The Religious Climate

A few days ago Jenn at Conversion Diary asked "what is the religious climate in your country?". I found the answers fascinating, and noticed that within the UK in particular there was quite a lot of variation in the answers, ranging from quite positive to very negative. Here are mine for this little corner of Bedfordshire.

Where do you live? (Or, if you’re not currently living there, what part of the world is it that you’re familiar with?)

England, about 40 miles north west of London.  

What is church attendance like in your area? Are there many churches? Do they seem to have active memberships?

In our town (population 35,000) there are two Church of England churches, one Catholic, two Methodist (one very small with aging congregation), two Baptist (again, one very small), one Salvation Army and a Quaker meeting house. There are also a Christian Fellowship and a New Life Community Church that meet in local schools. Most active are the Catholic, Church of England, larger Baptist and New Life churches. I'd guess church attendance is about 5%, but a larger number attend occasionally, and the role of the churches in the local community is greater than the numbers attending would suggest. 

At a typical social event, how appropriate would it be if a person were to explicitly acknowledge in casual conversation that he or she is a believing Christian? For example, if someone at a party made a passing comment like, “We’ve been praying about that” or “I was reading the Bible the other day, and…”, would that seem normal or odd?

Mentioning attending Church is fine. Talking about praying or reading the Bible would be very odd.   

What belief system do the politicians in your area claim to practice? For example,  here in Texas almost all politicians at least claim to have some kind of belief in God, regardless of what they may think in private — to openly admit to being an atheist would be political suicide in most parts of the state. Is this the case in your area?

Of the leaders of the three main political parties one attends the Church of England, one is an atheist (I think) with a Catholic wife and children, and the third is an atheist Jew. Our local member of Parliament is actively Christian.  

How many families do you know who have more than two children? If a family with four children moved to your area, would their family size seem unusual? What about a family with six children?

Many families with three - two or three is the norm. Four is less common but not at all unusual. More than four is unusually large. One of the other mothers commented in the school playground last week that more families seem to be having third and fourth children, whereas a few years ago most stopped at two.  

What seems to be the dominant belief system of the people in your area?

Vague agnosticism. Most people are not religious, but very few are anti-religious. It is a very mono-cultural area, so of those that do practice a religion, almost all are Christian. 

Do you notice any trends? Do people seem to be becoming more or less religious?

I'd say Christianity is pretty much holding its own. Numbers attending church may have declined a bit in the 18 years I have lived here, but not dramatically. The churches I know best seem to have a good cross-section of ages, including younger people and families with children.

Wow!

Two highlights from the papal visit that gave me the shivers (good shivers!) ...

1. Pope Benedict speaking about Thomas More in Westminster Hall, the very building where the trial of St. Thomas took place:

As I speak to you in this historic setting, I think of the countless men and women down the centuries who have played their part in the momentous events that have taken place within these walls and have shaped the lives of many generations of Britons, and others besides.

In particular, I recall the figure of Saint Thomas More, the great English scholar and statesman, who is admired by believers and non-believers alike for the integrity with which he followed his conscience, even at the cost of displeasing the sovereign whose 'good servant' he was, because he chose to serve God first.

The dilemma which faced More in those difficult times, the perennial question of the relationship between what is owed to Caesar and what is owed to God, allows me the opportunity to reflect with you briefly on the proper place of religious belief within the political process. ...

Oh. My. Goodness. That is something to set every historical gene I possess quivering. How the world has turned. In the time of Blessed John Henry Newman (another wow!) it would have been unimaginable that a Pope could speak at Westminster. Even fifty years ago it would have benn unthinkable.

2. As a Catholic married to a Jew, this image says it all:

Book Review: The Lion First Bible

The Lion First Bible
by Pat Alexander

I have been looking around for a few months for a book of Bible stories for Cherub. With the older two girls I used The Lion First Bible, but our copy had gone adrift somewhere. Angel loved this book, but I don't remember reading it much with Star, and I thought it would be nice to try something different this time round. I browsed the children's Bible section at Borders, which had several, but none of them shouted "buy me". Either the text didn't flow well, or the story selection was too limited, or something else wasn't right. I wondered about The Beginner's Bible (we have a copy from Angel's Sonlight Curriculum days), which I remembered as vaguely similar to The Lion First Bible - they both have a wide selection of stories, and are in the same small, chunky format - but the simplistic, easy reader text didn't appeal. In the end I bit the bullet and bought another copy of The Lion First Bible.

Now I have it, I remember why I liked it. The pictures are not really my style - too cartoony - but the text is just right for a three or four year old. Interestingly, it doesn't look good. The short sentences look bitty, but read aloud they work. The stories lend themselves to quite dramatic reading, and have enough familiar points of reference to appeal to small children. Here is a sample from the story of Noah, which is Cherub's top pick so far ...

Bang! Bang! Bang! went the hammer.
Noah was building a boat - an enormous boat. Big enough for all his family. Big enough to save two of every kind of animal and bird when the great flood came.

God was very sad about his world. It was all spoiled now. The people were so nasty and unkind. All except Noah. Noah was nice. Noah was good. Noah was friends with God.

"I have to get rid of all this nastiness," God said to Noah one day. "The beautiful world I made is all spoiled.There's going to be a great flood. Enough water to take away everything that is bad. But you will be safe."
Then God told Noah to build a boat - The Ark.

Noah did as God said. He always did as God said.
Bang! Bang! Bang! went the hammer.
At last The Ark was finishd.

The animals were so excited.
"Quack! Quack!" said the ducks.
"Moo! Moo!" said the cows.
"Hurry! Hurry!" said the geese.
"Cheep! Cheep!" chirped the sparrows. "Don't leave us behind."

"All aboard!" said Noah. And God shut the door of The Ark behind them.

I like the range of stories included. There are 64 in total, 32 each from the Old and New Testaments. They are straightforward, simple retellings, with no attempt to add any sort of doctrinal "spin". And best of all, Cherub likes them.

Book Review: The Rosary

The Rosary: Keeping Company With Jesus and Mary by Karen Edmisten

I first met Karen way back when the internet was young - well before her youngest daughter Ramona was born, and Ramona is seven now (how did that happen?). She has since become a dear online friend, so I just had to buy her first book.

The Rosary does just what it says on the cover - explains how praying the Rosary helps us to spend time with Jesus and his mother - but it also does a lot more. It is the perfect introduction to the Rosary, both for Catholics and non-Catholics (you don't have to be Catholic to find this a worthwhile form of prayer), a shot in the arm for those who struggle with the Rosary, and an encouragement for those who already know and love it. Karen also gives the most beautifully clear and gentle explanation of the role of Mary in Catholic spirituality that I have seen (and no, Catholics do not worship Mary, ever).

The thing I love most about this book, though, is that it is so very much Karen talking, in her own unique voice. It isn't a lecture about the Rosary, it is Karen sitting down and sharing her knowledge and experiences of the Rosary over a metaphorical cup of coffee. If you want to get a taste of her gentle, sane voice, visit her blog. Or better still, buy her book. And enjoy.

The Story of the Creation

The Story of the Creation
by Jane Ray

This is a lovely book for introducing young children to the story of the creation. The text is an adapted from the King James Version of the Bible story, keeping the flow of the Biblical version but with some simplification and additions that make it easier to read aloud to preschoolers. Here is a sample:

Then God said, "Let there be birds on earth and to fly above the earth. And the earth was filled with the song of birds as they rose into the sky: peacocks and flamingoes, sunbirds and turtle doves, parrots, thrushes, owls, hummingbirds and nightjars. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day."

The illustrations are beautifully done, with lots of rich detail. Cherub loved the pages devoted to sea creatures, birds and other animals, and spent a long time spotting the various animals she knew.

All Saints and All Souls

This is a confusing year. Normally the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls fall on November 1st and 2nd respectively. However, in England and Wales if a Holy Day of Obligation (like All Saints) falls on a Saturday or a Monday it is transferred to a Sunday. That makes today - which should be All Souls - All Saints, and All Souls has been transferred to tomorrow so that it doesn't get missed out of the calendar altogether.

On All Saints Day we celebrate the Church Triumphant - all those individuals who are already enjoying eternal life in heaven. Some have been officially canonised, that is, their holiness has been recognised as so evident that we can be sure they have reached their ultimate destiniation (in most cases this is confirmed by miraculous healings associated with the intercession of the saint). Most importantly, though, this day is an opportunity to celebrate the multitude of unknown and unsung saints, those who will never be canonised.

On All Souls Day we pray for the Church Suffering - those who have died but whose souls have not yet reached the state of perfection which will allow them to enjoy the vision of God in heaven. I find the Catholic doctrine of purgatory a tremendously consoling one. I know that my sins are forgiven by virtue of Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross, but also that I remain weak and imperfect. Simplistically, I think of purgatory as an opportunity for God to spring-clean my soul after death, clearing out all the dust and debris left behind by my failings.

Traditionally the whole of November is a time during which Catholics remember and pray for the dead, that they will reach the end of this process and enjoy their eternal reward more quickly. As we here on earth - the Church Militant - join our prayers to those of the Saints in Heaven on behalf of the Holy Souls we are reminded that we are all part of the Body of Christ. The curtain that divides heaven and earth seems thinner, and it is no coincidence that at this time of year Death and its minions are mocked - Hallowe'en, or "All Hallows Eve", marks the beginning of this time when we focus on the triumph of Life over Death.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
By the mercy of God, rest in peace.

All the Saints of God, pray for us!

The Religious Climate

Jenn at Et Tu is taking a survey of the religious climate in different parts of the world. I'm not the first to throw in an English perspective (one commenter only lives a few miles from me, I notice), but I'm going to add mine anyway - everywhere is a little different, and I'm guessing it will interest some of you.

1. Where do you live? A market town in Bedfordshire, population about 35,000. It is just into the London commuter belt, but it is far enough from London for property prices to be affordable for families.
   
   
2. What is church attendance like in your area? Are there many churches? Do they seem to have active memberships? One Catholic Church, two Church of England, two Methodist (one a small chapel), two Baptist (one a small Strict Baptist chapel), Christian Fellowship, New Life, Quaker and Salvation Army. The Catholic Church has three Sunday Masses, all full - but the Church building is really too small for the size of the town. I think average weekly attendance is about 450. The C of E Church my mother belongs to has a Sunday attendance of about 70 to 100, and I would guess the other is similar. The Baptist and evangelical Churches seem to be quite active. Average weekly Church attendance in the UK is only around 6%, and adding up the figures I don't think it can be much more than that here. However, there is more of a Christian "feel" to the town that the figures would suggest.
   
   
3. Imagine a typical social event in your area. How appropriate would it be if a person were to explicitly acknowledge in casual conversation that he or she is a believing Christian (e.g. make a statement like, "We've been praying about this a lot" or "I've asked God to show me what the right answer is to my dilemma")? Would a statement like that seem perfectly normal or a bit odd? Those statements would definitely be considered odd - people would look at you as if you had two heads. However, it would be quite OK to mention that you were a Church-going Christian, so long as you weren't perceived as trying to push your religion on others.
   
   
4. Imagine a typical neighborhood in your area. If a practicing Christian family moved in, how would they fit in? Would they blend right in or seem out of place? They would blend right in. There certainly isn't any anti-Christian feeling, and people are generally tolerant of religious belief, considering it a private eccentricity.
   
   
5. How many families do you know who have more than two children? Many with three, a few with four, very few with more than that.
   
   
6. What seems to be the dominant belief system of the people in your area? Vague agnosticism.
   
   
7. Do you notice any trends? Less religious belief. More people would describe themselves as atheist than would have been the case twenty years ago. The tradition here has always been that if you had no other religious affiliation you described yourself as C of E. That is changing, with more people saying they have no religion - though the vague feeling that one must be something still exists. Interestingly, the 2001 census showed 71% of the population described themselves as Christian, though other surveys show only 50% or less believe in God. On the same census 0.7% described themselves as Jedi knight, following a campaign to get Jedi knight recognised as an official religion (the theory being that if enough people put it on the census, it would be a fait accompli). There is something to be said for living in a country where (a) it is legal to put Jedi knight as your religion on an official census, and (b) 390,000 people are mad enough to do so. Church attendance is declining (down one-third between 1989 and 2005, with Catholic Mass attendance down one-half). Locally it isn't that noticeable, but that may just be because I have only been attending Mass here for 8 years, and the town is growing which would mask a decline.

If you are a lover of statistics, this article Religion in the United Kingdom: Diversity, Trends and Decline will tell you everything you could possibly want to know.

Pope Benedict's Message to the Jewish Community

Somewhat behind the times I finally got round to reading Pope Benedict's address to the Jewish community on his recent visit to America. His respect for and understanding of the Jewish Passover shone through ... but there was also honest recognition of the differences in the Christian and Jewish perspectives, which makes his acknowledgment of what we have in common more powerful. I know I have a few readers with an interest in things Jewish, so I thought I would share part of his message:

To the Jewish community on the Feast of Pesah

My visit to the United States offers me the occasion to extend a warm and heartfelt greeting to my Jewish brothers and sisters in this country and throughout the world. A greeting that is all the more spiritually intense because the great feast of Pesah is approaching. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12: 14). While the Christian celebration of Easter differs in many ways from your celebration of Pesah, we understand and experience it in continuation with the biblical narrative of the mighty works which the Lord accomplished for his people.

At this time of your most solemn celebration, I feel particularly close, precisely because of what Nostra Aetate calls Christians to remember always: that the Church “received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles” (Nostra Aetate, 4). In addressing myself to you I wish to re-affirm the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on Catholic-Jewish relations and reiterate the Church’s commitment to the dialogue that in the past forty years has fundamentally changed our relationship for the better.

Because of that growth in trust and friendship, Christians and Jews can rejoice together in the deep spiritual ethos of the Passover, a memorial (zikkarôn) of freedom and redemption. Each year, when we listen to the Passover story we return to that blessed night of liberation. This holy time of the year should be a call to both our communities to pursue justice, mercy, solidarity with the stranger in the land, with the widow and orphan, as Moses commanded: “But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this” (Deuteronomy 24: 18).

You can read the rest here.

What a blessing Pope Benedict is for the Church, with his combination of personal gentleness and an incisive and rigorous mind, honed in the pursuit of Truth. He is very different from Pope John Paul II, yet his pontificate is so complementary to his predecessors.

Seder Snippets

We had a busy weekend with two seder meals. Why two seders? Due to the difficulty of knowing exactly when the new moon would occur in Israel, Jews in the diaspora (outside Israel) traditionally added an extra day to Passover and celebrated two seders to ensure they had the right day covered. Nowadays the correct date for the beginning of Passover can be calculated more accurately, but the double seder tradition stuck.

Saturday's Seder
Small scale, with just the five of us. We downloaded this Family Haggadah (seder order of service) a couple of years ago and it works well for our mix of ages. It has all the essential elements of a traditional seder, clear text, abbreviated versions of favourite songs transliterated into the western alphabet, and is short enough for the girls to stay focused (mostly!).

Cherub was intrigued by the whole thing. Particularly by her very small "wine" glass, which she stuffed with a mixture of parsley (our "karpas" vegetable), charoset (apple, nuts, wine and sugar mixture to represent the mortar used by the Israelites in Egypt), matzoh and hard boiled egg. Nice.

Nobody spilled any wine. Unheard of.

Mercifully no unpleasant surprises during the preparation, unlike some people. Commiserations to Faith over the dead chipmunk.

Sunday's Seder

A larger scale at my SIL's, with fifteen people altogether (three families, plus an elderly gentleman from their synagogue, and a young Spanish Jew living in the UK to learn more about Judaism). Our girls were the only children ... the other "kids" are now all young adults. This was a full scale seder, following the Orthodox Haggadah and using a mix of Hebrew and English. Everyone there apart from myself and the girls are actually Reform Jews, but the Reform Synagogue organisation here doesn't have its own Haggadah so they stick to the traditional one. A traditional seder is long. We started at seven and finished at eleven, but only because the later section was fast-tracked as people needed to leave. Otherwise it would have been nearer midnight. It is also hard to follow, as the translation is grim. Old-fashioned language at its worst - pompous, wordy and obscure.

Cherub spent the entire time before the seder meal (an hour or more) sitting at the table happily arranging Playmobil people and furniture. After the meal she played a bit with Angel and Star, and with a box of sticklebricks. She is clearly a party animal. No way was she going to let herself fall asleep while there was a party going on. At one point she sat on Angel's lap and nodded off ... but managed to force herself back awake, hopped down and tried to walk. She was so close to asleep on her feet she looked like a little robot.

Lengthy negotiations over the afikomen (a piece of matzoh hidden by the children, which later becomes necessary for the continuation of the seder ... the children then hold it to ransom). My BIL is a lawyer. It shows. It took a while to establish that (a) yes, he was a person prepared to use cash to buy himself out of a difficulty, and (b) no, the girls would not consider Euros a better deal than sterling. All were eventually satisfied with the end result of the negotiations.

Two entirely random overheard comments:
"Pescatarianism sounds worse than cannibalism to me." (Huh?)
"I was at a Sephardi seder last night and at this point everyone hits each other over the head with a spring onion (scallion)."

Cousin L spilled her wine.

Preparing for Passover

Passover starts tonight, which means a long "to do" list in this Catholic-Jewish household ...

• Remove bread and bread products
• Clean toaster and dump in garage
• Fry fish (cold fried fish is a common British Jewish seder food)
• Boil eggs (ditto hard-boiled eggs in salt water)
• Make charoseth (gooey apple-cinnamon-wine-walnut mix to represent the mortar used by the Israelites as slaves in Egypt)
• Make coconut pyramids and cinnamon balls
• Prepare seder plate with lamb bone (we don't have one!), horseradish (nowhere locally had any fresh horseradish root, so we will have to make do with a jar of creamed horseradish), parsley, bowl of salt water, charoseth
• Find Haggadahs (order of service for seder meal)
  
• Set out jug of water, bowl and towel for hand washing
• Set table
• Find afikomen presents for girls (too complicated to explain here)

Now what did I forget?

First Heralds

I have been thinking for a while about starting a new blog to post specifically about teaching the Catholic faith to toddlers and preschoolers. I finally did it, and a number of very kind people with little ones of their own have agreed to contribute. I think it is going to be good! Take a look at the list of contributors in the sidebar and I'm sure you will agree.

You can find the blog here, at First Heralds. If you wonder about the title, it was inspired by this section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of which they are the "first heralds" for their children. They should associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church. (CCC 2225)

The Turin Shroud

I have been using iPlayer to catch up with various TV programmes I missed over Easter. One was a new BBC documentary about the Shroud of Turin, the cloth impregnated with markings indicating it was the burial cloth of a crucified man, and long believed to be the burial cloth of Christ. It was pretty interesting, so I thought I'd share the programme's findings.

You may know that back in the 1980s radio carbon dating seemed to identify the Shroud as a medieval fake, dating the fabric to the early fourteenth century. This programme pursued mainly historical rather than scientific evidence, which convincingly dates the Shroud much earlier. Here is the gist of the evidence ...

• Documentary evidence shows that there was a Shroud believed to be the Shroud of Jesus in Constantinople in the twelfth century. It disappeared during the sack of Constinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The Shroud of Turin is known to have appeared in the mid fourteenth century in a French village. The knight who owned the Shroud was the descendent of a crusader who took part in the Fourth Crusade.
• The Shroud of Turin can be shown to have fold marks consistent with being kept in a display mechanism that would tally with the way in which the Constantinople Shroud was displayed.
  
• Scientific evidence shows that the Shroud bears real blood stains, of blood shed in both life and death. These blood stains are Group AB, the rarest of the main blood types.
  
• There is another relic believed to have covered the face of Christ after the Crucifixion: the Sudarium of Oviedo. The blood stains on this cloth are also Group AB, and when placed alongside the Shroud, the stains in the head area can be matched up. The evidence strongly indicates that the two cloths were used to wrap the same body. (There is an article on this here.) The Sudarium is definitely known to have been brought to Spain from the Holy Land in the 600s.
• The markings on the Shroud indicate that the nails used during the crucifixion where placed in the man's wrists and heels. Archaeological evidence shows this was the method used by the Romans. However, medieval art always shows the nails in palms and feet. A forger would presumably have followed the convention of his time, and would have had no means of knowing that this was inaccurate.

Why does the historical evidence and the radio carbon dating clash? Nobody knows, but the suspicion is now that there must be some error in the scientific dating. The scientists who carried out the test are now reviewing their methods to see if they are flawed.

Interesting stuff!

An Easter Reflection

Not from me - I'm not feeling particularly reflective this year - but from Jennifer at Et Tu?, who reflects on her experience of the Eucharist since becoming a Catholic at the Easter Vigil last year.

Her initial response before her conversion was bemused disbelief ...

There was a part of me that kept hoping I'd find that it was all a misunderstanding, that Catholics were only required to believe that the consecration of the Eucharist was a really, really, really important symbolic event, that all that crazy talk about drinking blood and eating flesh was just some old fashioned superstition that us enlightened modern folks weren't required to believe. I was a lifelong atheist, after all. It was enough of a feat that I even came to believe in God in the first place. It was enough of a leap of faith for me to believe that some miracles might have happened a few times throughout history. But to ask a former militant atheist to believe that a miracle happens at every single Catholic Mass, that bread and wine are actually changed into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ despite the fact that they look exactly the same...it seemed too much to ask.

Then she moved on to intellectual acceptance ...

When I received my first Communion at Easter Vigil last year I had come to accept that the teaching on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is true. Or, perhaps more accurately, I was willing to accept on faith that it was not false. I was undoubtedly being led to the Catholic Church, and found its defense of this teaching to be solid and compelling, so I trusted that it was true in some mysterious way, even though I didn't really get it.

And now, after a year of experiencing the Eucharist ...

This belief in and love of the Eucharist is the most surprising thing that's ever happened to me. Never in my dreams would I have thought that I could believe such an incredible, outlandish claim. On some occasions I have even taken a step back to look at it all as objectively as possible, to set everything aside and honestly ask myself if this is all in my head, if perhaps I am eating bread and drinking wine at the Mass, but that its great symbolic value has led me to put myself in a different state of mind. And all I can come up with is this:

If this is a symbol, then I am insane.

It's not Tolkien, but that's about the best I can do. The way this Sacrament has slowly transformed my soul and given me a connection to God that I never knew before, the way I could easily move myself to tears at the thought of not being able to receive it, the strength I have drawn from having this direct communion with God...if these things are not real, then nothing is.

Go and read the whole post here.

And I'm very glad she linked to the Tolkien quote, which I had forgotten about (and in any case, had never found a source for). I added part of it to my sidebar.

Stations of the Cross: Three Part Cards

I made a set of Montessori style three part cards for the Stations of the Cross to go along with the Rosary cards I made last year.

You can download them as a .pdf file here.

Rosary arithmetic

After my arithmetical post yesterday I couldn't fail to notice this on Faith's blog, Dumb Ox Academy ...

Today, I happened to glance at my book, A Year with God. I was looking up anything that had to do with the rosary and found this little prayer:

“Dear Mother, may we through your Rosary ADD purity to the world, SUBTRACT evil from our lives, MULTIPLY good works for your Son, and DIVIDE your gifts and share them with others.”

We dedicated each decade we said this morning to either adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing as the above prayer mentions. For the last decade we prayed to be EQUAL to the tasks that God gives us.

How neat!

Rosary Three-Part Cards

I have been gathering things to put into the Faith Boxes I want to make for Little Cherub. I started downloading pictures of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary for Advent and Christmas, and ended up making an entire set of Montessori-style three-part cards for all twenty Mysteries. For now I will just put copies in the boxes as pictures to look at - though I am beginning to wonder whether I should extend the boxes for Star and include the full three-part cards now.

You can find a beautifully clear description of how to use three-part cards over at the Onion Dome, where Katherine has made available cards illustrating the Great Feasts of the Orthodox liturgical year and icons of North American saints.

If you would like to download copies of the Rosary cards, you can find them as a .pdf file here (if I have done the technical stuff right!)

Faith Boxes

I have been pondering ways of introducing a toddler to religion (or should that be religion to a toddler?). Inspired partly by the liturgical year books I have been making for Little Cherub, and partly by these Feast Day boxes at the Onion Dome - yes, I know I keep getting inspired by Katherine. She is very inspirational! - I have decided I am going to make Faith Boxes. Initially I was thinking of basing them on the liturgical year, then realised the idea could be extended to cover many aspects of religion.

I am going to start with an Advent Box - I always find I do better starting things in Advent. My head does Advent for new beginnings. I even attended my first ever Mass on the first Sunday of Advent. This is what I have planned for the contents:

• Nativity figures - I have a set of squishy plastic figures for toddlers bought from the Early Learning Centre when Angel was tiny.
• A wooden St.Nicholas figure. I have a Santa figure that looks fairly St.Nicholas-ish.
• Various small books telling the Christmas story. I still have a set of little board books covering different aspects which should be just right for Little Cherub this year.
• Pictures of the Five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
• Pictures of St.Nicholas, St.Lucy, the journey to Bethlehem and the Immaculate Conception
• Pictures of St.Lucy's Day celebrations
• A tiny Advent wreath, if I can make or buy one
• A little Advent calendar, with spaces for stickers (and something to stick on it).
• A CD with seasonal music
• A square of purple felt or cloth to use to set things out on

As Little Cherub grows, the contents can be updated with Playmobil figures instead of the toddler ones, a map of the Holy Land, three part cards for the Rosary pictures, O Antiphon symbols and cards, and so on.

On Christmas Day I can swap the box for a Christmas one. Then I have lots of ideas for other boxes ... Lent, Easter, Mary, Saints, Bible Stories (New Testament and Old Testament), the Mass, Church, Sacraments, Prayer. I think a few of these could make a great addition to Montessori shelves.

Good King Wenceslas

Browsing at the library again yesterday, I found another Geraldine McCaughrean picture book with a Christmas theme: Wenceslas. This one is a retelling of the story of Good King Wenceslas, based on the Christmas carol.

Another book for my wishlist.

Book Review: Father and Son

Just look what I found at the library!

Title: Father and Son
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Fabian Negrin
Age Suitability: 4 and over

I am a fan of Geraldine McCaughrean, and this picture book is one of her best. Written from the perspective of St.Joseph wondering what he can possibly offer as a father to the Son of God, this book brings home the reality of just Who was born in that stable:

What lullabies should I sing to someone who taught the angels to dance and peppered the sky with songbirds?

How can I teach him his words and letters: he who strung the alphabet together, he who whispered dreams into a million, million ears, in a thousand different languages ...

The text is short but deep, and is complemented by illustrations showing father and son together in a variety of childhood scenes. I was surprised to see only a three star rating on Amazon for what I think is a five star book, but this was down to a bad review by someone who found the language and concepts too advanced for young children. If, like me, you enjoy picture books with more complex language and with religious themes you will love this. It is one of those rare books that took only a brief glance to know that I just have to buy it.

Enjoy!

Holy Cards for your Inspiration

A commenter kindly introduced me to her unique blog on which she displays her extraordinary collection of holy cards, some of them over 100 years old. This Hummel Children at Tree Shrine card was one that particularly caught my attention as my mother has a collection of Hummel figurines. I had forgotten that they were based on drawings by a German Franciscan nun, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. Reading this site, I discovered that her artwork appeared on holy cards before it was picked up by the Goebel company who manufactured the figures. I love it when things make connections.

Do go and see Micki's beautiful collection of Holy Cards for your Inspiration. I think some of them will make a nice addition to something I am working on for Little Cherub. More about that later!