You may recall from some of my previous posts, that this year, I began each religious education class by inviting the 8th graders to stand and respond “Let us rejoice and be glad!” to my invocation of “This is the day the Lord has made.”
This became a very joyful part of our class and the kids routinely responded with great enthusiasm and vigor.
Lo and behold, at our end-of-the-year Mass on Monday evening, the responsorial Psalm sung by the music coordinator and RE choir (a very small group of kids) was, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!” No sooner did the intone the refrain than my entire class (sitting in one row with me on the end) looked over at me and smiled, pointing to the musician. I smiled back and mouthed the words, “sound familiar?”
At the end of Mass, I gathered my group in a small circle and thanked them for the year, said goodbye to those who were not coming for pizza, and intoned the prayer one last time: “This is the day the Lord has made…” to which they responded loudly but slower than usual, “Let – us – rejoice – and – be – glad!”
I couldn’t have planned it any better!
It’s the best when kids hear something in class….and hear it again in the church.
Yes, I remember this well from your talk here last month. I loved it so much I plan to ‘borrow’ it next year. Thank you again.
I, too, borrowed this idea – with my Kindergarteners. They loved it and, as only Kindergarteners would, shouted it out at the beginning of every class. I’ll be curious to see if they respond with the same volume when they hear it at Mass… thanks, for the great ideas
Suzette, won’t that be great if they DO shout it out at Mass? 🙂