Celebrating the Liturgy of the Word with Children: Guidelines for Practice

Drawing inspiration from the Directory for Masses with Children, this user-friendly book offers guidelines for celebrating the liturgy of the word with children during Sunday Mass. It provides practical assistance to all those involved in the important ministry of planning and leading the liturgy where children are present.

Written by experts Margaret Bick, Catherine Ecker and Heather Reid under the authority of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the direction of the National Liturgy Office, this book answers real questions from parishes throughout Canada.

A practical book and formation tool
Whether you are new to or experienced at planning and leading liturgies with children, you’ll find this book to be a sensible and insightful guide. Pastors, parish teams, teachers, catechists, parents, lay presiders, lectors and others will discover here a valuable resource in preparing and leading celebrations of the word that nourish a child’s faith.

Among the practical benefits it offers are

• tips on how to prepare children for liturgy and how to involve them in the celebration
• concrete applications for the children’s participation in the liturgy of the Eucharist with the larger assembly
• suitable formation for those who plan and lead celebrations of the liturgy with children
• sound advice in the form of DOs and DON’Ts to remember when preparing a liturgy with children
• useful guidelines prepared in consultation with the Episcopal Commission for Religious Education
• fitting recommendations on how to choose music and texts
•  numerous child-friendly options
• inspiring reflection questions for liturgical ministers
• a helpful glossary giving easy-to-understand explanations of liturgical terms
• a comprehensive list of books and resources for further study

Chapter overview
The Spirituality of Children, The World of Liturgy, Liturgy and Catechesis, Language and the Vocabulary of Celebration, Liturgy as a Whole Person Event, Celebrating the Liturgical Year with Children, Answers to Essential Questions, How to Begin or Begin Again, Outline of the Sunday Liturgy of the Word with Children, Planning, Leaders of the Liturgy of the Word with Children, Music in the Liturgy of the Word with Children, The Homiletic Reflection