Helpful resources and ideas to celebrate the Eucharistic celebration in a more engaging and participative way.
Ages
- Primary Years
- Middle Years
- Secondary Years
- Post-Secondary Years
Preparations before the Mass Celebration
The Catholics pray through various methods but especially through the Eucharistic Celebration, the Holy Mass. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of Saint Paul, one finds a description of how the first Catholic communities used to celebrate the Holy Mass. In Rome, the first Catholics celebrated mass in the catacombs using the tombs of the martyrs as altars. Through this method, they celebrated a remembrance of Jesus Christ on the cross and his Resurrection. The Holy Eucharist is a celebration through which we continue to live the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles before his Body and Blood were given up to us and said: “Do this in memory of me.”
More about Holy Mass from BeKids website
Underneath, you may find a Powerpoint presentation of the Mass Celebration Rite, including the second Eucharistic prayer for children in a dyslexic-friendly manner.
Before choosing the hymns for the Eucharistic Celebration, it is better to read the guidelines on how to select the hymns for the different parts of the mass celebration from this website IKTUS
These resources can inspire you to choose a theme for Holy Mass. They include prayers, reflections and appropriate readings.
 Ħallu t-Tfal Jiġu GħandiF’dil-paġna diversi temi għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-Quddiesa. Kull tema għandha qari relatat u diversi minnhom huma fi stil djalogat. Ibda għalhekk mill-bżonnijiet tal-komunità u għażel it-tema li tixtieq tippreżenta. |
 Sejjaħtilkom ĦbiebDawn ir-riżorsi huma maħluqa biex jkunu ta’ għajnuna għat-tfal biex jifmu u għalhekk jieħdu sehem aħjar fil-quddiesa. Hu importanti ħafna li t-tfal jifhmu dak li qegħdin jagħmlu – jagħrfu li bis-sehem tagħhom fil-quddiesa jkunu qegħdin ifaħħru ‘l Alla. |
During the Holy Mass
Before the mass starts, the animator helps the students to spend some time in silence. One can guide and explain to the students to sit down with their back straight, breathing in and breathing out for one minute in silence.
Another way to help the students calm down is by rehearsing the hymns sung during the Eucharistic Celebration.
During this moment, the priest helps the students and educators to recognize that they are together as a community and to prepare themselves to listen to the Word of God.
The Penitential Act
- A song that relates to forgiveness can be sung and animated (a leader leads the students)
- A role-play or mime conveys how good it is to forgive.
- Images of situations, such as children fighting, someone feeling angry, someone playing on the tablet, and a mum calling the child, and the child disregards. A student shows the images while another one says a related prayer.
The Reading and Gospel Readings
Essentiality to the quality of the proclamation and explanation of the Word of God must be given while the Gospel is always read. The readings must be proclaimed clearly, convincing and not in a hurry. It has to be an experience that helps the participants grow spiritually, so the Word of God must be adapted for the children and adolescents.
Readings
- Readings can be read in the form of a dialogue between three to five students according to the personalities in the readings/there will also be a narrator.
Responsorial Psalm
- If the Psalm is included, the responsorial psalm can be sung
Gospel
- The Gospel can be performed as a role-play or mime while being read by the priest.
Homily
- After the Gospel, the priest invites the children to stay in a minute of silence, recalling the story they listened to in the Gospel.
- The priest can call the children to go near him on the altar. He asks them questions about the Gospel and makes up a small discussion.
- Beforehand, with their educators/parents/guardians, children prepare a craft or drawing related to the Gospel, which they bring to the Holy Mass and explain their projects.
- Explore the personalities in the Gospel – Who are they?
- Mention and explain objects mentioned in the Gospel.
Liturgical Readings adapted for children
| Monday | PPT Presentation  |
| Tuesday | PPT Presentation |
| Wednesday | PPT Presentation |
| Thursday | PPT Presentation |
| Friday | PPT Presentation |
| Saturday | PPT Presentation |
Liturgical Readings adapted for children
| Monday | PPT Presentation |
| Tuesday | PPT Presentation |
| Wednesday | PPT Presentation |
| Thursday | PPT Presentation |
| Friday | PPT Presentation |
| Saturday | PPT Presentation |
Qari tal-Kelma t’Alla addattat għat-tfal
| Monday | PPT Presentation |
| Tuesday | PPT Presentation |
| Wednesday | PPT Presentation |
| Thursday | PPT Presentation |
| Friday | PPT Presentation |
| Saturday | PPT Presentation |
Powerpoint Presentations
Liturgical Readings adapted for children
| Monday | PPT Presentation |
| Tuesday | PPT Presentation |
| Wednesday | PPT Presentation |
| Thursday | PPT Presentation |
| Friday | PPT Presentation |
| Saturday | PPT Presentation |
Online daily readings can be found here Laikos.org
Prayers of the Faithful
- Students prepare the prayers before the mass celebration.
- Prayers can be spontaneous.
- A ballot with the students’ names, and students will pray for that person whose name was picked up.
- Before the mass celebration, categories of people or diverse situations are written to pray for them. Before the prayers of the faithful, these papers are distributed to the students. A few quiet times to write the prayers, and then the students will place the prayers in a cane basket. The prayers will be part of the offerings and the bread and wine, and a few are read.
- While the prayers are read, ex, the prayer for the Pope, an image of the Pope is shown. Students will be in twos for every prayer.
Offertory
Together with the Bread and wine, other objects related to the liturgical time the mass is celebrated, can be added. Some examples:
Opening of the Scholastic Year – school bag, uniform, books, pocket, colours etc.,
On Souls’ Day – Holy images of different saints will then be distributed to the students.
Advent – an empty manger, a heart (representing the hearts of the students and educators preparing their hearts for Baby Jesus), the Advent Wreath, an image of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem, or maybe two children. representing Mary and Joseph, offer themselves, and the priest blesses them.
Christmas – Baby Jesus and cribs, small Baby Jesus statues to be distributed to the students. For middle and secondary students, a bauble with a phrase from the Christmas story can be distributed.
Lent – the crown of thorns, nails, cross, I.N.R.I., Veronica’s handkerchief, a water basin with water to represent the water the Pilot washed his hands in, a soldier’s helmet.
Images of personalities of Jesus’ passion.
Easter – figolla, egg, image or craft of a chick coming out of an egg and a butterfly, two students in a happy mood together (representing life)
A thanksgiving mass for the scholastic year – students’ work that the students carried out during the scholastic year, images of various activities that took place, and objects that relate to rest and Summer.
During the offertory time, students can equip the altar with a white tablecloth, candles, flowers, and other objects. The altar must remain simple. Together with the Bread and wine, other objects related to the liturgical time the mass is celebrated can be added.
Eucharistic Prayer
The priest chooses the most suitable prayer for his community, especially of if the mass is celebrated for children and adolescents.
Before the preface, the priest invites the community to think about a situation, persons or anything they would like to thank God for.
Consecration Rite
The priests give the students a few seconds until they kneel or keep standing, according to where the mass occurs. A few seconds of silence help the community to focus before the priest prays the consecration prayer.
After the consecration, if a song is going to be used, its words must be close to one of these prayers:
Either:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Or:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
Or:
Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
Sign of Peace Rite
Singing a hymn related to peace, the children offer Christ’s peace to each other with a handshake. Students offer peace to the students on their same bench. Many students offer peace to the priest, the Head of school/SLT, and some teachers.
Communion
Prayer After Communion
- Can be recited by three students and is prepared beforehand.
- Spontaneous – the priest goes down near the students and asks them: “For what would you like to say thank you to God?”
- Singing a thanksgiving hymn
- Students read a thanksgiving prayer together in their place.
- Students pray one of the traditional Catholic prayers – Lord, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace of St Francis, Soul of Christ or even a psalm.
In the final blessing, the priest sends us and invites us to continue living in the peace of Christ.
Before praying after communion, the priest invites the students to think about a decision or action they will take to live the message they received during the Eucharistic celebration.
Further Resources
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