LEARNING ABOUT LITURGY Catechesis for Children and Their Families Dorothy Kosinski Carola Paper, $37.95 192 pages, 8½" × 11" ISBN 0-89390-497-X View Table of Contents View Excerpt Quantity:

Here is an easy-to-use program that helps you teach children about the Mass — and catechize the rest of the family at the same time! You get everything you need to complete 17 hour-long sessions for a group of 9- to 12-year-olds: a complete leader’s guide, session plans and attractive illustrated family handout masters. Use it as the basis for a year-long catechesis or pick and choose sessions as needed. This is also a terrific program for catechizing your children’s choir or a group of altar servers.

Review

“Word and sacrament is what God uses to shape a people who shape a world. This transforming power needs to be taught through substantive catechesis and experienced through prayerful liturgy. Learning about Liturgy accomplishes these goals by integrating into one process the dynamics of catechetics and liturgy.”
— Msgr. William J. Koplik, author of We Celebrate Baptism and We Celebrate Confirmation.

About the Author

Dorothy Kosinski Carola has held various positions in liturgy and catechesis, often simultaneously, for almost 20 years. Before getting into parish work, she taught religion and chaired the religion department at a Catholic high school. Currently, she is coordinator for liturgy and music director at Holy Trinity Parish in Hackensack, N.J. She graduated from Fordham University with degrees in religious studies and psychology and went on to receive an advanced degree in religious education from the same school. She has also written Learning about Liturgical Seasons (Resource Publications, Inc.)

Table of Contents

Introduction: How to Use This Book

Intended Audience
Possible Ways To Use Learning about Liturgy
How to Schedule These Lessons
Using the After-Mass Worksheet
Tips for Parish Catechetical Leaders
Tips for All Catechists
Tips for Parent-Catechists

Part 1: Master Copies of Lesson Handouts

Lesson 1—What Is Liturgy? #1

Lesson 2—What is Liturgy? #2

Lesson 3—Introductory Rites

Lesson 4—The Liturgy of the Word: Overview

Lesson 5—Liturgy of the Word: First Reading

Lesson 6—Liturgy of the Word: Psalm

Lesson 7—Liturgy of the Word: Second Reading

Lesson 8—Liturgy of the Word: Gospel

Lesson 9—Liturgy of the Word: Homily, Creed, Prayer of the Faithful

Lesson 10—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Overview of Meal and Sacrifice

Lesson 11—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Giving Thanks

Lesson 12—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Remembering and Ritual

Lesson 13—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Remembering and Making Present

Lesson 14—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Real Presence

Lesson 15—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Looking Forward

Lesson 16—Concluding Rite

Lesson 17—Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest

Part 2: Lesson Plans

Lesson 1—What Is Liturgy? #1

Lesson Plan 2—What is Liturgy? #2

Lesson Plan 3—Introductory Rites

Lesson Plan 4—The Liturgy of the Word: Overview

Lesson Plan 5—Liturgy of the Word: First Reading

Lesson Plan 6—Liturgy of the Word: Psalm

Lesson Plan 7—Liturgy of the Word: Second Reading

Lesson Plan 8—Liturgy of the Word: Gospel

Lesson Plan 9—Liturgy of the Word: Homily, Creed, and Prayer of the Faithful

Lesson Plan 10—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Overview of Meal and Sacrifice

Lesson Plan 11—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Giving Thanks

Lesson Plan 12—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Ritual and Remembering

Lesson Plan 13—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Remembering and Making Present

Lesson Plan 14—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Real Presence

Lesson Plan 15—Liturgy of the Eucharist: Looking Forward

Lesson Plan 16—Concluding Rite

Lesson Plan 17—Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest

Appendix—After-Mass Work Sheet

Following is an excerpt from Learning about Liturgy. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2001, Resource Publications, Inc.

Lesson 1—What Is Liturgy?

“Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”
(Jer 18:6)

Our Lives

Alyssa and Cassie were fascinated as they watched the potter working at her wheel. The lump of wet clay seemed to turn into a lovely vase as if by magic. But it wasn’t really magic. It was the constant turning of the wheel and the skilled, experienced, loving hands of the potter. She knew exactly how to place her hands around the clay. She could shape it just the way she wanted. If it didn’t look right to her, she could start over. If the clay wasn’t centered and it flew off the wheel, she could put it back together. Her studio was filled with many kinds of clay creations — bowls, cups, plates, and vases. Each one was unique and each one was beautiful.

Have you ever seen a potter at work? A potter is someone who makes things out of clay by turning the clay on a pottery wheel. The potter carefully centers the clay on the wheel. As the wheel turns around and around, the potter shapes and molds the clay. The potter turns each lump of clay into something beautiful and useful.

Our Liturgy

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter, and we are like the potter’s clay. God is always active in our lives, shaping us into God’s people. God’s skilled, loving hands are molding the clay of our lives, forming us into beautiful and useful vessels.

For Catholics, the eucharistic liturgy (Mass) is the most important way God is active in our lives. By regularly attending Mass, God shapes and forms us into the church. Week after week, we come to be shaped by the Potter God. The liturgy, then, is like God’s pottery wheel. It is the tool God uses to help form us as God’s people.

At Mass, we hear the Scriptures — the stories of how God saves us. We hear Jesus tell us that the Kingdom of God has already begun, and that we can live it now. We pray and sing. We remember Jesus’ saving death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. In all these ways, God is molding us. God is forming us. God is shaping us. We are becoming beautiful earthen vessels — we are becoming Kingdom people!

Something to Know

Liturgy is the public prayer of the church. The eucharistic liturgy is also called “Mass.” The word “Mass” comes from “dismissal,” which means “going forth.”

Living Our Liturgy

A lump of clay gets dry and hard if it is left out too long. The same thing can happen to us when we leave ourselves out of Mass. Spiritually, we dry out. It can be much harder for the Potter God to mold us! We need to be at Mass every week so that our faith stays fresh. That way, we continue to become the kingdom people God wants us to be.

When we let God mold and shape us, we can live God’s way better the rest of the week.

Something To Do

In the space below, write a letter to a friend explaining why it would be a good idea to go to Mass this weekend.

In the space below, list three things you do to live the way God wants you to live. (Hint: Do this without naming any “church-y” things like prayers, C.C.D., communion, going to Mass.)