Thanksgiving

One mother brought her young son to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. He sat quietly, then said, "Thanks, thanks, thanks."

I love myself

Kristina's mother is expecting a new baby and her prayer was, "Thank you, God, for my Mom and Dad. Thank you, God, for my brother or sister and thank you, god, for me. I love my Mom and Dad, my brother or sister, and I love myself. Amen”

Jesus light up the sun

Beatriz, 4, sang:

Thank you for the Son of Heaven

Thank you for the Angels that sing His name.

Thank you for my little brother.

Thank you for my family. Amen

Another time, she prayed:

Lord Jesus, come back to me.

Lord Jesus, angels are watching over me.

Jesus come. Jesus come.

Jesus light up the sun.

Thanks be to God!

-->

Monique, age 4, set the Prayer Table. We then lit the candle and I asked her if there was anything she'd like to thank God for:

For kitty cats,  Thanks be to God! (raising arms in air)

For the whole wide world,  Thanks be to God!

For 160 years,  Thanks be to God!

For 60 years,  Thanks be to God!

For my whole world,  Thanks be to God!

For the Holy Spirit in heaven,  Thanks be to God!

Connecting Home and Church and the Atrium

Michael, age 8, shared his ideas for families to connect church, home, and the atrium:

1. Light a candle at dinner and think/talk about comparisons with light

and Jesus.

2. Say Grace at every meal.  Think about God's gift to us and us saying

thank you.  Think about how we can say grace always (silently at a friends

house or at school).  If you didn't say grace you wouldn't be saying thank you to

Jesus for the wonderful food.

3. For older group:  At church, listen to the words the priest is saying

and "connect all the parts together in your mind"

4. For older group:  Notice all the symbols of light in the church (ie.

Sun light shining through the window onto the cross, because that to me is

like God shining in upon us during mass. And sometimes you can even see

a shadow of Jesus from the cross within the sunrays and that is Jesus and

God together as they are together, shining down upon us.

At grace tonight we said a scripture verse together from the Good Shepherd parable. Then Julie, 7, repeated it alone, very slowly. After about four words Kevin, 3, Katie, 5, and Annie, 18 months, became completely still and quiet. When I looked up at the end Annie had folded her hands on the table for the first time.

Procession

This experience occurred in the child's home after a few months attending Atrium. Patrice, age 4, followed her mother around the house, walking closely behind her for some time. The child could not settle herself and found no interest in any activity offered to her. When asked by her mother with some frustration as to what she wanted, the child replied that she wanted a procession. Surprised, the mother retorted, "You want a procession?" The child gleefully nodded her head and said, "I want to celebrate and meditate."

With that the two of them took their family Bible and a candle, and processed around the room singing hymns. After a few songs, they reverently placed the Bible on the family prayer table, lit the candle and stood in silence.

Later, the child now content, reflected on the goodness of the Lord. She remained peaceful throughout the day.

I love God!

Today the work of the "Mystery of Life and Death" was presented.  Immediately after the presentation, Caleb, age 6, went to the art area and quietly did this work.  When he was finished, he brought this picture to me and showed me the picture, depicting the beginnings of life and the death of flowers. Caleb asked if he could share the prayer he wrote at our prayer table at the end of this session.  At prayer he joyfully announced, "I love God! I love Jesus!"

The number of people God created

One afternoon four year old Kallie came and asked me to light the candles on the altar table. Instead of requesting a song or a prayer she picked up an egg timer with pink sand in it. After watching the sand fall for a while Kallie told me, "The pink sand is like the number of people God created."