_ ALTAR SERVERS
In%&"$
)"ppose yo" dont ha&e hands. ow wo"ld yo"r life be? )"rely yo" wont ha&e all these e+periences. /t is definite that yo" will be missing so many things. 0o"ll be depri&ed of so many acti&ities and e&en relationships. OPENING PR AYER AYER 1. Facilitator asks the students to be silent and assume meditative position. 2. The facilitator lead then the prayer prepared and reads the Gospel reading ( Jn. 6: 1-15 )
1o yo" thin' the child will be able to gi&e the loa&es and fishes if he was depri&ed of ha&ing hands? Can he bring his things as he come to the crowds who yearn to follow and listen to 2es"s words? e may perhaps b"t gi&en the fact that he ta'es them with s"ch diffic"lty.
INTRODUCTORY SESSION 1. Short eplanation of the meaning of recollection and the Theme! Title. 2. Schedule and "ouse #ules $. %ra&ing epectations from both sides
Ins"r&!"i'n$ #t this point, / wo"ld li'e yo" to ta'e the tr"ths abo"t o"rsel&es by loo'ing and reflecting at yo"r hands. With a ballpen3pencil3 crayon and paper, / want yo" to trace yo"r left and right hand. Right hand on the left side of the paper and the left hand on its right side.
What is a recollection? Etymologically, it is a combination of two words- RE, which means “again” and COEC!, which is to gather or p"t together.
4e caref"l in doing this. %ote that it is yo"r own hand that yo" are drawing. 5a'e s"re yo" faithf"lly follow the conto"r of yo"r hand so that, at the end, what will ha&e is tr"ly yo"r &ery own hand and not somebody else.
What do we gather together? #nything that is scattered$ anything that is not in place. %ot only things to be gathered b"t what we people do. !his is the day of recollection. #nd as s"ch, it is the day to gather, a day to collect o"rsel&es. We shall do this by loo'ing into o"r own self, into o"r own life. O"r priority concern, therefore, is o"rsel&es.
6indly get yo"r own materials and once ready, silently wor' on this. 1ont p"t any mar' on yo"r hand. %o lines. %o ring. %ot e&en a color.7"st lea&e it plain and simple. simple. (lace a star below on the hand yo" were "sing. /f yo" are right-handed, right-handed, place it on the right hand. hand. ("t it on on the left hand hand if otherwise. otherwise.
SESSION 1 Me, My Hands and I Preliinary A!"i#i"y$ (lease loo' at yo"r hands. )pend some time to ga*e at them. What comes to yo"r mind when yo" see yo"r hands? What do yo"r hands signify? What are the partic"lar e+periences being reminisced?
#nswe #nswers rs &riting' &riting' fighting fighting'' playing playing'' studying studying'' giving' giving' stealing stealing'' dra&ing' dra&ing' painting' clapping' teting' teting' praying' praying' building' building' helping' helping' greeting' greeting' hurting. hurting.
(Give them sufficient time to do this activity. fter tracing tracing their o&n hand' let them hear the eplanation for each hand.)
1o yo" 'now that each hand corresponds certain meaning?
In%&"$
!he hand yo" are "sing for yo"r wor' 8in writing, drawing, etc.9 corresponds to yo"r strengths or strong points 8whether be it attit"des, beha&io"r, s'ills, etc.9. 0o" may mar' o"tside this hand as “5y )trong (oints”.
/t may seem that writing o"r wea'nesses is easier rather than o"r strengths. /t is easier to find o"r fa"lts than lifting "p oneself. (eople may easily find a loophole for o"r mista'es rather than to affirm "s. 4"t this does not mean that e&erything is o&er. /ts too early for that.
!he hand yo" less prefer to "se8 in writing, drawing, etc.9 shows yo"r wea'nesses or wea' points 8whether be it attit"des, beha&io"r, s'ills, etc.9. yo" may mar' o"tside this hand as “5y Wea' (oints”.
oo'ing at the childs point of &iew in the :ospel of )t. 2ohn, we may ded"ce the following wea'nesses that he possessed • •
“50 WE#6 (O/%!)”
“50 )!RO%: (O/%!)”
• • • •
(ever proceed to the net instruction unless everybody understands the meaning indicated on each hand. *t &ould be a big help to ask the participants if everything is clear.) %ow inside the hand of yo"r strong points write all the strengths that yo" 'new yo" possessed. What are yo"r strong points? Where are yo" good at? What good characteristics do yo" possess? What talents and s'ills do yo" ha&e? On the other side, write all yo"r wea' points what are yo"r bad attit"des? !o yo"rself? !o others? What are yo"r fail"res?
e is too small to be recogni*ed e is wea' to p"sh himself nearer 2es"s. e is only and afraid especially when the e&ening arri&es. !he bread3 barley he had was the poorest 'ind of bread. ;i&e loa&es are little more than fi&e slices. !he two fishes are dried fish.
4"t loo'ing at his strength, the child learned one thing to )#RE the little that he has. e listened to 2es"s words and the goodness nat"rally flowed on him. )ometimes, lending the little that yo" ha&e can definitely change e&erything. !he < nd letter of )t. (a"l to the Corinthians says, “When / am wea', then / am strong.” ;or when- and only when- we are wea', that the grace of Christ comes. 1ont be afraid to recogni*e yo"r wea'nesses, :od will be the one to strengthen it. isten to 2es"s so that we can be “channels” to pass that same lo&e 2es"s ga&e in each one. MERIENDA (REA) 1. Facilitator &ill give time for snacks (1+,$- minutes)before proceeding to the net session.
!#6E %O!E 4e sincere. 4e tr"e to yo"rself$ dont be ashamed to 7ot it all down. Only yo" can see them.
SESSION * L''+ Aead, Plan Aead, (e a Sain"---
1. The facilitator &ill give enough time for the participants to fill those hands. 2. +,1- minutes &ill surely suffice to finish the activity.
Right before we finish on the first session, we ha&e identified o"r wea'nesses and strengths with the help of the pre&io"s acti&ity. !hat in identifying o"r own limitations and mista'es, we can be better persons. 4"t after recogni*ing
them, will it end in that? %o. We sho"ld stri&e to be better than before and try to be as good as new. 4"t how?
Remember the acronym, “WW21” stands for “What Wo"ld 2es"s 1o” if e was in yo"r sit"ation?
)t. ;rancis de )ales, de&ice a method that is pro&en to be a helpf"l g"ide to those who stri&e to lo&e and be better indi&id"als. !his is to oo' #head... (lan #head... 4e a )aint...
4E # )#/%!... As+ G'd "' !'nd&!" y'&rsel2 in "a" anner and res'l#ed "' d' s'--ow can / be a saint at this moment? Remember that e&ery time, we were gi&en a chance to be a saint, dont let that chance to be one. oo' ahead, (lanned ahead, and be a saint.
We 'now that :od is e&erywhere, he is omnipresent. :ods presence is eternal. /f is presence is e&erywhere, then :od is here. /f yo" belie&e it, pay attention to it, for it will affect on how we spea' and act.
SESSION 3 Prayin Hands$ My Sal&"e
!he contentio"s awareness of :od is “(R#0/%:”. !he more we become responsi&e on the 1i&ine (resence in the ordinary moments in o"r life8in school, wor', playing, watching, s"rfing the net9, the more we are praying and it affect the whole we become.
1. Facilitator narrate the Story behind the 5raying "ands by lbrecht %urer
OO6 #E#1... We loo'ed ahead at o"r daily li&es in terms of places / ha&e to go, the places / ha&e to see the things / ha&e to do. Say for eample' tomorro& is onday' &e &ake up early' pray' brush our teeth' take a bath' get dressed' go to school' listen to classes' take lunch' clean the classroom' go home' change clothes' make assignments' pray for dinner' &ash the dishes' prepare things for tomorro&' freshen up' pray before going to bed' rest. "ola/ When we consider all those things, we consider them prayerf"lly. (rayerf"l preparation of the day is .e l''+ aead "' see .a"/s 'n '&r !alendar-
4ac' in the fifteenth cent"ry, in a tiny &illage near %"remberg, li&ed a family with => children. Eighteen /n order merely to 'eep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the ho"sehold, a goldsmith by profession, wor'ed almost => ho"rs a day at his trade and any other paying chore he co"ld find in the neighborhood. 1espite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of #lbrecht 1"rer the Elder@s children had a dream. !hey both wanted to p"rs"e their talent for art, b"t they 'new f"ll well that their father wo"ld ne&er be financially able to send either of them to %"remberg to st"dy at the #cademy.
(#% #E#1... We plan then on how we are going to act in a saintly way d"ring them. )omehow loo' ahead to whate&er &ario"s e&ents on my days calendar and plan them. Plan "' 0e .' I a "e 0es" "a" I !an 0e d&rin "'se a!"i#i"ies- 0ou &ill be a&akened by your mom or you siblings early to prepare for school to prevent you from coming late. 0ou &ant to stay in bed and continue dreaming but you &ill be late if you do so. hat then &ill you do ill you say 3thank you4 to someone &ho &oke you up and greet that person &ith a smile or you &ill get angry because you &ere in the middle of your pending dream.
#fter many long disc"ssions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally wor'ed o"t a pact. !hey wo"ld toss a coin. !he loser wo"ld go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, s"pport his brother while he attended the academy. !hen, when that brother who won the toss completed his st"dies, in fo"r years, he wo"ld s"pport the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwor' or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines. !hey tossed a coin on a )"nday morning after ch"rch. #lbrecht 1"rer won the toss and went off to %"remberg. #lbert went down into the dangero"s mines and, for the ne+t fo"r years, financed his brother, whose wor' at the academy was almost an immediate
sensation. #lbrecht@s etchings, his woodc"ts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he grad"ated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned wor's. When the yo"ng artist ret"rned to his &illage, the 1"rer family held a festi&e dinner on their lawn to celebrate #lbrecht@s tri"mphant homecoming. #fter a long and memorable meal, p"nct"ated with m"sic and la"ghter, #lbrecht rose from his hono"red position at the head of the table to drin' a toast to his belo&ed brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled #lbrecht to f"lfil his ambition. is closing words were, A#nd now, #lbert, blessed brother of mine, now it is yo"r t"rn. %ow yo" can go to %"remberg to p"rs"e yo"r dream, and / will ta'e care of yo".A #ll heads t"rned in eager e+pectation to the far end of the table where #lbert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, sha'ing his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, o&er and o&er, A%o...no...no...no.A ;inally, #lbert rose and wiped the tears from his chee's. e glanced down the long table at the faces he lo&ed, and then, holding his hands close to his right chee', he said softly, A%o, brother. / cannot go to %"remberg. /t is too late for me. oo' ... loo' what fo"r years in the mines ha&e done to my hands !he bones in e&ery finger ha&e been smashed at least once, and lately / ha&e been s"ffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that / cannot e&en hold a glass to ret"rn yo"r toast, m"ch less ma'e delicate lines on parchment or can&as with a pen or a br"sh. %o, brother... for me it is too late.A 5ore than BD years ha&e passed. 4y now, #lbrecht 1"rer@s h"ndreds of masterf"l portraits, pen and sil&er-point s'etches, watercolo"rs, charcoals, woodc"ts, and copper engra&ings hang in e&ery great m"se"m in the world, b"t the odds are great that yo", li'e most people, are familiar with only one of #lbrecht 1"rer@s wor's. 5ore than merely being familiar with it, yo" &ery well may ha&e a reprod"ction hanging in yo"r home or office. One day, to pay homage to #lbert for all that he had sacrificed, #lbrecht 1"rer painsta'ingly drew his brother@s ab"sed hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched s'yward. e called his powerf"l drawing simply
Aands,A b"t the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his trib"te of lo&e A!he (raying ands.A !he ne+t time yo" see a copy of that to"ching creation, ta'e a second loo'. et it be yo"r reminder, if yo" still need one, that no one no one - e&er ma'es it alone /n altar ser&ing, this act of o"r hands, i.e. (rayer position3 (raying ands is o"r sal"te to :od. We ma'e both hands together, right th"mb o&er left. 4"t why hands in prayer position? =. /m not fidgeting. :i&es "s somewhere we can foc"s o"r hand either standing or 'neeling d"ring the 5ass. /f /m not holding anything, my hands is in prayer position. <. (ointing to someone means yo" are paying attention to them. “0o" 0es yo" /m tal'ing to yo"” /n prayer position, o"r hearts is near to o"r hands which is praying- meaning we are lifting o"r heart and mind to :od. (eople get distracted or e&en we o"r self. !his will let them see that we are directing o"r hearts and mind to whom we sho"ld be facing- :od. F.#nother post"re we do with o"r hands, is that when we are sitting, we are sitting straight not leaning o"r bac' to the pew, hands palms down on yo"r 'nees. We are in the celebration. # banG"et, where 2es"s is the 6ing. )o, we sho"ld sit li'e a 'ing for we are in the presence of o"r 'ing. (alms facing forward which reminds "s on whats going on. !his also implies Re&erence. 4y being a re&erent altar ser&er, we directly impact the disposition of others in the pew. !he great tragedy d"ring the mass is when the people attending the mass noticed that =. #ltar ser&ing dont want to be there. <. 0o" dont 'now whats going on or what are yo" doing F. 0o" are (art of a show 7"st to loo' c"te. “W#! 0OH 1O /5(#C!) O!ER (EO(E.” ;raternal Correction$ we are h"man$ we are wea', no not e&en perfect. 4"t we ha&e the responsibility to remind other #ltar )er&er if their hand is down
or on their poc'et. :i&ing a little elbow and a little bit of correction will do. We all forget and thats o' ca"se we 'now we ha&e a brother or sister to remind "s. 0o" will be the role model of the new ser&ers someday.
earn !E ;/IE ;/%:ER (R#0ER !H54. 0o"r th"mb is the closest to yo". (ray for those closest to yo", yo"r lo&ed ones. E+. 5om, 1ad, :randmother, :randfather. Who will yo" pray for?
Where sho"ld yo"r eyes be? )ho"ld be directed at the altar. /f yo" dont 'now where to loo', loo' at the priest or the altar. O"r body impacts other disposition. B. !he way yo" dress. !hey say that it doesnt matter what yo" dress in the ch"rch which is tr"e. 0es, it matters that yo" are at mass. 4"t if the mass is important, dress li'e its important, 8blac' shoes, blac' soc's, white dress9. Remember, “W#! 0OH 1O /5(#C!) O!ER (EO(E.” 4"t sometimes priests may not be as re&erent as yo" li'e, they may be distracted or their attention is somewhere else. 0o" cant 7"dge them b"t yo" can do something. #nd what is that? 0o" yo"rself can be re&erent. 4eing a re&erent #ltar )er&er will impact e&eryone e&en the priest or deacon or lay ministers. !hey will wonder why yo" are re&erent and then the oly )pirit will wor' on them saying, “ca"se this is important.” !hey will then start to reflect on their action. !he point is yo" dont loo' c"te b"t rather yo" assist in gi&ing re&erence and adoration. ;raternal correction and being a reminder of re&erence is the concrete sigh that, “%o one- no one can ma'e it alone”. !his is incontestable. %o one can deny it. On the moment of o"r conception, others ha&e already played an important role in o"r life. Witho"t them, we wo"ld not ha&e s"r&i&ed. O"r life is in their hands for the moment. !hat it why, it is b"t good to pay bac' the trib"te to them in o"r simple act of “(rayer” for them. Will yo"? Ins"r&!"i'n$ 0o"re going to "se another paper for this acti&ity. #gain by the "se of yo" ballpen, pencil or crayons trace yo"r hand.
(O/%!ER. !he pointer finger reminds "s of those who instr"ct. (ray for those who teach, instr"ct and heal. E+. !eachers, doctors, priests. Who will yo" pray for? !#E)!. !he tallest fingers reminds "s of o"r leaders, those who are in charge. (ray for the important leaders in yo"r life. E+. (resident, officers, principals. Who will yo" pray for? R/%:. 1id yo" 'now that the ring finger is the wea'est finger? (ray for those who are wea', poor, in tro"ble or sic'. Who will yo" pray for? (/%60. !he pin'y is the smallest finger. (ray for yo"r needs last sho"ld be more abo"t others. (rayers were mostly granted by :od if it is intended for others. Who will yo" pray for? (#5. :i&e than's for all the blessings yo" ha&e been gi&en. What are yo" than'f"l for? 2. The participants &ill no& be given a time to pray for the people they &ant to pray for. *n case they ask to &ork inside the session hall never restrict them. llo& them to choose their o&n place as long as they maintain the atmosphere of silence. $. the bell &ill be rung after&ards' sign that all shall be gathered inside the session hall for further announcements. LUCNH (REA)-
(ait for all to finish their dra&ing before moving on to the net instruction.)
1. Facilitator &ill give time for 678" (1 "97#)before proceeding to the net session.
ICE (REA)ER Te Ca% S'n
<. WERE are they in the ch"rch? F. OW to ser&e well?
0o" will need a cap for this acti&ity. E&eryone will loo' for his 3her own partner. !hey will be facing each other with the rest of other partners forming a straight line. # cap will be place on the first person on the line. !a'e %ote the one wearing the cap cannot place the cap on his head to the person ne+t to him b"t instead it will be his3her partners tas'ed to do so. While the cap was mo&ing from one partner to another, a cheerf"l song can be played. When the song stops, the partner who last wearing the cap will be o"t of the game. !ry this "ntil only one partners will be left. !he last partners will be claimed as the winner.
5HAT7
SESSION 4 THE 5AYS O6 ALTAR SERVERS-
Hpon entering the ch"rch of )t. Iincent ;errer (arish, yo" are no longer 7"st a typical yo"ngster who will attend the 5ass. Rather, yo" are called among the yo"ths3 children of the )t. Iincent ;errer parish to ser&e in the altar of :od. !o be an #ltar )er&er is a pri&ileged$ an hono"r$ a great gift to be near on the sacrifice of Christ and the fr"it of is sacrifice- “EHC#R/)!”. !han' 0o" for saying “0E)” to is call. Once a great man said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. 4eing an altar ser&er is a great power and a responsibility. What are those responsibilities? =. W#! are the things in the ch"rch?
/t is a gi&en fact that e&eryone who goes formation already 'now the things in the mass b"t it is also a good thing to loo' bac' once more on the things being prepared in the oly 4anG"et. C/4OR/#. /t hold the host that become the body of 2es"s Christ . it is made of precio"s metal, sil&er or gold beca"se the E"charis is the most precio"s of all things. !a'e care to handle well. C#/CE). old the most precio"s blood of Christ change from wine. (HR/;/C#!OR). Hse to 'eep clean the ciboria3chalices. /t p"rifies the sacred &essels and often ha&e a cross which shows the power of Christs Cr"cifi+ion. CRHE!). olds the water and the wine which symboli*es the 4lood and water of 2es"s Christ as the (riest or 1eacon "tter the secret prayer “4y the mystery of this water in wine, may we come to share in the di&inity of Christ, who h"mbled himself to share in o"r h"manity.” !he priest or the deacon is re"niting what was separated when the spear pierced the side of Christ, where the blood and water flows o"t. #%1!OWE (/!CER, 4#)/%. Hsed by the priest as he prays,” Wash me O ord in my iniG"ities and cleanse me from my sins” #)(ER:E/H5. Hsed to bless people with holy water. )ometimes it loo' li'es a metal microphone. !he water in the bowl is holy water, so it m"st be ta'en care of. EC!/O%#R0. as all the readings of the 5ass celebration.