One of the key concepts in 6th grade Wednesday Sunday School is that our worship at Mass connects directly, physically to the unceasing worship that goes on in Heaven. I use the term 'Holy Tornado' along with some blackboard sketching to show a temporary timespace continuum between Heaven and Earth. (see Trou de Ver) Our prayers go up, zhhhhhpp! Jesus comes down, shhhhhhp! Then after a few minutes, bzhht! the connection is broken until the next Mass. The kids dig the science-fiction-movie sounds.
I use this line from Eucharistic Prayer I to reinforce the point:
“Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in Heaven.” Until now I've always drawn this concept on the board. From now on I also have some art to show.
Look at that great image I stumbled upon recently at Tiber Jumper's blog. It differs from similar Mass pictures I've seen since my pre-Vatican 2 childhood. In addition to the crucified Christ made present, it shows an angel ascending to heaven in the midst of the Mass. I imagine the painting is directly inspired by that line from the Eucharistic Prayer, which itself must be partially inspired by Judges 13, and descriptions in Revelations of activities around the altar in heaven, e.g., 8:3-4 which is covered in class:
"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."
And check out the upper half of the image....the angel is being caught up (raptured!) by the swirling timespace winds of the Holy Tornado! Who knew?!
If anything beats catechizing 6th grade I want to know what it is.
6 comments:
where was a teacher like you in my 6th grade CCD class/ 1970?
Perhaps I nevr would have fallen away....
Hey, in 1970 I was attending a minor seminary!
Kinda got chucked out in 1972...oh well, I think it was for the best. One of my sons may have a vocation....hope springs eternal.
The Mass has long seemed to me like a window upon eternity.
"a window upon eternity"
I like this. I need to figure out a way to work it into class.
I love to contemplate the fact that at Mass each one of us has a guardian angel by our side; indeed, our angel accompanies us on each visit we make to the church, and everywhere else, of course. A church filled with angels praising God--what a beautiful picture!
Kindred, you may like 'Der Himmel über Berlin'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093191/
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