A space to grow holy

By Jere Allen

You’ve survived the hectic beginning-of-the-year! Now it’s time to think about ways to make your classroom a holy space that will help those you teach experience God in new ways. Having a prayer space in your teaching area is the first and most important thing you can do to this end. Many catechists make the usual prayer center with a Bible, crucifix, and candle. There’s nothing wrong with this! But every month has so many wonderful feast days, why not change your prayer space to reflect these feasts. You might display a picture of a saint, or a statue if you have one. Or you can place symbols of the various saints or other objects that reflect their style of holiness on your prayer table. Then check out some of the ideas below and share these in your prayer space.

October feasts

October 1

Feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Lisieux) Teach about her “little way,” doing daily little things with great love.

 October 2

Feast of Guardian Angels

Have children name their guardian angels and learn this Guardian Angel prayer:

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side to light and guard and rule and guide. Amen.

October 4

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Make copies of an abbreviated Prayer of St. Francis to give to each child (as below). Say this prayer together and talk about its meaning.

Lord, help me to carry your
peace in my heart;
if there is hatred, let me offer love.
If others hurt me, help me
to pardon them.
If I forget about you, please give
me your gift of faith.
If there is darkness, help
me find your light.
When I am sad, remind me that
you want me to be happy.

St. Francis had a great love for birds and animals. To honor him and to ask his blessing on pets, invite children to bring their pets for a special blessing at the end of class. If they do not have a pet, they can bring a stuffed animal.

Children can find more about St. Francis at www.americancatholic.org.

October 18

St. Luke the Evangelist

Luke’s Gospel is sometimes referred to as “the Gospel of prayer and the Holy Spirit.” Have older children find examples in Luke’s Gospel of Jesus praying.

October 28

Sts. Simon and Jude

(also known as Thaddeus), Apostles

Not much is known about these two Apostles, but they are mentioned in the Bible in a few places such as: Luke 6:15–16 and Mathew 10:3–4. Invite children to make a storyboard showing how they would spend a day following Jesus as his Apostles.

Ideas for your prayer space

Place a children’s Bible on your prayer table, and when you tell or read a Bible story be sure to show the children exactly where in the “Big Bible” this came from. Have the children ask their parents/guardians if they have a Bible, and, if so, show it to them. Even better, write parents a note

asking them to read their child a story from the Bible.

* Share a Praying in Color lesson with your class. The book, written by Sybil MacBeth, can be used with children and adults of all ages. The catechist gives everyone a blank sheet of paper and lets them choose colors of pencils, crayons, and/or markers. The “prayer” then quietly draws something in the center of the paper that reminds him/ her of God. (You could also do Jesus or the Spirit). The prayer draws different things to pray about (not using words but images): personal petitions, things to be grateful for, God’s gifts, and so on.

* Match up prayer partners. If all classes meet at the same time, as in our parish (grades 1 through 5 on the same day and time) you can pair the children up with older children for special events or invite them to a prayer celebration together in your ‘holy space’ (for example: 1st graders with 4th, 2nd with 5th).

It’s such a simple thing to create a prayer space in our teaching areas, yet it can have a profound effect on those we teach. It tells them that prayer is so important in class we even have a place for it. And, in this season of saints, you can also share important life lessons with children around your prayer space. The goal is for all of us to be holier: ourselves, those we teach, and everyone whose lives we touch.

Practicing holiness

Here are a few “little ways” you, as a catechist, can offer a holy presence.

(You don’t have to wear a halo to class!)

* Smile at the children as they arrive.

* Greet each one warmly and welcome him or her by name.

* Begin class with a prayer, one the children can understand and perhaps repeat after you.

* Be patient with the difficult children and don’t have favorites.

* Teach your lesson as professionally as you can (which means it needs to be well prepared).

* Spend quality time in your prayer space in every class, so the children come to recognize it as a place to meet God and thus to grow holy.

Jere Allen

Jere Allen is the Director of Faith Formation at St. Thomas More Church in Centennial, Colorado.