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MichelleW
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Have you ever spent concentrated time teaching the Mass? I have taught pieces of it over the years, but I would like to be more thorough now.
This coming week I plan to start with the preparations for Mass:
architecture and layout of the building
symbolism of the doors
Holy Water founts at the doors as you enter, including placement of the founts, the recipe for Holy Water, how it is blessed and the prayers for it, our interior response as we approach and touch the water
Sign of the Cross prayer
the priests vestments and the prayers he says as he dresses
the liturgical colors
genuflection as we enter the pews, and interior preparation as we wait for the Mass to begin
Can you see any holes in this pre-Mass piece? What other preparations for Mass would you include here?
Thanks!
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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Lacy
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This is such a great idea! My daughter has been learning about the mass at her preschool co-op, but I never get to see her class because I teach the younger kids. Anyway, the Catholic Toolbox has been working on a great series of lessons on the mass for kids with printable flashcards and all kinds of stuff! I'm hoping to go through it all soon. 
My kids love to bless themselves with holy water, put money in the collection basket, and are just starting to do the sign of peace every now and then. My 5 year old knows maybe half the liturgical colors, and loves to notice what color the priest has on! We're working on genuflecting, but my daughter is very shy.
You asked about major holes- include the Eucharist!  Teach them about the tabernacle and the names of all the "communion stuff". This will make mass more interesting, especially if you sit close enough for them to see what's going on. I know this has helped us! 
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Lacy
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DominaCaeli
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I have been doing an ongoing study of the Traditional Latin Mass (since that's what we attend) with my two preschoolers this year. Even though we'll be finishing the Order of the Mass this summer, I plan to cycle through the information again and again to keep things fresh for them as part of their religion training and study. Also, as we continue on, the information will become more detailed and complex. So I really consider it a never-ending study for us.
I think your list for Mass preparation looks great! I might also talk about preparations that we can do during the days and hours before each Sunday's Mass:
eucharistic fast
reading the readings and prayers in advance
preparing one's clothes and bodies to look presentable at Mass
prayers for a Holy Communion (I have seen many saints and holy priests that advise starting this the night before--such a lovely custom)
I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your ideas for a Mass study!
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Celeste
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Mackfam
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Michelle,
I see that your children's ages are 9, 9, and 8. With that in mind, I'm recommending the following books.
- You might consider borrowing Maria Montessori's The Mass Explained to Children from the library, or even a copy for your own shelves. It was originally published in 1932, before the changes to the Mass were set in place by the Vatican Council, and therefore may not reflect the parts of the Mass in the order (or the same wording) that they take place in the Novus Ordo Mass (for ex. NOVUS ORDO: Liturgy of the Word...EXTRAORDINARY RITE: The Mass of the Catachumens), but it is still such a wonderful treasure for learning about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
- Another book that isn't directly related to the Mass, but fits so well with learning about the Mass is Mother Mary Loyola's book, First Communion and After. I suppose the content is obvious from the title. This book is so beautifully and eloquently written in a manner in which Mother seems to be speaking directly to the child. I could not help but include it here for your consideration. It's one of those wonderful books that spans ages - I will read it aloud to my son preparing for FHC next year, but all my children will listen in and get something from it. It's written simply, yet there is a depth there that speaks across ages. It would be a wonderful complement to any study on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Since the pinnacle of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Consecration and the Eucharistic Prayers/Canon of the Mass, it seems like it would fit here.
There are 3 sections to this book:
** OUR LORD'S PREPARATION IN COMING TO US IN HOLY COMMUNION - beautiful explanation of Old Testament prefiguring the New Testament and the Sacrifice of the Mass...and goes all the way up through the Last Supper and Calvary.
** OUR PREPARATION FOR MEETING OUR LORD IN HOLY COMMUNION - discusses how Holy Communion involves Our Lord and us. This section discusses how to prepare to meet Him.
** THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT - Gets down to some practicals and prayers.
I think I'd probably address the different Parts of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as well since each part is so rich with meaning...right down to our posture.
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Jen Mackintosh
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JodieLyn
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You might want to keep in mind that the wording of the NO Mass is supposed to be changing starting this coming Advent.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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ekbell
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The only thing I'd consider adding might be a discussion of 'What is the Mass?' and 'Why do we Go?'.
We go through the Mass as a family every two years or so, this time around I'm using this book, The How-To Book of the Mass for self-study and as a bit of a teacher's guide while each child has a copy of this book The Mass Illustrated for Children.
They color a two page spread at a sitting while we go over what happens, the symbolism in the pictures, and a simplied look at what I've learned from my own study.
IN previous years we've read various children's books on the Mass and made Mass books as per CHC and we'll probably do a lapbook the next time around.
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MichelleW
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Mackfam wrote:
Michelle,
I see that your children's ages are 9, 9, and 8. With that in mind, I'm recommending the following books.
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LOL my kid's ages are actually 12, 13 and 14, but I haven't been able to figure out how to change my signature line for years...
Thanks so much ladies. And I haven't forgotten the eucharist. The plan I have above is just for the pre-Mass preparations. The eucharist is so important that I want to devote an entire week to that alone. Right now the overall plan I have is:
Week 1 pre-Mass preparations
Week 2 the Mass begins
Week 3 the Liturgy of the Word
Week 4 the Liturgy of the Eucharist
Week 5 the Mass is ended, now go
So, what I have above in the original post is just the parts I plan to cover in week 1, pre-Mass preparations. I am just trying to break the pieces down as much as possible.
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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JodieLyn
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Michelle - on the blue bar at the top of the page click on "settings" and then in the list.. click on "edit profile" and your signature line will be in a box on that page
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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MNMommy
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These lessons look very similar to Children Discover the Mass by Mary Dall. We are slowly working our way through this book.
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Jennifer
Tired mom to - 10yo dd, 7yo ds, 6yo ds, 4yo dd, 2yo ds
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MichelleW
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JodieLyn wrote:
| Michelle - on the blue bar at the top of the page click on "settings" and then in the list.. click on "edit profile" and your signature line will be in a box on that page |
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Thanks! I fixed it...finally
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Michelle
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St. Ann
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Mackfam wrote:
Another book that isn't directly related to the Mass, but fits so well with learning about the Mass is Mother Mary Loyola's book, First Communion and After. |
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Jen, I have never seen this book mentioned before at 4real. Is it a new find? I took a peek inside the book at amazon and was moved by Mother's words to the children at the beginning of the book. Would this be a book to add to the First Holy Communion books thread? or would you place it under a "continuing/ongoing Holy Communion education beginning with FHC prep" category?
How much of it do you read aloud at one sitting? How much is too much? It looks to be quite a lot of material in the book and I wouldn't want to push it...
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Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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MicheleQ
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MichelleW wrote:
the priests vestments and the prayers he says as he dresses
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I just saw this link today to Liturgical Vestments and the Vesting Prayers on the Vatican website that may be helpful!
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Michele Quigley
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MaryM
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We are going to have a local priest give us a presentation later this month explaining the symbolism of the symbols and the vesting prayers.
Another resource for older students could be Dr. Ted Sri's new Biblical Walk through the Mass.
I'm hoping to get him to do a talk for parents at our summer homeschooling conference. We are spoiled to have some amazing speakers in our local homeschool community.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MichelleW
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This was SO helpful!!! Thanks so much!
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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JodieLyn
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Something fun along this line is EWTN KIDS Once the little map loads.. go to the Church ("God's House") and you can click around on things and it'll tell you a little about what each is .. go to the choir loft to see the whole church.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Amazing_Grace
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I have been using Children Discover the Mass by Mary Dall for years. I love it, but it will not be in accordance to the new missal so I had to come up with other lessons for my students. I also wanted to gear the lessons for a much broader age range (first grade on up) so all students could benefit from them and the teachers can use the lessons to supplement what curriculum they are using. I hope others find the lessons useful for their students or at home.
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MaryM
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Looks like Homeschool COnnections is going to be offering a high school course this fall that fits this topic. It looks fabulous.
Theology: The Mass Explained; New Translation
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Mary M. in Denver
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Mackfam
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St. Ann wrote:
Mackfam wrote:
Another book that isn't directly related to the Mass, but fits so well with learning about the Mass is Mother Mary Loyola's book, First Communion and After. |
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Jen, I have never seen this book mentioned before at 4real. Is it a new find? |
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It's actually not. My mom gave it to me several years ago, and I guess I've just never mentioned it before. I don't have my copy in front of me right now, but I believe it was published around the turn of the 20th century - I've seen conflicting things...one version was published in 1904, and I've also seen 1910. It was originally published under the title, Welcome! Holy Communion Before and After, and you can still find older copies fairly inexpensively. There is also a small bookstore, St. Augustine Press, that has reprinted the 1904 Benziger Brothers edition.
St. Ann wrote:
| I took a peek inside the book at amazon and was moved by Mother's words to the children at the beginning of the book. Would this be a book to add to the First Holy Communion books thread? or would you place it under a "continuing/ongoing Holy Communion education beginning with FHC prep" category? |
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It is not a small book, so it fits in both categories quite well in large part because of the depth of understanding that Mother brings to her readers. Don't let this intimidate you though - this is the type of book that read once, the child will come away with an understanding, read again - a deeper understanding develops, read another time - understanding matures further. It's just one of those classics in that sense, much like her other book, King of the Golden City.
You're right though, I should have added this to the FHC thread long ago...I kept meaning to, but forgetting...I'm going to add this information there right after I post here! Thanks for the reminder!
St. Ann wrote:
How much of it do you read aloud at one sitting? How much is too much? It looks to be quite a lot of material in the book and I wouldn't want to push it...
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Your instincts are exactly right, Stephanie. It is definitely a book to be read aloud slowly and savored, with time to digest, contemplate, and sometimes even discuss. It is helpful to keep in mind that at the time Mother wrote this, the age for reception of First Holy Communion was 12 years old, and thus a slightly older audience would have been reading the book. I don't find this an obstacle to reading it to my (7-ish year old) children preparing for FHC prep, rather it adds to the ability of this book to speak across a spectrum of ages. I also don't expect my 7 yo to walk away from this book with the same understanding that my older children will derive from it, but they do understand remarkably the beautiful and reverent love and devotion expressed and fostered for the reception of Our Lord present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Edited...I forgot to answer your direct question...we read aloud between 2 - 3 pages a day...spread out over an entire year.
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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Mackfam wrote:
St. Ann wrote:
Mackfam wrote:
Another book that isn't directly related to the Mass, but fits so well with learning about the Mass is Mother Mary Loyola's book, First Communion and After. |
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Jen, I have never seen this book mentioned before at 4real. Is it a new find? |
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It's actually not. My mom gave it to me several years ago, and I guess I've just never mentioned it before. I don't have my copy in front of me right now, but I believe it was published around the turn of the 20th century - I've seen conflicting things...one version was published in 1904, and I've also seen 1910. It was originally published under the title, Welcome! Holy Communion Before and After, and you can still find older copies fairly inexpensively. There is also a small bookstore, St. Augustine Press, that has reprinted the 1904 Benziger Brothers edition. |
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Jen, I think I have the Welcome! one or have seen it. Are you sure that one isn't written for adults?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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At my local Catholic shop yesterday, I saw this resource, and thought it was really well-done:
Jesus Speaks to Me About the Mass
It's not dumbed-down, but very solid. You can see excerpts here.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Teaching the Mass
