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This year in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd we'll be diving deeper into the meaning of Lent by pulling together many of the things we are learning in the atrium and bringing them into your homes. This first week we will prepare for this Lenten journey by having the children create a prayer table or a prayer space in your home. 

WEEK 1: Making a Prayer Space at Home

Create a Prayer Table
During Lent, I am encouraging the children to make a special place to pray. Prayers come naturally to during meals and before bedtime, but children find great joy in "talking" to God.  Helping them to create a special place to speak to their heavenly Father will inspire them to seek Him out many times during the day.

Creating a prayer space at home is not difficult. There are some things we include on our Atrium prayer table that I can share with you, but it's also fine to let the children make it their own. I would certainly start by asking your child to help you think about what should be included in their prayer space. It will give them a chance to reflect on the material they learn in the Atrium and make a connection between the Atrium and home prayer spaces. Our prayer work includes some tracing, drawing and coloring, and the children will also learn to make prayer cards so those can also be included in your prayer space at home. Here are some of the things we include on our prayer table in the Atrium:

The Prayer "Table"
A prayer table does not have to be a table. A small box turned upside down, a crate, a small bed tray, a snack table, or the corner of a dresser in their bedroom will all work. The idea is just to designate it as a special space for their time to talk with God.

A Space for Prayer Table Items
It is good to have a separate set of shelves, a box, or a basket near the prayer table, so the child can collect articles and art images they can choose from when preparing the prayer table. 

Prayer Cloths
In the Atrium, the first item we place on our table is a prayer cloth. The children are familiar with prayer cloths from the Atrium and they should know the colors of the Liturgical Year: purple, green, red and white. During Lent, your child will need something purple. You can use a piece of material, a towel, a table runner, a large cloth napkins or even a piece of purple paper. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. The idea is to remind the child of the liturgical season we are in.

Bible
A Bible should be included in their prayer space. A family Bible, a children's Bible, or the Book of the Gospels your child received during First Holy Communion are all appropriate. In the atrium, we place the Bible on a special stand. At home this could be a special paper your child decorates, a stand made out of Legos or wooden blocks, or just a small pillow or towel. Anything that designates the space as a place of honor for the Bible works.

Statue or Sacred Art
Young children are attracted to beauty. This includes the art that we use in our Atrium. A few carefully chosen pictures of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, or the Holy Family are a good start. I printed them and framed them for use in the Atrium, but Christmas cards, Holy Cards and Mass cards are a good place to find images, too. The Dollar Tree is a good place to find small frames for framing the images if the children want to make the images official. I have found the children are particularly drawn to the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. 

Prayer Cards
A small box or basket near the prayer space can be used to hold small prayer cards. The children make prayer cards in the atrium all the time. The older children often want to leave them in our prayer card basket. I will encourage them to take them home and use them in their prayer space. If your child is making their First Communion this year, a copy of the Our Father and the Hail Mary might also be included, especially while your child is learning those prayers.

Small Kneeler
Your child might want a small cushion to kneel on in private prayer. A small decorative pillow, a rolled up towel, or a small rug work.

Candle 
In the Atrium, when we read Scripture, we light a candle, to recall Jesus is the light of the world. The children love the real candles and especially enjoy snuffing them at the end. At home, it would be fine to reserve the use of real candles for family prayer time and use a small LED votive candle for daily use at the prayer table. That would allow the children to be more independent at their prayer table. I have a few small jars decorated with ribbon and a jewel that I will make available to the children to take home...while the supply lasts. 

Once ​your child is satisfied with their prayer space, please take a picture and send it ​to me. Sharing their ideas and prayer spaces will help them so see their ​CGS community extending into your home.