Eucharistic Presence BECOMES Reconciliation

Mostly letting the photos tell the sequence, I'll point out that I have children of both forms of the Mass: Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo.


Here is a beautiful example of how the children lead the work, when it is something they have explored on so many levels over previous years and months:


First things first: the children did not want to put away the local people. They too belong to the Church - if Jesus came to give Himself to ALL peoples of ALL times and ALL places - well, then we need all the people out. The children even pointed out: there will be ONE flock and ONE shepherd.

2 sheep (then changed to people) are placed behind
the altar - as the altar servers (Novus Ordo)
(yes, only boys were used because the children
with the server idea are TLM children familiar with NO -
only boys are used in the TLM - and some NO)
The third figure might be an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. 

Then we adjusted for the Traditional Latin Mass
(or an ad orientem Novus Ordo)

Some people are facing away from God.
They have sinned and refused to accept God's gifts.
(on an adult note: those of us in sin should consider
these children's words - and not receive when knowingly
NOT in a state of grace...)

The children announced that these people need RECONCILIATION!
So they go to Reconciliation and now they return to Jesus. 

As they return, the seem to be arranging themselves more neatly...
orderly fashion...
God is a God of Order - not chaos.....
hmmm.... 

And so the people have returned to the Sacrament of the Eucharist:
both  the SOURCE
and the SUMMIT
of our Faith

Sing Alleluia!!!!

What have the children NOT taught me in this lesson? I stick with the essentials - and look where they GO!

;) 

Communal Prayer for Level 3

Communal Prayer is such a beautiful experience for everyone involved.

Sample for level 2-3 combined

The children prepare a special prayer time for the other children in the atrium. It is supposed to set up so that children MAY come if they like but do not have to. Thus far, I've not had a child NOT come. ;)

This is not a material that is handed to us in formation; only suggestions and ideas.

The children in the local level 2 atrium have been working on a form of communal prayer for the last couple of years. The main catechist is striving to keep it simple and straight-forward, so that the children can just get right into it, without a lot of fanfare. As each level 2 trained person has come in with different ideas, and worked through different suggestions, the simple format is what the children and the main catechist keep going back to. She has a paper for them to fill out with the options - they do not have to use every blank. They fill out their paper with their selected Scripture passages, songs, and the like; and they do it. It is so beautiful to see! (I've only seen them once, but continue to hear how wonderful it went other times).


Now, last year's 3rd graders are my 4th graders; my 5th and 6th graders have never worked with it.

And I am preparing the materials for our level 3 atrium.

I LIKE that simple format, but I also like the idea that each atrium has it different - so that as the children get older, they learn more than one way to do things.

I wanted to put this material together 2 years ago, but it is has been sitting. Sitting on prayer, sitting on observation, sitting on contemplation; just sitting and waiting patiently for just the right moment.

Another sample of level 2-3 combined

The children in my combined level 2-3 atrium -- some of them have been in that atrium space before and knew the working of the materials there, so they have been planning prayer times and teaching the new children how to use the material.


This is NOT a work to be underestimated; or overcomplicated. We want it accessible.


And I have been inspired to follow the recommendation of many in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: as much as possible to connect it with the Liturgy of the Hours - next to the Mass itself, the Liturgy of the Hours is the greatest prayer we have in our Church; and it has a LONG history, extending back to the history of the Jewish people.

What a fine connection for the level 3 children who are delving into the history of Worship in Israel, the history of the Jewish People, typology, the origin of the Liturgy of the Word and so much more.


So that is what I have done. Spent 2 long nights organizing it, writing an introductory booklet for the children; simplifying, simplifying, simplifying - to get just the right amount of essentiality and richness.

So, after many long sleepless hours, I have the format ready. I combined the various "hours" in the Liturgy of the Hours, to find the overall pattern. I have then chinked here and there in search of the essential for the children, and prepared the introductory booklet to explain what is communal prayer, what is Liturgy of the Hours, what are the parts we will use, and how to use the material, along with a one page guide for the planning itself. I want them to know the history and the connection to the church - not just that "this is something we do in the atrium" - WHY do we do it in the atrium?

Now to fill in the pieces ;) That part will go more quickly since I have the framework. I will prepare a packet of cards for each "part" that the children can select (they do NOT need to use every part; and they can add their own options to the few I will provide - in fact, I WANT them to add to the material - to enrich it - to make it their own - so it both feeds and is fed by the life of the community) - sample Psalm cards to choose from; sample Scripture passages that correspond with a couple of feast days; and lots of blank cards for them to make their own.

These cards may not have the full text; but they will also have access to larger song charts; the Bibles and hymnals in the atrium; and other resources as they see fit.

Above all else, I want this work to be THEIRS.


So all of this work - and I will place it in the atrium, give an introduction; then observe. How is it working? How is it feeding their prayer lives? How does it need to be changed?


Many times, the children will make the changes themselves ;)


THEY know what is most essential!

Mysteries of our Faith

As we worked through the Paschal Mystery and the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, one essentiality kept standing out:

the wonder of just *exploring* with the children.

Can you or I truly plumb the depths of these mysteries? There is a *reason* they are called mysteries! We can look at the clues, and we can learn, and we can learn grow. But until we are face to face with God, we can never fully KNOW.

Just explore. Don't have all the right answers. I tell this to catechists time and time again - do not GIVE to the children! The children have far more to give to us, than we ever could give to them! ESPECIALLY within the richness of our faith!

If you give them an answer, you destroy the joy of discovery and the developing process of discovery.

Wonder with them. Explore with them. Enjoy with them.

And they will reveal to you a deep wealth of riches!

Fundamental Needs and Tendencies of the Human Being

Consider how each of the needs and tendencies is fulfilled in the prepared environment of the atrium - more particularly the tendencies over the "needs". Or consider how to assure each being fulfilled:


From Montessori Nuggets:

The five (5) physical needs of human beings include 

• sufficient food
• appropriate clothing
• shelter
• defense
• transportation. 

The four (4) spiritual needs human beings include 

• love
• arts/music
• vanitas (to improve and embellish one’s environment)
• religion:  “To deny, a priori, the religious sentiment in man, and to deprive humanity of the education of this sentiment, is to commit a pedagogical error similar to that of denying, a priori, to the child, the love of learning for learning’s sake. This ignorant assumption led us to dominate the scholar, to subject him to a species of slavery, in order to render him apparently disciplined.”[1] 

Tendencies

• exploration
• orientation 
• order
• communication
• to know/to reason
• abstraction
• imagination
• the mathematical mind
• work
• repetition
• exactness
• activity
• manipulation 
• self-perfection

Each human need and tendency has historical implications, as well as cultural, modern, practical, educational, spiritual and physical implications. 

---

[1] Maria Montessori. The Montessori Method. 1964: Schocken. 371.

Essentiality

We had a wonderful talk today by Rebekah Rojcewicz.
(I will be adding to this post later in the week when I have more time, but wanted to post this bit)

She challenged each of us to walk around the atrium; look at each material; and state the ONE main teaching. This is the *most essential* teaching and is the one thing you want the children to know, if you teach them nothing else (and we probably do NOT want to teach anything else because the message could be lost in the multiplicity of words and ideas!).

This is what we call one HUMONGOUS map of Israel.
Perhaps too big? Yikes! 

She used the story of a man coming to visit your atrium. He knows nothing about the faith, but this is your ONE HOUR with him. What is the deepest, most essential message that you will give him about each material as you tour the atrium with him.

Suggestion: Land and Water Globe
Of all the many places on this vast earth, God chose one tiny place to come to us as a man, to be born, to live, to die, to return to life and ascend into heaven: Israel.


This exercise can be done in every atrium. I look forward to doing this in all three levels as soon as I get back home :)