Altar Cards

Recently the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd made it possible for members to subscribe and view our material manuals online instead of in print format. These material manuals include clear directions for making the materials and now have pictures of the original materials from Rome. They are really incredible! I've been visiting every material in the manual before presenting it this year, and have learned so much! The manuals represent a tremendous amount of work, very thoughtfully done, and I am so grateful. 

While looking through the manual for the True Vine Atrium, I came across these cards which present pictures of the articles of the altar and their significance.  I had to make them right away! Somehow I missed these cards in my training, and as soon as I saw them I knew that they would meet a real need in the children, and allow them to synthesize what they have learned about the altar in a new way. I offered the cards to several groups of children last Sunday and I could almost see the connections being made in their minds as they worked. After matching all the cards, the children asked if they could add the articles from our sacristy cabinet to the work. They were very satisfied with the material!

I can't count the number of times that the "rightness" of the materials has been proven to me since I began working with the Catechesis. Sometimes, the way a work is presented or made doesn't make sense to me and I am tempted to change it. But I consistently find that the wisdom of the materials comes to light when I see the children at work. Other times, I'll find that something I have sensed is not working is actually being done wrong! Or, as in this case, I'll find that a need I am only vaguely aware of has already been addressed with a material I have yet to discover! I've come to trust the wisdom of the Catechesis and the 50+ years of observation, experimentation, and prayer that it represents. I'm so blessed to be a part of it! 

Try This! The Altar

In my last post, I talked about the Altar I presentation the children see, beginning at age three.  Knowing more about the presentations we show the children can help you bring your child's atrium experience into Church! One of my goals for the blog is to highlight things that you can do to support your child's work in the atrium.  I'm going to use the heading "Try This" on posts that have suggestions for parents, so you know just what I am up to!  :-)

You can easily incorporate this altar work into conversations with your children.  When my children were little, I often leaned over during worship to whisper a comment or question in their ear. (Actually I still do - it just sounds a little different with my teenagers!)  Try something like this:

• "Look, Rev. Peter is lifting up the chalice."
• "There is the paten.  Can you see the bread on it?"
• "Can you see the cross?  The cross always reminds me of Jesus."
• "Aren't the candles beautiful today?"
• "It's almost time for us to go and have the bread and wine!  That makes me feel so close to Jesus."

With this, the goal is not to test the child's knowledge, but to give you and your child the chance to talk about things already learned. Offer help as you go along. For example, if you mention the chalice Rev. Peter is holding, and your child looks at you blankly, say something like, "Yes, there is the chalice - the special cup that holds the wine."

My feeling is you don't want to overdo this. Badgering you child with questions and comments will become irritating!  Several well placed comments a service seems about right. But small moments like these help children to make connections between atrium and Church, and will make their worship experience more meaningful!

Be sure to use the Church Search I flyer (which is available with the children's activities in the back of the Church). It has pictures of the objects on the altar, and invites the children to check them off when they see them during worship.

What ideas do you have for sharing Altar I with your child?  Try something, then come back and comment to let us know how it went!

The Altar

I've put this photo on the blog before but I have to admit, it's my favorite! That beautiful little girl is my daughter, many years ago!  I love this photo too, because it conveys the sense of peace I often notice children experiencing at the model altar.  The very first altar presentation is given to children at age three, and it is usually the first presentation that they see in the atrium (after practical life).  They love the model altar and return to it again and again.

The Altar I presentation teaches the children the names of the objects they see at communion and invites them to set the altar themselves.  A catechist lights the candles and sits and enjoys the beauty of the altar with the child, often singing a song or reading from a little book of prayers at the child's request.  When the child is ready, he or she extinguishes the candles and puts all of the altar pieces away in the Sacristy Cabinet (the white cabinet to the right in the picture above.  It is named after the Sacristy - the room where all the altar pieces are kept).  

If you don't know the names of the altar pieces you are not alone -- keep reading! For the altar presentations, we use child-sized pieces like the ones you see in the photo above.  For the blog, I thought it would be helpful to see the actual items we use in Church.

We begin the presentation gathered around the model altar.  We talk with the children about their table at home.  What do they do there?  They often tell us about family dinners!

The Altar is a table where we share a meal with our Church family.  This beautiful table belongs to Jesus.  Just as you decorate your table at home for a special occasion, there are objects that we use at Church to make our meal at the altar special.

The fair linen is the beautiful white cloth that covers the altar.  

The paten is the special plate that holds the bread.

The chalice is the beautiful cup that holds the wine for communion.

Now the meal is ready.  Who invites us to this table?  It is Jesus.  

The cross reminds us that Jesus died.

The candles remind us that Jesus rose again, and that Jesus is the light of the world.

~  ~

Over time, I will share other altar presentations with you, and also tell you about some of the moments in the service that we present to the children for their meditation.