Impromptu Home Catechesis
All summer long I unpacked mass kits and set them up for display and all summer long I thought about how lovely it would be when our children got to experience using ours. While we have had a mass kits for years it’s old and admittedly had fallen out of use.
I bought it many years ago and it looks very little like the ones available today– though it too was purchased from Our Father’s House.
I had decided we would have a new one this year as I have a new crop of little ones who haven’t yet experienced its wonders. The old kit will go to a friend who is just starting out.
My intention was to save a mass kit for us at the end of the conference season. But the interest in them was more than I had anticipated and by the end of the last conference a few weeks ago I had no mass kits left . . . actually I had none left by 10 a.m.!
You can imagine my delight this afternoon when our own mass kit arrived. I set to unpacking it right away to be sure everything arrived safely and suddenly my 3 and 5 yr. old boys were very interested in what I was doing.
Not wanting to miss the moment I set everything up and and watched them gaze at and gently touch the pieces. Right away 3 yr. old Matthew exclaimed “Oh! It’s the body of Christ - like St. Mary’s!” and 5 yr. old Peter informed me he wanted to be a priest.
We lit the candles as we talked about each of the pieces and pretty soon my older kids had filtered into the room. Suddenly everyone was interested. The older boys began explaining everything and 21 yr. old Kyle showed us how to light the charcoal and burn the incense.
warning: the thurible heats up very quickly so be careful when you light the charcoal!
After a time we put out the candles . . .
. . . and carefully placed everything in the drawer.
Our home now smells wonderful from the incense and everyone is talking about the mass. Wait until I show them the vestments I have upstairs!It wasn’t scripted and it wasn’t planned but it was a lovely lesson.
Note: The table we used is a shaker table that my son Kyle made for me this past winter. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for the mass kit. The size is just right and the drawer has a very snug fit so it can’t be easily opened by little ones.
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Aug 21, 2007 - 06:08:06So will these tables be for sale on FCP? I love it. Kyle is very talented.
The look on the little ones faces, total wonder is beautiful. I’m sure God was well pleased with his little ones in your house today.
Miss ya!
Michelle, what a wonderful way to bring your faith and the Mass into your home. I’ve never seen anything like this until this last year.
I love the Mass kit. I was so pleased that Anne Barnes purchased two of the kits last year for the CCD classes. I borrowed one to look over (ok, I wanted MY kids to see it up close too). Nathan and Nolan loved lighting the incense as did the entire CCD class. They also loved the bells. What a fantastic learning tool! The table is absolutely lovely too. How did you encourage that gift???? Nolan wants to whittle but I’m deathly afraid he’ll cut off his hand (knowing how he acts first, thinks later…)
Glad you are enjoying the kids.
Beth
That table looks like the perfect little altar.