Play Mass Kit

[FrCorey]

do you think your little boy would like to be a priest when he grows up? here is where you can get play mass items.
stores.catholicmontessori.com/Categories.bok?category=Miniature+Mass+Kit

 

[mommyof4]

Ohhh… only $225.00? Man, he’d better become a priest if I forked out that kind of money!

 

[Gertabelle]

Last time we had potato chips in the house (sometime over the summer) my son kept coming up to me with a chip and saying, “body of Christ.” It was a great improvement from a year earlier when he offered me and all his toys the “body of priest.” Yes, we had a conversation about how a potato chip wasn’t really the same as the Eucharist. “I know. I’m just pretending.”

Any parent will tell you that no child needs a costly set of items to play pretend anything. They’ll find some mundane object, get reminded of something, and just start playing.

Gert

 

[chicago]

What marketing!

This complete Miniature Mass Kit contains a large velvet lined wooden box with pull-out drawer that doubles as an altar, ornate brass, chalice, ornate brass ciborium with cover, ornate brass standing crucifix, white embroidered altar linens, paten candle snuffer, glass and ornate brass sanctuary light with 10 hour candle, set of 2 glass candle holders with 10 hour candles, glass set of finger bowl and 2 cruets, ornate brass sacramentary stand, large wooden sacramentary model, wooden lectionary stand, large wooden lectionary model.

That isn’t a “+Miniature Mass Kit for Children”, it’s a portable Mass kit for real priests! What parent would let their child play with materials of that sort, anyway?

 

[Deist]

My kid would love it but it’s pricey.
He has lot’s of religious items in his room, he is very spiritual.
But I would go maybe 50 bucks at the most.

 

[puzzleannie]

many Catholic textbook publishers do distribute a play Mass kit for use in the classroom, but you can make your own as we have from items at the dollar store. I am asking a winter Texan to dress Ken in clerical garb and vestments, and her husband will be making an altar and tabernacle to scale. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd resources have plans to make such kits, and more good learning tools.

 

[Pious_Mat]

I don’t know if I agree that this it is quite appropriate for a child to play Mass. For me, it seems to lessen the sanctity of the Mass as a whole.

In my opinion, if a young man really likes that sort of thing, find a good parish, and have him enlist as an altar boy. This is especially good in an EF parish, since 1) The complex role of the altar server in the EF gives the little fellow a greater sense of being active and possibly having vocation and 2) I know for a fact that most could use more altar boys.

 

[Servulus]

I don’t know if I agree that this it is quite appropriate for a child to play Mass. For me, it seems to lessen the sanctity of the Mass as a whole.

In my opinion, if a young man really likes that sort of thing, find a good parish, and have him enlist as an altar boy. This is especially good in an EF parish, since 1) The complex role of the altar server in the EF gives the little fellow a greater sense of being active and possibly having vocation and 2) I know for a fact that most could use more altar boys.

It could work the other way, too…

A midwestern Mom and Dad were raising 15 children. Among their many activities, the youngsters would often “play Mass”. Using common items from around the house (card table, table cloth, handkerchief “corporal”, wine glass "chalice, “vestments” made from old bedspreads, etc.), they would faithfully pretend the words, postures, and gestures they had seen so often. There was never a “lesson plan” or lecture associated with it. (Mom and Dad knew and approved, but the kids did it on their own.) Even so, the younger siblings - by participating - learned about proper behavior at Mass and began to learn the prayers they’d say when they were old enough to attend. All seven of the boys became altar servers at their parish and at least two of them, as adults, still perform that function occasionally.

Years later, when both Mom and Dad were homebound due to advanced age and terminal illnesses, there were some touching and grace-filled moments in that house when their oldest son, now a priest, would genuinely offer the Holy Sacrifice on a card table very much like the one he’d used so many years before.

 

[kentuckyliz]

Yeah, I’ve had qualms about adults initiating catechesis of things related to Mass using real or imitation objects. It seems kinda desacralizing. That seems different than kids spontaneously playing Mass with things in their environment.

My sibs are in non-Catholic sacramental churches and there seems to be a very casual attitude towards the holy things, including the holiest…they throw out the extra bread and pour the extra wine down the sink…after Communion. I guess that’s not a problem if you don’t believe in the Real Presence. Or the projected Presence. (It’s only Jesus if I believe it is, and for only how ever long I’m paying attention…but not objectively…just from my power, not God’s…)

Don’t priests do Kid’s Masses to catechize about the Mass and everything in it?

 

[FrCorey]

I don’t know if I agree that this it is quite appropriate for a child to play Mass. For me, it seems to lessen the sanctity of the Mass as a whole.

In my opinion, if a young man really likes that sort of thing, find a good parish, and have him enlist as an altar boy. This is especially good in an EF parish, since 1) The complex role of the altar server in the EF gives the little fellow a greater sense of being active and possibly having vocation and 2) I know for a fact that most could use more altar boys.

well, God knows when it’s play and when it’s not.
How do you think priests practise? God knows when we are learning and when we are worshiping him.

 

[blessedstar]

well, God knows when it’s play and when it’s not.
How do you think priests practise? God knows when we are learning and when we are worshiping him.

Yes, very true. My brother and I used to play Mass when we were children, we’d play Mass with crisps and pop. We’d even give each other a crisp and say ‘the Body of Christ’ this might sound all wrong if we don’t understand that children learn through play. It was all done in the innocence of being a child.

We love Jesus we weren’t about doing anything wrong, we were understanding the world around us through play, which is what play is all about.

Priests practise. We had a Deacon fresh from seminary in our Church. I was in the Church hall for a meeting and popped out for a second to take a call and found him with the incense burner practising behind a screen in the main hall. He was embarrassed I’d caught him practising so I laughed and said ‘Good effort, but you want to see Fr ‘X’ for that, he has a bit of an impressive ‘tilt and swing’ you know!’ He fell about laughing and showed me a few of his newly gained moves with the incense burner saying ‘well what do you think about this!’ . He’s now ordained and a wonderful Priest and we all sorely miss him. It was a great pleasure to finally call him ‘Father’ and receive his first blessing.

A child playing Mass is making sense of Mass and their faith and/or may have a calling to the Priesthood or Religious life.

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[Red_Meg]

My oldest “said Mass” once when he was about eighteen months old. It was unbelievable, the amount of detail he was aware of. He set up a little “altar” on a trunk in my room, spreading his blankie over it, then placed a celtic cross on it standing up. He put his bottle of milk at the other end, on a window ledge, then retrieved it for the “offertory,” brought it around to the “altar” like one of the congregation, then took over as the priest and held it up for “consecration.” He then brought it over to me and offered me a sip.

   If anyone has ever wondered if it's "worth the trouble" to bring the little ones to Mass, I think it is...  :thumbsup:

Margaret

 

[Beautiful]

I have play Mass kit I’d like to give to my Godson as he prepares for his first Holy Communion.
Does anyone think my priest would refuse to bless the kit before I give it to my Godson?

 

[blessedstar]

I have play Mass kit I’d like to give to my Godson as he prepares for his first Holy Communion.
Does anyone think my priest would refuse to bless the kit before I give it to my Godson?

Would you take a child’s toy to be blessed?

Just give it the child and don’t bother to have it blessed.

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[Beautiful]

Would you take a child’s toy to be blessed?

Just give it the child and don’t bother to have it blessed.

In the Living Prayer of my life

No I would not bring a plain ol’ toy to be blessed.
The Mass kit isn’t a plain old toy to be scattered around with tonka trucks and matchbox cars.
We have our cars and homes blessed. Why not bless something I perceive to be more than a toy?

 

[CatholicSam]

It could work the other way, too…

A midwestern Mom and Dad were raising 15 children. Among their many activities, the youngsters would often “play Mass”. Using common items from around the house (card table, table cloth, handkerchief “corporal”, wine glass "chalice, “vestments” made from old bedspreads, etc.), they would faithfully pretend the words, postures, and gestures they had seen so often. There was never a “lesson plan” or lecture associated with it. (Mom and Dad knew and approved, but the kids did it on their own.) Even so, the younger siblings - by participating - learned about proper behavior at Mass and began to learn the prayers they’d say when they were old enough to attend. All seven of the boys became altar servers at their parish and at least two of them, as adults, still perform that function occasionally.

Years later, when both Mom and Dad were homebound due to advanced age and terminal illnesses, there were some touching and grace-filled moments in that house when their oldest son, now a priest, would genuinely offer the Holy Sacrifice on a card table very much like the one he’d used so many years before.

:crying: How beautiful!

 

[Timmay]

I don’t know if I agree that this it is quite appropriate for a child to play Mass. For me, it seems to lessen the sanctity of the Mass as a whole.

I disagree wholeheartedly. Many good priests and Bishops will admit that they used to play Mass as a child. It’s often been considered an early sign of a possible calling.

Kids know the difference between playing/pretending and the real thing, and so does God.

 

[johnnydigit]

Last time we had potato chips in the house (sometime over the summer) my son kept coming up to me with a chip and saying, “body of Christ.” It was a great improvement from a year earlier when he offered me and all his toys the “body of priest.” Yes, we had a conversation about how a potato chip wasn’t really the same as the Eucharist. “I know. I’m just pretending.”

Any parent will tell you that no child needs a costly set of items to play pretend anything. They’ll find some mundane object, get reminded of something, and just start playing.

Gert

hilarious! my little nephew would grab and kiss the crucifix above him whenever he got his diaper changed. he lowers his head whenever we pray (the first time he peeped back up and snuck a piece of food into his mouth).

My oldest “said Mass” once when he was about eighteen months old. It was unbelievable, the amount of detail he was aware of. He set up a little “altar” on a trunk in my room, spreading his blankie over it, then placed a celtic cross on it standing up. He put his bottle of milk at the other end, on a window ledge, then retrieved it for the “offertory,” brought it around to the “altar” like one of the congregation, then took over as the priest and held it up for “consecration.” He then brought it over to me and offered me a sip.

   If anyone has ever wondered if it's "worth the trouble" to bring the little ones to Mass, I think it is...  :thumbsup:

Margaret

at only 18 months? seems almost… spooky. spooky, but holy.

as far as being detrimental to the sanctity of the real Mass, i dunno, i would look to the parents if that were to happen. otherwise, i think any parent would be proud to have “play Mass” at the top of their kids’ play list.
note: kids, as in toddlers. i’d watch junior high aged kids as they might cross over into sacrilege entertainment…

again, cute topic.

 

[pnewton]

It’s often been considered an early sign of a possible calling.

That would be awesome. My two year old offers us “Body of Christ” sometimes. He uses nothing other than imaginary bread. I think he does it sometimes after we say “Our Father”.

 

[johnnydigit]

see these

That would be awesome. My two year old offers us “Body of Christ” sometimes. He uses nothing other than imaginary bread. I think he does it sometimes after we say “Our Father”.

i’d like to these on video