Preparing for Easter at Home as a Family Listening to God with Children during Holy Week As a family, we can prepare spiritually and physically by listening to and reflecting upon the Word of God together with our children. Most interestingly, without the sacraments - the bread and wine - we contemplate on the Word of God, discovering more earnestly how God comes to be with us through the Word. To enter more deeply into Easter preparation, we transport ourselves to the historical place and time of the Paschal Mystery, before bringing our focus on the Holy Triduum. Biblical Geography: The Land of Israel City of Jerusalem. The children in the Material at Home. Find a physical map from a Atrium are initiated into the geography of biblical atlas or a virtual map of Israel online. Israel, focusing on its principal cities. During Lent, we deep-dive into the city of The Holy Land Model of Jerusalem (official site) Jerusalem and important places that tell or see a video overview here. This is a 1:50 us about Jesus' final days on earth with three-dimensional scale model of the city of His disciples. Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period. City of Jerusalem Map You may print this for the children to colour in and refer to while reading scripture. After looking at how the city was laid out, with its walls and its grand Temple, we then name and look more closely at the places where Jesus walked, giving children only a brief description. We focus on the location of: (1) the Cenacle, (2) the house of Caiaphas, (3) the Antonia Tower, (4) the Garden of Olives, (5) Calvary and (6) the tomb of the resurrection (RPC1, p. 114). Model of the City of Jerusalem 66AD, close Such orientation prepares children to listen to to Jesus' time, the lower city in photo. scripture readings relating to Jesus’ final days on earth, but most importantly, impresses upon the child the historical reality of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Easter Triduum The Easter Triduum begins with the Vigil of Holy Thursday. It marks the end of the forty days of Lent and the beginning of the three-day celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil leading into Easter Sunday. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council reminded us of the extraordinary significance of the Triduum: "Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through His paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life. Therefore the Easter Triduum of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year." (General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, # 18. www.catholic.org) Holy Thursday Good Friday The Last Supper is foundational to the Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Paschal Mystery, to the mystery of Christ Himself, as well as to the mystery of the The time when we come to speak of Christ’s Eucharistic presence. Because it is among the death and resurrection is the moment when greatest mysteries of our faith, it should be the Good Shepherd parable is rooted in offered to young children [JJ, p. 81]. history. The proclamation of the death of Christ should never be disjoined from the The Cenacle announcement of His resurrection (RPC1, p. 115). In the Atrium, especially that of the We read principally Mark 14:12-17, 22-24. Our youngest child, the proclamation “Christ has emphasis is on Jesus' will to remain with men died” is always followed immediately with of all times, not just with His apostles at that “and Christ is risen.” Last Supper. He expresses this in the words: “Take and eat. This is my body.” We then Very often, the accent is applied to Jesus' preview the events leading up to Easter, death, giving it greater vividness than the simply by solemnly narrating that the very next resurrection. Yet the most disturbing day, Jesus died on the cross (at this point, you proclamation is exactly this: Jesus' death is may point to, or place a crucifix, on your followed by renewed and eternal life. His life altar). Immediately after, we proclaim that on is stronger than death! As such in the Atrium, the third day, on Easter morning, Jesus rose we avoid long accounts of the passion to from the dead (light a candle on the altar). balance its length with the account of resurrection (RPC1, p. 115). Material at Home: We invite the children to see and hear what happened in the Cenacle, When we read about Jesus’ passion and or the upper room, by having a classic image death, Sofia Cavalletti finds that the record in of Last Supper at their eye-level (such as Luke 23:33-49 provides children with the Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper below). most striking contrasts between His supreme You may leave a printed image on your prayer humiliation and kingship. John 19:17-30 also table for the children to enjoy. offers us the opportunity of pointing out the presence of the pagans (the soldiers) and Jews (the Mother of God, and John), emphasising the universality of the event (RPC1, p. 115). Easter Vigil The Empty Tomb Children's Meditation and Response A preferred text is Mark 16:1-8a (JJ, p. 84), Young children may be interested in copying proclaiming to children that Jesus has Jesus’ words onto a card. Or draw a picture of conquered death, and His victory will become the Last Supper, allowing themselves to enter ours too! In speaking about the Resurrection into the scene. You may also want to stir with children, we are invited to make the wonder, “Where may we have heard these words of Isaiah 40:9 our own: to go up to a “high mountain” so that as many people as words before?” and simply allow the children possible can rejoice in hearing the good news to make the discovery and connection by that “Christ is Risen!” (JJ, p. 84). themselves. Celebrating with the Children: Liturgy of the Light at Home The Paschal events adapt themselves especially to be lived by the children in more structured celebrations and so children can be directly initiated into the Liturgy of the Church. Join our Archdiocese's online celebration of the Liturgy of the Light in which the whole family can participate together. Involve the children in changing the altar cloth to white. Perhaps make an "Alleluia" prayer card and paper flowers to adorn the prayer area. Encourage their joyful singing during mass. In the Atrium, children are called by name to receive a tea light lit from the Paschal Candle, with the blessing, "Receive the light of Christ!" You can also do something similar at home. Children’s “Work”: Reflection and Work as Prayerful Responses We encourage letting children encounter Jesus in prayer. This can be as simple as lighting a candle and letting the child sit quietly with it, perhaps while we solemnly proclaim from the Bible, then letting the child snuff the candle once the child is ready. If you have family prayer time, think of someone you are thankful for, or someone whom you think needs Jesus. We remember that silence is a precondition to, and in itself, prayer, so allow them to sit in silent enjoyment of the light and the Word and Liturgy, for as long as they wish. During this difficult time, we remind our children of God’s boundless love: that Jesus is our Light and He is with us always. You may already be familiar with what your children enjoy doing in the Atrium. Some works would be copying or tracing songs and prayer cards, pasting paper mosaics using the liturgical colours, or colouring biblical images. We encourage you to continue letting them do these. Additionally, you can listen to a compilation of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd songs and sing along with your children. We wish you a blessed and prayerful Holy Week, filled with creative love and tenderness in your homes. Bibliography Cavalletti, S. (1992). "The Historical Events in the Life of Jesus Christ". In The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children. Chicago, IL: Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. Cavalletti, S. (2014). "Celebrating Life in Christ: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost". In The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey (Revised and Updated). Chicago, IL: Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications..