Your faith formation sessions can prepare students to celebrate Mass more joyfully and fruitfully. Here are some activities to help children prepare to be more fully present in liturgy by engaging their heads, hearts, hands, and voices.

Get ready to sing. Practice standard hymns in class. Identify hymns that are commonly used at church. Ask students to recall some hymns they know. Invite your parish music minister to visit your class and teach them a new hymn.

Preview the Scripture readings. Catholics all over the world are hearing the same readings—we are united in faith in a visible way. You will find reflections on the Readings throughout the year in the Praying the Scriptures lectionary resources.

Visit your parish church – in person or virtually. Have students draw a diagram of the inside of their parish church from memory. Help them include the altar, ambo, cantor stand, choir seats, statues, organ or piano. Point out that the majority of the space is filled with seats for a good reason: We, the people gathered, are Church.

Learn more about worship. The second chapter of each unit of Blest Are We Faith in Action is based on the worship pillar of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Invite students to locate the Worship chapters in their student text. Invite volunteers to name some of the chapter titles. The “Hear and Believe” portion of the second chapter of each unit focuses on Worship. Ask volunteers to name some of the focuses.

Liturgical Celebrations throughout the Year. The “Feasts and Seasons” lessons of each grade level of Blest Are We Faith in Action highlight the liturgical seasons. Ask students to recall the color of the priest’s vestments at a recent Mass. Ask students: What mood or emotion do you feel when you see the colors at church? Additional Liturgical Year lessons and activities are available on your Flourish account.

After Mass. At the final blessing, we are sent out! “Go, and proclaim the Good News!” We never leave the Gospel behind in church. We take it with us. We never leave the community behind. We leave with them. We also take the fruits of this Eucharist, which we have faithfully celebrated in memory of Jesus. Ask students: What can you do to be a witness to Jesus?

Reflecting on the Mass. Invite students to describe their experience of Mass, either in words or by drawing pictures:

• Recall how you used your five senses: what you saw; what you heard; what you touched; what you tasted; and/or what you smelled.
• What do you most remember from the Sunday readings and homily?
• How will you keep the message you heard at the heart of your life this week? What is one way you can put it into practice in your daily life?