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Preparing Children for Easter
What better way to deepen the faith and understanding of children than through story and song?
Janet Schaeffler, OPOur religious education and school communities are not isolated programs; they should live and thrive within the parish community. Just as in all other parts of parish life, they find their center in the Sunday Eucharist. The Sunday Scriptures, the psalms, and the hymns weave through weekday parish life, flowing from Sunday and leading to Sunday. As we plan our school and religious education liturgies and prayers, we should place them within the context of the parish Sunday celebration. Theological FocusAs we prepare our children to celebrate the magnificent season of Lent/Easter/Pentecost, let us keep the following liturgical realities in focus: - The Holy Triduum (our Three-Day Easter celebration) is the center. Consider how we can connect our catechetical community, our children, youth and catechists with the Catechumens who are preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil? How are we a part of the Triduum?
- Easter, our prime feast, is more important than Lent. Easter, for fifty days, is really one great Sunday. All other occasions (first Communion, Marian celebrations in May) and feasts during this time are celebrated in light of Easter
- Lent (as well as Easter) is all about baptism. We are called to embrace the practices of Lent (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) so that we may experience unity with the Elect who are preparing for initiation. Yet, it does not end there. Baptism is not a once-and-for-all sacrament. During this season, we call young and old to a deepening of baptismal life, and we renew the challenge to transform our prayers and liturgical life into action and service
Some Possibilities for Involving Children and Families:- Encourage the participation of children and families in the Holy Triduum. Help them to see that this is the key Catholic celebration of the entire year. Learn the hymns that will be sung. Study the Scriptures and the rituals with them. Act out the ceremonies. Involve families and children in parish preparations and with spring-cleaning. Create anticipation for the Easter liturgy
- During Lent, give each child the name and photo of one of the Catechumens. During your prayer services, pray specifically for these people in your community. Invite the children to write them letters of support and prayer
- During Lent, we intensify our prayers of intercession. Against the background of the Scriptures, we can encourage the children to keep their eyes open in their world. What should we be bringing to prayer? Ask them to bring in or draw pictures that would then form a bulletin board of prayer for your times of reflection
- If you hold a weekly prayer service (or act of service) during Lent, how will this extend into Easter? It is all one season and Easter/Pentecost celebrates what we prepared for during Lent. Why would we stop when Easter begins?
- During Easter time, include in your prayer area your own paschal candle and a bowl of blessed water, using it often for children to bless themselves
- Keep the Easter season fresh. It lasts for fifty days. Keep the symbols, the decorations, the flowers, the smells, and the music alive. Celebrate all feasts and all events within the great solemnity of Easter
- Gather and pray around the baptismal font in church
- Use the Sunday Scripture readings and the psalm responses during weekday prayer. They hold powerful messages and stories that need to be heard and reheard. During prayer time, the Scripture stories can be dramatized
In our faith and our liturgies, we celebrate Easter all year long. Nevertheless, these special fifty days give us an opportunity to explore its depth and meaning more intensely within the whole community and especially with the young.
Adrian Dominican Sister Janet Schaeffler is a frequent contributor to periodicals on Catholic education. She is also the associate director of the Office for Catechesis/Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
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