A Directory for the Liturgy of the Hours…with Children?

I recently read the Directory for Masses with Children and was struck at how little my parish [and other parishes I have visited who offer a ‘Children’s Liturgy of the Word’] seem to be offering our young people.

I am a parent and accompany my two young boys of 2 years and 4 years of age to weekly ‘Children’s Liturgy of the Word’ while by wife sits in the Church with the ‘big people’. So, you could say over the last few years, I have been able to see what goes on at such Children’s Liturgy first hand. And I must confess, up until recently, I have been fairly pleased with what I have seen – that is – until my recent reading of the aforementioned Directory.

For the most part, the children are whisked away after the Opening Prayer – and at my Parish don’t return until the Sign of Peace. During their time in the Parish Hall [or Presbytery in other parishes I have visited], the general structure involves a simple gathering and welcome, followed by the reading of the Gospel. A [brief] reflection is offered by the Parent Leaders interspersed with some questions to the young people present…but all this takes place very quickly…to give way to colouring-in activities or crafty exercises. Time permitting, the Lord’s Prayer is said – before quickly being ushered back into the Church for all to marvel at the children’s works of art.

After having read the Directory, it seems to me we are only offering a small sliver of possible faith development to our young people in the way we currently offer the ‘Children’s Liturgy of the Word’. I know some individuals who refer to these parish initiatives as nothing more than ‘glorified art classes’.

Be that as it may [or may not be], it does appear to me that current practice seems to have fallen into a rut of only focusing on one aspect of what the Directory says. Article 36 states:

‘For the same reason, the use of art work prepared by the children themselves may be useful, for example, as illustrations of a homily, as visual expressions of the intentions of the general intercessions, or as inspirations to reflection’.

This seems to be the main – and in some parishes I have frequented with my children – the only ‘activity’ attributed to Children’s Liturgy. This falls under the heading of Visual Elements in the Directory. But there are of course many other ministries suggested in the Directory for children to be involved in such as singing and music, proclaiming the readings, bringing gifts to the altar and preparing and ornamenting of the altar. In my parish at least [and I would imagine in many others] these extra ministries for children to partake in are not exercised – and this is a real pity.

The logical flow-on question I have in regards to this is: is there a Directory for the Liturgy of Hours…with Children? And further, what is being done in this regard to introduce the concept of the Hours to our young people?

I am familiar with the work of Elizabeth McMahon Jeep who works for Liturgy Training Publications of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Her written works produced annually called ‘Children’s Daily Prayer’ are a welcome addition to the issue of the Hours being introduced to children, but these are a resource that appears [at least to my research and inquiry] stand-alone publications that have arisen out of a perceived gap in spiritual formation of young people.

There seems to be no official documentation by the Church in regards to the Hours and its association with children.

While Jeep’s efforts ably assisted by Liturgy Training Publications are to be applauded, surely an ecclesiastical push on the issue would bring about a renewed awareness and perhaps even interest in the whole concept of the Hours.

Perhaps this is an issue that can be tabled at the Bishop’s Synod in Rome this October.