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ALTAR SERVERS
OPENING PRAYER
1. Facilitator asks the students to be silent and assume meditative
position.
2. The facilitator lead then the prayer prepared and reads the Gospel
reading (Jn. 6: 1-15)
INTRODUCTORY SESSION
1. Short explanation of the meaning of recollection and the Theme/
Title.
2. Schedule and House Rules
3. Drawing expectations from both sides
What is a recollection? Etymologically, it is a combination of two words- RE,
which means again and COLLECT, which is to gather or put together.
What do we gather together? Anything that is scattered; anything that is not
in place. Not only things to be gathered but what we people do.
This is the day of recollection. And as such, it is the day to gather, a day to
collect ourselves. We shall do this by looking into our own self, into our own
life. Our priority concern, therefore, is ourselves.
SESSION 1
Me, My Hands and I
Preliminary Activity:
Please look at your hands. Spend some time to gaze at them. What comes to
your mind when you see your hands? What do your hands signify? What are
the particular experiences being reminisced?
Answers: writing, fighting, playing, studying, giving, stealing, drawing,
painting, clapping, texting, praying, building, helping, greeting, hurting.
Input:
Suppose you dont have hands. How would your life be? Surely you wont
have all these experiences. It is definite that you will be missing so many
things. Youll be deprived of so many activities and even relationships.
Do you think the child will be able to give the loaves and fishes if he was
deprived of having hands? Can he bring his things as he come to the crowds
who yearn to follow and listen to Jesus words? He may perhaps but given
the fact that he takes them with such difficulty.
Instruction:
At this point, I would like you to take the truths about ourselves by looking
and reflecting at your hands. With a ballpen/pencil/ crayon and paper, I want
you to trace your left and right hand. Right hand on the left side of the paper
and the left hand on its right side.
Be careful in doing this. Note that it is your own hand that you are drawing.
Make sure you faithfully follow the contour of your hand so that, at the end,
what will have is truly your very own hand and not somebody else.
Kindly get your own materials and once ready, silently work on this. Dont
put any mark on your hand. No lines. No ring. Not even a color.just leave it
plain and simple.
Place a star below on the hand you were using. If you are right-handed,
place it on the right hand. Put it on the left hand if otherwise.
(Give them sufficient time to do this activity. After tracing their own hand, let
them hear the explanation for each hand.)
Do you know that each hand corresponds certain meaning?
The hand you are using for your work (in writing, drawing, etc.) corresponds
to your strengths or strong points (whether be it attitudes, behaviour, skills,
etc.). You may mark outside this hand as My Strong Points.
The hand you less prefer to use( in writing, drawing, etc.) shows your
weaknesses or weak points (whether be it attitudes, behaviour, skills, etc.).
you may mark outside this hand as My Weak Points.
MY MY
WEAK STRONG
POINTS POINTS
(Never proceed to the next instruction unless everybody understands the
meaning indicated on each hand. It would be a big help to ask the
participants if everything is clear.)
Now inside the hand of your strong points: write all the strengths that you
knew you possessed. What are your strong points? Where are you good at?
What good characteristics do you possess? What talents and skills do you
have?
On the other side, write all your weak points: what are your bad attitudes? To
yourself? To others? What are your failures?
TAKE NOTE: Be sincere. Be true to yourself; dont be ashamed to jot it all
down. Only you can see them.
1. The facilitator will give enough time for the participants to fill
those hands.
2. 5-10 minutes will surely suffice to finish the activity.
Input:
It may seem that writing our weaknesses is easier rather than our strengths. It
is easier to find our faults than lifting up oneself. People may easily find a
loophole for our mistakes rather than to affirm us. But this does not mean
that everything is over. Its too early for that.
Looking at the childs point of view in the Gospel of St. John, we may
deduce the following weaknesses that he possessed:
He is too small to be recognized
He is weak to push himself nearer Jesus.
He is only and afraid especially when the evening arrives.
The bread/ barley he had was the poorest kind of bread.
Five loaves are little more than five slices.
The two fishes are dried fish.
But looking at his strength, the child learned one thing: to SHARE the little
that he has. He listened to Jesus words and the goodness naturally flowed
on him. Sometimes, lending the little that you have can definitely change
everything. The 2nd letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians says, When I am
weak, then I am strong. For when- and only when- we are weak, that the
grace of Christ comes. Dont be afraid to recognize your weaknesses, God
will be the one to strengthen it. Listen to Jesus so that we can be channels
to pass that same love Jesus gave in each one.
MERIENDA BREAK
1. Facilitator will give time for snacks (15-30 minutes)before
proceeding to the next session.
SESSION 2
Look Ahead, Plan Ahead, Be a Saint...
Right before we finish on the first session, we have identified our weaknesses
and strengths with the help of the previous activity. That in identifying our
own limitations and mistakes, we can be better persons. But after recognizing
them, will it end in that? No. We should strive to be better than before and try
to be as good as new. But how?
St. Francis de Sales, device a method that is proven to be a helpful guide to
those who strive to love and be better individuals. This is to Look Ahead...
Plan Ahead... Be a Saint...
We know that God is everywhere, he is omnipresent. Gods presence is
eternal. If His presence is everywhere, then God is here. If you believe it, pay
attention to it, for it will affect on how we speak and act.
The contentious awareness of God is PRAYING. The more we become
responsive on the Divine Presence in the ordinary moments in our life(in
school, work, playing, watching, surfing the net), the more we are praying
and it affect the whole we become.
LOOK AHEAD...
We looked ahead at our daily lives in terms of places I have to go, the places
I have to see the things I have to do. Say for example, tomorrow is Monday,
we wake up early, pray, brush our teeth, take a bath, get dressed, go to
school, listen to classes, take lunch, clean the classroom, go home, change
clothes, make assignments, pray for dinner, wash the dishes, prepare things
for tomorrow, freshen up, pray before going to bed, rest. Hola! When we
consider all those things, we consider them prayerfully. Prayerful preparation
of the day is we look ahead to see whats on our calendar.
PLAN AHEAD...
We plan then on how we are going to act in a saintly way during them.
Somehow look ahead to whatever various events on my days calendar and
plan them. Plan to be who I am the best that I can be during those
activities. You will be awakened by your mom or you siblings early to
prepare for school to prevent you from coming late. You want to stay in bed
and continue dreaming but you will be late if you do so. What then will you
do? Will you say thank you to someone who woke you up and greet that
person with a smile or you will get angry because you were in the middle of
your pending dream.
Remember the acronym, WWJD stands for What Would Jesus Do if He
was in your situation?
BE A SAINT...
Ask God to conduct yourself in that manner and resolved to do so...
How can I be a saint at this moment? Remember that every time, we were
given a chance to be a saint, dont let that chance to be one.
Look ahead, Planned ahead, and be a saint.
SESSION 3
Praying Hands: My Salute
1. Facilitator narrate the Story behind the Praying Hands by
Albrecht Durer
Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family
with 18 children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this
mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession,
worked almost 18 hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he
could find in the neighborhood. Despite their seemingly hopeless condition,
two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to
pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would
never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the
Academy.
After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys
finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down
into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he
attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed
his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy,
either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.
They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won
the toss and went off to Nuremberg.
Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years,
financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate
sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than
those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was
beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive
dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a
long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose
from his honoured position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his
beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfil
his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of
mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your
dream, and I will take care of you." All heads turned in eager expectation to
the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face,
shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated,
over and over, "No...no...no...no."
Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down
the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his
right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too
late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my
hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately
I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot
even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on
parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother... for me it is too
late."
More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of
masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolours, charcoals,
woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world,
but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one
of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very
well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.
One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht
Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and
thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply
"Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his
great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."
The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look.
Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one no one - ever
makes it alone!
In altar serving, this act of our hands, i.e. Prayer position/ Praying Hands is
our salute to God. We make both hands together, right thumb over left.
But why hands in prayer position?
1. Im not fidgeting. Gives us somewhere we can focus our hand either
standing or kneeling during the Mass. If Im not holding anything, my hands
is in prayer position.
2. Pointing to someone means you are paying attention to them. You! Yes
you Im talking to you! In prayer position, our hearts is near to our hands
which is praying- meaning we are lifting our heart and mind to God. People
get distracted or even we our self. This will let them see that we are directing
our hearts and mind to whom we should be facing- God.
3.Another posture we do with our hands, is that when we are sitting, we are
sitting straight not leaning our back to the pew, hands palms down on your
knees. We are in the celebration. A banquet, where Jesus is the King. So, we
should sit like a king for we are in the presence of our king. Palms facing
forward which reminds us on whats going on. This also implies Reverence.
By being a reverent altar server, we directly impact the disposition of others
in the pew.
The great tragedy during the mass is when the people attending the mass
noticed that:
1. Altar serving dont want to be there.
2. You dont know whats going on or what are you doing
3. You are Part of a show just to look cute.
WHAT YOU DO IMPACTS OTHER PEOPLE.
Fraternal Correction; we are human; we are weak, no not even perfect. But
we have the responsibility to remind other Altar Server if their hand is down
or on their pocket. Giving a little elbow and a little bit of correction will do.
We all forget and thats ok cause we know we have a brother or sister to
remind us. You will be the role model of the new servers someday.
Where should your eyes be? Should be directed at the altar. If you dont
know where to look, look at the priest or the altar. Our body impacts other
disposition.
4. The way you dress. They say that it doesnt matter what you dress in the
church which is true. Yes, it matters that you are at mass. But if the mass is
important, dress like its important, (black shoes, black socks, white dress).
Remember, WHAT YOU DO IMPACTS OTHER PEOPLE.
But sometimes priests may not be as reverent as you like, they may be
distracted or their attention is somewhere else. You cant judge them but you
can do something. And what is that? You yourself can be reverent. Being a
reverent Altar Server will impact everyone even the priest or deacon or lay
ministers. They will wonder why you are reverent and then the Holy Spirit
will work on them saying, cause this is important.
They will then start to reflect on their action. The point is you dont look cute
but rather you assist in giving reverence and adoration.
Fraternal correction and being a reminder of reverence is the concrete sigh
that, No one- no one can make it alone. This is incontestable. No one can
deny it. On the moment of our conception, others have already played an
important role in our life. Without them, we would not have survived. Our
life is in their hands for the moment. That it why, it is but good to pay back
the tribute to them in our simple act of Prayer for them. Will you?
Instruction:
Youre going to use another paper for this activity. Again by the use of you
ballpen, pencil or crayons trace your hand.
(Wait for all to finish their drawing before moving on to the next instruction.)
Learn THE FIVE FINGER PRAYER
THUMB. Your thumb is the closest to you. Pray
for those closest to you, your loved ones. Ex.
Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Grandfather. Who will
you pray for?
POINTER. The pointer finger reminds us of those
who instruct. Pray for those who teach, instruct
and heal. Ex. Teachers, doctors, priests. Who will
you pray for?
TALLEST. The tallest fingers reminds us of our leaders, those who are in
charge. Pray for the important leaders in your life. Ex. President, officers,
principals. Who will you pray for?
RING. Did you know that the ring finger is the weakest finger? Pray for
those who are weak, poor, in trouble or sick. Who will you pray for?
PINKY. The pinky is the smallest finger. Pray for your needs last should be
more about others. Prayers were mostly granted by God if it is intended for
others. Who will you pray for?
PALM. Give thanks for all the blessings you have been given. What are you
thankful for?
2. The participants will now be given a time to pray for the people
they want to pray for. In case they ask to work inside the session hall never
restrict them. Allow them to choose their own place as long as they maintain
the atmosphere of silence.
3. the bell will be rung afterwards, sign that all shall be gathered
inside the session hall for further announcements.
LUCNH BREAK.
1. Facilitator will give time for LUNCH (1 HOUR)before proceeding
to the next session.
ICE BREAKER
The Cap Song
You will need a cap for this activity.
Everyone will look for his /her own partner. They will be facing each other
with the rest of other partners forming a straight line. A cap will be place on
the first person on the line. Take Note: the one wearing the cap cannot place
the cap on his head to the person next to him but instead it will be his/her
partners tasked to do so. While the cap was moving from one partner to
another, a cheerful song can be played. When the song stops, the partner who
last wearing the cap will be out of the game. Try this until only one partners
will be left. The last partners will be claimed as the winner.
SESSION 4
THE WAYS OF ALTAR SERVERS.
Upon entering the church of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, you are no longer just
a typical youngster who will attend the Mass. Rather, you are called among
the youths/ children of the St. Vincent Ferrer parish to serve in the altar of
God.
To be an Altar Server is a privileged; an honour; a great gift to be near on the
sacrifice of Christ and the fruit of His sacrifice- EUCHARIST. Thank You
for saying YES to His call.
Once a great man said, With great power comes great responsibility. Being
an altar server is a great power and a responsibility. What are those
responsibilities?
1. WHAT are the things in the church?
2. WHERE are they in the church?
3. HOW to serve well?
WHAT?
It is a given fact that everyone who goes formation already know the things
in the mass but it is also a good thing to look back once more on the things
being prepared in the Holy Banquet.
CIBORIA. It hold the host that become the body of Jesus Christ . it is made
of precious metal, silver or gold because the Eucharis is the most precious of
all things. Take care to handle well.
CHALICES. Hold the most precious blood of Christ change from wine.
PURIFICATORS. Use to keep clean the ciboria/chalices. It purifies the
sacred vessels and often have a cross which shows the power of Christs
Crucifixion.
CRUETS. Holds the water and the wine which symbolizes the Blood and
water of Jesus Christ as the Priest or Deacon utter the secret prayer: By the
mystery of this water in wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ,
who humbled himself to share in our humanity. The priest or the deacon is
reuniting what was separated when the spear pierced the side of Christ,
where the blood and water flows out.
HANDTOWEL PITCHER, BASIN. Used by the priest as he prays, Wash
me O Lord in my iniquities and cleanse me from my sins
ASPERGELLIUM. Used to bless people with holy water. Sometimes it look
likes a metal microphone. The water in the bowl is holy water, so it must be
taken care of.
LECTIONARY. Has all the readings of the Mass celebration.