Learning through Play

“Playing” Mass
by Teresa R. Albright, Pastoral Associate

I have happy memories from childhood of me and my two sisters “playing Mass” at home. Taking turns as presider, we would make our way to the kitchen, take a piece of bread from the bread box and schmush it with the heel of our hand. In our young imaginations, flattening the bread in this manner was the easiest way to make it “unleavened.” Then we would search nearby for a circle shaped tool—a small juice glass, jar lid or biscuit cutter would do the trick. Pressing the found object into the already beaten-down bread, we deliberately tore away the edges to create a perfect circle. Grabbing some juice from the refrigerator, we headed back to the play area where a child-sized table, normally used for creating and coloring, was adorned with a pillowcase (our altar cloth). A linen napkin – the kind used for Thanksgiving dinners – served as our corporal. All we needed now was a fancy wine glass and small plate from the china set reserved for special holidays. These would become our chalice and paten.

I suppose arguments can be made either way as to whether my parents were right to allow this type of play. Perhaps it risked diminishing the true meaning of this most Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps it risked confusing three little girls who could never become priests. But in our case, such scrutiny was not necessary. We were just three little girls simply re-enacting the places and spaces of our everyday life. It is the same reason we also “played” house or school. And this is the true gift we received from our parents—that Mass was a part of our everyday experience as a family. Our playtime reflected the priorities of our parents. And through play, we internalized their own reverence for the Eucharist, the Source and Summit of our Catholic faith. It is a gift for which I am ever grateful!

As we begin to slowly re-open our churches for public worship in the coming months, it is good to remember that we are wading into uncharted waters. We will not be able to come together as we once had any time soon. And we cannot know if and how many more times this year we will need to shelter-in-place for the sake of life and the common good. What are parents to do? How can parents pass on the faith and convey the importance of Eucharist during this time of Covid-19?

I wish I had the answer. I am neither a parent nor an early-childhood educator. But I do know that all human beings, and many others of God’s creatures for that matter, learn first through play. And so, I encourage parents to consider making the best out of this unasked-for opportunity by inviting their young ones to “play Mass” at home while participating in the liturgy from your living rooms.

Take this precious time to teach your child reverence for ritual. Familiarize them with the sacramental gestures enacted around the Table of the Lord. Have multiple children? Assign them different “liturgical” ministry roles such as Greeter and Gift Bearer. After the Universal Prayers are read during Mass, turn and ask your children if they have anything for which they want to pray. Then maybe, when we finally do “return to normal,” your child might even be excited about going to church. And who knows, such playtime just might open your child’s heart to God’s call to the priesthood or religious life.

 

Portals to Prayer:

·       The Power of Ritual – reference these gestures during the Eucharist Prayer within Mass.

·       Godly Play – Check out some of these Mass Kits sold on Etsy.