Attention primary catechists….that would be you parents. And I would also like the attention of DRE’s, CCE catechists, aunts, uncles, and anyone else who has a role in the faith formation of children. Have you been looking for something to help you make Mass more acessible for your children? Want something to help you teach the Gospels to your children? Have I “found” something that I think you are going to want to check out!
Hear My Voice: A Children’s Translations of Gospel Readings of the Catholic Mass for 2009
This is from the letter sent to me by the author Jonathan Stampf:
The inspiration came from the challenge of keeping our little girls occupied and behaving at Mass. We tried the glass children’s room in our church, but that was more like a day-care center than Mass. I saw parents in the pews supplying the kids with baggies of Cheerios and coloring books, and though we resorted to that once or twice, that didn’t sit right with me. I saw some parents supply their kids with bible story books or children’s prayer books: a step in the right direction, but this still left the child disconnected from the Mass. Then it occurred to me to look for children’s bible stories synchronized with the lectionary cycle. Finding none, I wrote this book, the first in a series of three.
Is he singing the song of my frustration with bringing all three of my children into full participation in the Mass or what!? Except for the part about looking for bible stories connected to the lectionary…and then of course solving the problem by writing the solution….I could have written the above paragraph.
From the preface:
The intent of this book is to help parents and educators bring Jesus’ message to children in a way that will include them more fully in the weekly Mass. This book does not try to change the gospel stories to be stylish or impose the latest slang onto them. It is a children’s English translation, for our children to understand and hear Jesus’ voice more clearly as He speaks to them in the pages of the Gospel.
The gospel reading fom each Sunday’s Mass is represented in clear, simple, and sometimes expanded text that speaks to our children without speaking down to them. The text does not soften the demands of a life of faith, or water down the sadness or joy expressed in this great story.
I really like the idea behind this book. I would have loved to be able to have a quiet gospel time with my children before Mass so that they had already “met” the gospel for the week when they heard it at Mass. The gospel for each week of the entire cycle B of the lectionary (or November 30, 2008 to November 22, 2009) is printed in adult-sized type with the simplified version of the gospel written in large child-friendly print with engaging illustrations. There is absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t like. I enthusiastically recommend it to every parent who is trying to walk with their children as they bring them into full participation at weekly Mass.
What a useful teaching tool this is! I took my galley copy with me to my RCIA class and there was an enthusiastic response from all of the parents present.
In the interest of full disclosure, if you order via the link in my sidebar (or the above link) I will be “paid” a small amount of the purchase price. I will donate any proceeds to Kiva and make a matching gift to the building of my parish’s new education building.
