P
puzzleannie
Guest
It sounds as if your pastor wants a real Children’s Liturgy for this Mass, that is, using the Children’s Lectionary, preparing them to do the readings etc. That part is great. That is what we do for our school Masses and it is positive in every way. If you can do this once a month, at least, moreover your kids will gain in a real understanding of the Mass.
now for the “pageant” part, I didn’t respond at first because I had to calm down. There is no licit way for a “pageant” in any sense of the Word to be part of the Liturgy of the Word during Mass. Period. The furthest you could stretch would be multiple proclaimers, but this Gospel does not even lend itself to that because there is no narrator plus dialogue plus narration as there is the in the Passion accounts. In any case, the proclamation of the Passion is the only time this is allowed.
During Mass your option is limited to children dressed as Mary, Joseph, shepherds etc. in the procession, taking their place in a tableau in front of the altar. Obviously only as man children for whom there is enough space. They remain quietly during Mass, kneel at for the Eucharistic prayer etc.
They have done this every year in our parish for all the Christmas eve Masses (4) with the youth doing Midnight Mass. This was the pastor’s concession to a long-standing tradition of an actual pageant, which he sees as an abuse.
Yes, kids who are carefully chosen can sit still that long. Usually their parents are the onese to make the costumes and supervise the proceedings. I have gradually moved this production out of the hands of CCD, using the excuse that the parents who initiated these things have since moved on and nobody else will volunteer (this is the truth). Personally, I think this has no place at Mass and won’t do anything actively to promote it unless I am given a direct order by the pastor.
Another alternative, if as I gather the Children’s Mass is the first of the evening, and in your diocese permission has been given for this to “count” for Christmas, would be a traditional pageant, someone hopefully a deacon proclaiming Luke’s gospel as children in costume pantomime the appropriate actions. any number of carols, religious, traditional, appropriate for the action, can be sung during this time.
This is licit, but here is the problem we have had in parishes where this is done: the whole thing, for the families with children participating, is the pageant, you have the competition for the best spot for eager relatives with camcorders and cameras, and they haul their kids home after the show. For them, Christmas liturgy is now over and they are through. The Mass itself loses relevance, immediacy and importance.
You know your parish best, if you think this won’t be a problem, go for it. but not during Mass. no, grandma can’t stomach that.
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