preparation
o
See separate theme page for more information.
Level 3: Removes the miniature altar and materials, but
keeps more detailed booklets and card material. Adds the following:
· Structure of the
Eucharist
o
Two
large charts (one uncolored, one colored) with wooden tiles that represent each
prayer of the Mass. The children see the same colors again; as well as the same
symbols for the gestures they already know. At this time, they also see
notations and symbols for each of the readings (1st, 2nd,
Psalm and Gospel) as well as an indication for the location of the Our Father.
o
Two
versions available in the atriums I lead – one for each form of the Western
Rite of our Church.
o
The
colored Mass chart (and the reverse side of the tiles) has white portions,
indicating that some of these prayers change from one Mass to the next (see
Propers below).
·
Colored Base (2nd
Missal) – The Roman Missal
o
This
wooden box has 4 drawers, one for each part of the Mass, containing a set of
cards, titles and symbols to represent each prayer of the Mass.
·
History of a Bread –
or Story of a Bread
o
This
storybook presentation takes the child from the death of a seed in the soil,
the work of the earth and the sun, the work of human hands, finally to the
production of bread that we eat at our tables – and then takes it all one step
further, when the bread becomes Bread: Jesus Himself – and through that Bread,
we come to have eternal life.
·
Preface
o
Wooden
triptych, utilizing the colors of the appropriate part of the Mass for the
unchanging portions of the prayer, with a slot into which are placed white
cards (for “Propers”) that change according to the liturgical season or type of
feast day.
·
Mystery of Faith and Prayers
of Intercession
o
Juxtaposition
of the Mystery of Our Faith with the Prayers of Intercession as we pray for
those who are with us now, who should be with us, and those who have gone
before us – all of our prayers are united within this mystery of our Faith.
o
Card
material that is placed as the booklet is read – the final layout shows that
the mystery of Christ’s death, resurrection and coming Parousia, are truly
gifts for the whole world.
·
Memorial
o
A
long orange mat with cards that form the shape of a cross as they create a
timeline from the events of Jesus’ life and the words of the Last Supper, down
through the apostles, the bishops, the priests, all the faithful laity since
the time of Jesus, until the words of the Jesus, which happened ONCE for all
time reach us, the faithful, today, in our churches. Images of people
throughout the ages, movable words of Jesus (printed only once and moved down
as we move through time) provide a fantastic visual for the children to see the
true definition of Memorial as something that happens once and we re-enter into
that moment.
·
Mystery of Faith
o
A
deeper meditation building on the Mystery of Faith of level 2.
·
Propers of the Mass
o
A
third Mass chart, identical to the above Structure of the Eucharist Mass
charts, which indicate the names of the Propers (the prayers of the Mass that
change from one Mass to the next, according to what is “proper” or
“appropriate” to the day or liturgical season.
o
Follow-up
work includes a set of cards which match the title/image of the prayer to the
prayer description itself. A few samples are provided for the children; or the
catechist can choose (as I did) to print out all the Propers options, organized
into a binder for the children to explore of their own accord. Children are
invited to copy and illustrate pertinent propers.
LAST UPDATED 10/20/2013
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