Ponderings on Misunderstandings - an unfinished post on the Liturgical Calendar

I found this post in my draft folder today when I opened the blog to post the Chart of Christmas Sundays (included below). I had forgotten I had started this! While I still have more images to load and some additional information, I'll just post what I have for now.

Quotes are from the CGS Materials Manual FAQ regarding the wooden Liturgical Calendar. 

This is a major work, and there is a great level of nuance to it (including the Metonic Cycle, ecclesial date of the equinox, time zones and so much more!). I have found ways to keep it essential but accurate enough that a child's understanding can build into the nuances if they choose to explore deeper. I am deeply saddened when inaccurate information is put forth for the sake of the essential. This only sows confusion and discord within a child's heart to have to re-learn (or choose not to because now it is too tedious!). 

 

"The Liturgical Calendar moves counterclockwise. This is in keeping with Maria Montessori’s version of the Liturgical Calendar as a reminder that “God’s time is not our time.”"

It is true that Dr. Montessori suggested having the Liturgical Calendar material counterclockwise for this reason, but it was not her "version" - it is simply her explanation for why something was set up already and had been so for centuries. It is only in the United States of America (and areas influenced by USA) that anyone even thinks to have the liturgical calendar clockwise. 

Some images of liturgical calendars throughout Europe: 

http://www.lemeestudies.com/jean/article-Labyrinth.html
Chartres

"This Liturgical Calendar from Rome does not show Sundays of Christmas.  However, the Liturgical Calendar in the USA shows 3 white prisms for the Sundays of Christmas.   The three white prisms include: (1) one prism for Christmas Day itself (that may or may not fall on a Sunday) (2 ) a second prism for the Feast of the Holy Family (3) a third prism for the Epiphany of the Lord "

"While the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is actually the first Sunday of Ordinary Time, the color worn by the priest that Sunday is white because the Roman Catholic Ordo calls for wearing white vestments."

There is no "first Sunday of Ordinary Time." The actual term would be "Sunday in the First Week of Ordinary Time" but that day does not exist. It is *always* Baptism of the Lord or Epiphany. Both sets of these readings and related Liturgical prayers are found in the Christmas section of the Roman Missal.  There is a "Monday in the First Week of Ordinary Time." To say this another way, some "liturgical weeks" do not have 7 days or they never use all of their 7 days in the same year; and several are partial some years vs others. That is another topic of discussion (think the first days of Lent, Holy Week, the weekdays after Pentecost and the first two Sundays after Pentecost (these three weeks all are "Ordinary Time" weeks but their Sunday is something else), etc.). 

Conclusion for this topic of discussion: there should be a prism for the Baptism of the Lord. See chart below. 

 

"Note: The Feast of Christmas falls on a Sunday every seven years. When Christmas does not fall on Sunday, an extra white prism is not added for the Feast of Christmas. But if your completed material has 53 instead of 52 prisms, that is fine, you do not need to change it."

That's not how it works. We have a leap year that messes with the system. Christmas falls on Sunday on a pattern of 6, 5, 6, 11. We just had Christmas Sunday in 2022. The next time Christmas will be on Sunday is in 11 years: in 2033.  2039, 2044, 2050, 2061.

 

"Note: When Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on Sundays, the Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on December 30. But then you would still have the second white prism for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the third white prism for the Feast of Epiphany."

Accurate. Ish. Here is a chart showing what happens for each possibility. Note that there is a 28-year cycle where we repeat the same solar calendar: 

Chart of the Sundays after Christmas based on the weekday of Christmas. 
By far, 3 Sundays are needed after the Christmas prism. 

From the Roman Missal, with my added bold and italics for emphasis.

VI. Ordinary Time

44. Ordinary Time begins on the Monday which follows the Sunday occurring after January 6 and extends up to and including the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent; it begins again on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday and ends before first vespers (evening prayer i) of the first Sunday of advent.

During these times of the year there is used the series of formularies given for the Sundays and weekdays of this time both in the Missal and in the Liturgy of the hours (vol. iii-iv).

I have another draft post about Finding the Date of Easter and how to build the Liturgical Calendar accurately but simply! 

Concerns of the Children

At one evening atrium, early in January, I just wasn't prepared for our intended Epiphany celebration. We have many materials and presentations I could do with the children - so I thought we'd start at the prayer table and discern which materials we should work with based on a light conversation.

WELL..... 

Our light conversation covered the following topics: 

• Let's celebrate Christmas until February 2nd - for the traditional 40 days of Christmas - the original date for the Presentation in the Temple - and because we prepared for approximately 28 days so the celebration can be longer than the preparation time - and so we could actually celebrate True Christmas in the atrium. 
• Because what is True Christmas? The coming of the Light into the world - 2000 years ago, at our baptisms, and at the Parousia. We are ALWAYS to be preparing for the Coming of the Light. 
• We got to looking at our liturgical calendar (sitting on the prayer table) - Easter is longer than Lent - and we end with a Sunday in red: Pentecost. 
• But what about the other red days? 
• And why doesn't our calendar show the rose Sundays for Advent (Gaudete) and Lent (Laetare)
• (we reviewed why we use rose and how to know which Sunday is rose and why that Sunday in each season)
• We began reading our Liturgical Colors booklet, going through each color, explaining the significance and definitions of any new words - quizzing on what they already know. 
• New terms up for discussion: Requiem Mass, age of reason, children dying before the age of reason, children dying in the womb
• Discussing All Saints Day, followed by All Souls' Day - purgatory came into the conversation. Do you know we have NOTHING in the atrium (officially) on purgatory? On the Church Militant, Church Suffering and Church Triumphant? This is CORE to our faith and we have missed it as an official work in the atrium. Hm. 
• So we talked about the 3 portions of the Church; the reality of Purgatory - not as an alternate to Hell, but a place all its own - for purging the remnants of stains from our white garments (tying in to the Baptism studies we've done, the parables we've done that mention white garments such as the Wedding Feast, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, etc.) - as a place that we CHOOSE to go when God pronounces our particular judgment at the moment of death (Heaven or Hell) and we ourselves realize our uncleanliness to be in Heaven - thus we choose Purgatory to finish purging, cleansing - so that we enter the gates of Heaven whiter than freshly fallen snow. 
• This led back to the babies who die before being baptized; who die in their mother's wombs. What does the Church teach us about them? 

These were 9-12 year olds, entirely guiding the conversation where they wanted it to go. 

These were real conversations, real concerns, real questions - real spiritual needs to be addressed. 

Thank you Lord for these precious souls before me, revealing to me the core of our Faith, the purest questions we have, and most essential responses. 

A fun resource for families that was discussed (and some of the children actually went home and READ!):
Dante's Divine Comedy for Young People
Some literature studies on it:

• The Divine Comedy
• http://urdante.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-divine-comedy-for-children_1029.html
• http://angelicscalliwags.com/2013/10/25/literature-study-dantes-divine-comedy-inferno/

Not Quite Christmas

It is not quite Christmas and I have a hard time believing it.

Advent slipped away. Amidst what? Not the shopping (I've bought groceries once this past month and all gifts this year are home-made or already purchased); not the parties (we really minimize those - just one thus far - all others will be during the Christmas season); not the decorating (we decorate on Christmas eve).

Amidst the vitriolic words directly towards others, including myself. Amidst reading and hearing about the evil attitudes of people in the stores. Amidst the job losses. Amidst hearing stories of consumerism. Amidst the stories of mental illness and the sufferings of families.


It doesn't feel like Christmas. Perhaps this was what the first Christmas felt like: a world in need of a Savior.

A world filled with bitterness. Filled with accusations against another's morality. A world filled with lack of understanding; lack of trying to understand. A world devoid of peace and goodwill towards one's neighbor.

And today these things coming from Christians.

If that is how non-Christians see Christians, no wonder they would rather stay away. Far away. I don't blame them.

No wonder they laugh at us for saying "Jesus is the reason for the season" as they put up signs saying, "Use reason for the season!" implying that Jesus could not be what we claim Him to be.

Because we can't even get His teachings right - His teaching on morality and accusing one's neighbor and planks and splinters. Therefore, how could we possibly get right an understanding of His birth? And death? and resurrection?

Something to ponder next time one is tempted to call into question a stranger's 'Christianity'. Are we judging splinters through our planks?


So yes. Perhaps it does feel like Christmas. That first Christmas. A world filled with disbelief. And vitriolic hatred - because that is what it is when Christians behave with such malice, with such worldly consumerism. The world was full of it that first Christmas. Then, just a few months after that first Christmas, innocent children were slaughtered in the name of murdering a newborn King - by a man with a mental illness.

Sound familiar yet?


The truly faithful were begging for Him to come then; the truly faithful are begging now. Search your heart - are you begging for Him to come now? Or are you hoping for another day, another year, another lifetime?

Perhaps it is time to prepare for the coming of Jesus into our own hearts. Our own stony, cold hearts. That is what Advent was supposed to be about. Is supposed to be about. Preparation for His coming - not the first time; but the second time - the Parousia. When God will be all in all.

Prepare our hearts to receive Him - all of Him, in all of us.

It begins NOW.

It is not quite Christmas - there is not peace in our hearts. But doesn't that mean it IS quite Christmas?


It is not quite Christmas. Christ is not quite present.

Can we make it happen? Can we be ready for Him?

Only then, can it truly be Christmas. As He intended it.

It begins NOW.

Liturgical Calendar

This post is not about the work of the child, but about the work of the catechist in preparing materials. One in particular.

I LOVE making materials. Making the materials is a meditation in itself and helps the adult to focus on what is the most essential. If you  make your own materials, you will find that you don't find the need to add little embellishments - because frankly, you don't have time, you've already put a lot of work into it and there is a main point to the work that is NOT going to be seen if you add that embellishment.

For example - I once thought, in my haughty adult mind that would impose itself on the children, that all of the international figures for the Eucharistic Presence of the Good Shepherd at level 2 should be clearly identifiable by country or region.

Um. NO.

See this recent response by the children in the atrium - look for their identification of the international figures:
The Good Shepherd will always find me


Yes, I make materials for sale, but I try to price them in such a way that the catechist is still encouraged to make them for him/herself. And I don't make them the same way a volunteer might.

My first chasubles had the edges folded over and stitched - they were not double folded, so the raw edge is still exposed. Most chasubles are made in such a fashion because it WORKS. Those first chasubles of mine are still present and used in a level 2 atrium (having been in 3 atrium spaces prior to that before being replaced by a local volunteer) - and are 8 years old. They are beautiful! All of this despite the fact I would never make them like that again! The ribbon I used down the front has metal wire in it and it holds it shape when bent. ;) But it WORKS for the children.

What more is needed? Yes I make them double-folded chasubles for customers; but they may or may not be Chinese-sweat-shop-perfect - in fact, I hope they're not! Because I am homeschooling my son, running two home businesses to get myself out of school debt and be home with my son, and working in various atriums. I am REAL. I WANT to provide a human touch! It was a person who made these materials - not a machine! Or a copier!


There is one material though - I don't know why I keep making it - the challenge I suppose!? I do not know why I continue to do so. Someone suggested it is because I have made all the mistakes that local woodcutters don't even think of.

The liturgical calendar. I'll be honest: I hate making them.

Here is my first liturgical calendar:

I swore I would never make one again.
At the time they could be purchased for $75. Just buy it next time I said!
The next time I needed one, the prices had gone up to $125+ for unpainted.
The prices have come down SOME since then. But not $75.
I designed this myself WITHOUT the materials manual - just photos
 of the calendar in my level 1 formation course. 

It has 52 Sundays - I only cut 52 Sundays. But I cut them. And I cut them. And I cut them. And I sanded them. And I cut them some more.

WHY!? Because once PAINTED, the paint and polyurethane (A THIN LAYER) adds half a millimeter of thickness to each side. There are 52 pieces. Multiplied by two sides comes to 52 mm which is 2 extra inches of space, which is the equivalent of two whole pieces.


So I started making them that way - cut 54 pieces - since it is hand-cut the pieces are slightly different widths anyway, so move the narrow ones to the shorter seasons, and the wider ones to ordinary time; paint around all but 2 and call it good.





Then I started working on a different saw with different blades. I found that even with cutting 54 and leaving 2 out, I had to NOT paint on the sides to ensure everything fit.

Great! Fine! And I even starting making custom calendars for Godly Play and Young Children and Worship.

(are you starting to add up how many calendars I have had to spend HOURS fixing up so that they worked!? because of all the adjustments!?)

But I finally got it working for several months.


Trouble is - then I switched to using different blades again (not my fault - it's a source thing) - that take out a bit more wood. So even painting the sides of the 52 pieces didn't quite fill it in - it's "ok" but not good enough for "customers". So I set those calendars aside and was able to locate the other blades again. Re-create those particular 3 calendars for customers.

Trouble again is - one of the set-asides was accidentally sent to a customer without the sides painted at all - and now she is accusing me of telling her to paint "thick" layers of paint on the sides (I never said that - I said thin layer), she doesn't believe me that any layer of paint will indeed add up quickly to achieve thickness, she refuses to believe that cutting 54 pieces is necessary to assure proper fit in the final product, among other lack of understanding any explanations given, refunds offered, etc. She has done everything except call into question my Montessori training and my CGS formation (and recognition as a formation leader myself) - perhaps she doesn't know I have those formations. So on the one hand, I am not "offended"; on the other hand, it was an honest mistake on my part, as well as a very real aspect of making such a detailed material. I am making her a replacement (still with 54 pieces) and will use the one she sends back to me in an atrium I know of that WANTS a bit more wiggle room of the pieces because of special needs children.


So here is another scenario - a local wood-cutter made a liturgical calendar for the local level 2 atrium. It is beautiful! As is everything this particular family makes!

But it didn't work.

Why!? Because he cut 52 pieces, his wife painted them, and by the time they were brought to the atrium, one piece didn't fit in AT ALL and a second piece would only go in sideways. So there are 50 functional pieces, with one on its side! I do not blame the wood-cutter - he'd never made such a product and the CRE who commissioned the project probably didn't give him the tips that were provided me in my level 1 formation (and I still made mistakes!!!), nor did she have any experience making such a material to KNOW that there are little issues like this.

So the catechist asked me to fix it - so that no feelings would be hurt anywhere. I quietly measured out the pieces, took the widest ones with me and trimmed them down on my own saw. I brought them back and found they just barely fit (but I'd not yet repainted!), so I took them back and trimmed them down again. They now fit - but it's a year later and we've not been brave enough to re-paint the cut off sections. Problem is: holding those little pieces up to that blade that is WANTING to take off my fingers. I don't want to have to do it again if I paint those sides and find it is too thick again!

Nope. I am sticking to 54 pieces and painting them on all sides. I like my finger tips ;)



UPDATED 2019:
I no longer make them with 54 pieces as I now have a laser cutter to make them just perfect for us!

And I have been making nice deep prisms for several years. So much nicer for the children's fingers.