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AT ST. JOHN THE BELOVED we offer it at the 9:30 am Mass on Sunday. It is a weekly celebration for children who are in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. CLOW is a liturgical experience of God’s presence in the ritual proclamation of the Word-IT IS MASS. During mass, after the opening prayer, the children are called forth by the priest and then are sent forth with a trained minister for their own Liturgy of the Word in Madden Hall. The children return during the preparation of the gifts.
WHAT IS CHILDREN’S LITURGY AND WHY DO WE HAVE IT AT SJB?
The term 'Children's Liturgy of the Word' refers to the practice of children leaving the Sunday assembly during the Liturgy of the Word and gathering in the Madden Center to celebrate a separate Liturgy of the Word that is more appropriate to their level of understanding.
Why it is celebrated
In 1973, the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome issued the document Directory for Masses with Children. This document offers principles and guidelines for adapting the liturgy for children to enable them to take a more conscious and active part in liturgical celebrations.
The Directory states:
Sometimes..., if the place itself and the nature of the community permit, it will be appropriate to celebrate the liturgy of the word, including a homily, with the children in a separate, but not too distant, room. Then, before the Eucharistic Liturgy begins, the children are led to the place where the adults have meanwhile celebrated their own liturgy of the word (DMC #17).
The emphasis during the children’s liturgical experience is on ritual, not learning. The presider uses a three-step process that includes:- Step 1: We listen to God speak. The readings are adapted to the language of the child while still maintaining the integrity of the Word.
- Step 2: We reflect on the Reign of God. After drawing from the children what they heard God say to them, we share questions that invite the children to reflect on what difference God's Word makes in their life.
- Step 3: We respond to God’s Word. Finally, we explore with the children what they are going to do now that they have heard God’s Word.
What happens at a Children’s Liturgy of the Word- All gather in the main church for the gathering rite
- After the opening prayer, the deacon calls the children forward and presents the book of God's Word to the children’s minister of the Word
- The children follow their leaders to the office conference room for their celebration of the Word at their own level
- The children’s Liturgy of the Word follows the structure of the celebration by the adults: Old Testament Reading, Responsorial Psalm, New Testament, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel Proclamation, a reflection by the children’s minister of the Word, Creed, and Prayer of the Faithful
The children return to the assembly in the main church during the preparation of the gifts as together, we celebrate Eucharist around the table as one family of faith.