Recap - 10/23/16 in the atrium -- learning about the articles of the Mass

Hi everyone,

Last Sunday, we continued learning about the various items that one finds in the sanctuary during Mass.  This was part II of the presentation; the final presentation on this topic, part III, will be this Sunday.

Before the children arrived, I set up our miniature sanctuary scene in our prayer room.  The sun shines so brightly beautiful in this room, that is difficult to capture a good photo, but this will give you an idea of the setup the children saw when they came into the room:  

Miniature Altar table, Ambo, Tabernacle

Close up of miniature altar table. We used the green altar cloth to begin a discussion on the colors of the church year.  I explained that in some churches, it is the custom to use different color altar cloths to match the church year, but that  here at St. Joan of Arc, we use a white cloth throughout the year.

  

Closeup of miniature Ambo, complete with a miniature Lectionary

Closeup of miniature Tabernacle. We talked about how the tabernacle is gold in many churches, like ours, although we are using a wooden box for our tabernacle.  (They all urged me to paint it gold!)  We talked about the sanctuary lamp, and how it is always lit when Jesus is present in the Tabernacle.  We are using a red votive cup for our sanctuary lamp, but I told them that in our church, the sanctuary lamp has clear glass and hangs right next to the Tabernacle.  (By the way, yes, there is a miniature Ciborium in that Tabernacle, but no consecrated hosts!)

A couple of photos from the actual presentation:

We did things a bit differently this week -- went to our prayer room first for the presentation and then prayer time, then back to rooms 1 & 2 for individual work time.  Both Ms. Alyce and I agreed that this seemed to work much more smoothly, so we will continue to follow this pattern from now on. In the past, prayer time was the last thing we did before snack.  But by putting prayer time first, we set the stage for quiet, meditative work during the individual work time. 

Here are a few photos of the children working with materials during the individual work time:

 

Cutting work to help the children develop patience and their small motor skills

Another shot of cutting work. Our junior helper Mairi is overseeing this activity.

One of the children is working with a puzzle that shows the various items we find in the sanctuary (the altar table, candles, paten, chalice.)  The other child is matching lids to various size containers.  This work helps children develop concentration as they try to figure out which lids match with which containers.  Such a simple thing for us adults, but a fascinating work for young children!

Ms. Alyce continues to work with small groups to teach them how to care for our environment by polishing our brass items, like the ciborium in this photo.

Junior helpers Lizzie and Maria help a group of children with a pasting work. They are creating a picture of a sanctuary, complete with altar table, candles, paten, chalice and crucifix.     

                

This upcoming Sunday, we'll see our final presentation about the items we see on the altar during Mass.

Don't forget-- we'll also spend a bit of time talking about our favorite saints!  If your child would like to dress up as a saint, or bring a prop to represent his/her favorite saint, we will give him/her time to share with us.

There is also a Donut Feast after the 9:30 a.m. Mass, sponsored by the SJA Moms Group.  Enjoy donuts and juice for a small donation, and play a game of Saints Bingo with your children and other SJA families!

See you Sunday!