Subject:  Nomenclature & Movement

 

Title:         Preparing the Cruets

 

Age:      3+, when a child can pour with accuracy

 

Liturgical Time:   Any

 

Doctrinal Points:  None

 

Direct Aims:

• To introduce and name the cruets, wine and water and to show them how they are prepared for mass.
• Control of movement.

 

Indirect Aims:

• Greater Participation in Liturgy (GPL).
• Preparation for prayer through controlled movement.
• Preparation for Preparation of the chalice
• To foster a vocation to altar service.

 

Description of Materials:

• Low shelf and a working area with an empty space underneath or adjacent for wine & water.
• An adjacent space to hold a crock for used wine & water.
• Small set of real-sized glass cruets with caps one with a red dot to indicate the fill line; the other a blue dot.
• Tray or shallow dish to hold the cruets.
• Glass pitcher or decanter with a red dot for the wine.
• Glass pitcher with a blue dot for the water.
• Small funnel.
• Small sponge for catching drips.
• Small tray to hold the funnel and sponge.
• Bottle of red wine (inexpensive dark burgundy)
• Attractive crock or pottery type receptacle for emptying cruets.
• 3 mats for the cruets, crock and wine bottle.

 

Presentation:

     Introduction

• I’ve noticed you’ve been very careful with your pouring. Every mass the cruets are brought to the altar.
• These are the cruets. One holds wine, one holds water.
• This is how they are prepared for Mass.

 

Instruction:

• Take cover off the cruet. Pick up the wine bottle say “This is our wine, you can even smell it” and then place the wine bottle down on the table.
• Place the funnel in the wine cruet. Say “I’m going to pour the wine, when it reaches the ret dot say stop.”
• Pour wine into funnel until the red dot and use the sponge to wipe off the drip from the wine bottle.
• Take the funnel and wipe off the drip with a sponge.
• Cover the wine cruet and place the wine cruet on the tray and say “The wine cruet is now prepared.”
• Now say, “Would you like to prepare the water cruet?”
• Sit aside while the child prepares the water cruet, repeating the above process.
• Say, “Now the cruets are prepared.”
• “Now let me show you what to do when the cruets are prepared.”
• Take the wine cruet and empty the wine into the bucket and sponge off the drip and put back on tray. Ask, “Would you like to empty the water?
• Child pours the water into the bucket and sponge off the drip.  Place cruet back on the tray.

 

Movement:

• Place cruet forward.
• Take cover off from cruet.
• Place funnel on.
• Bring wine bottle up from the floor with hand  on the wine bottle.
• Twist cover off.
• Put cap on table.
• Pick up wine bottle with one hand while the other hand is supporting the wine bottle.
• Pour wine (without bottle touching funnel and centered) in the middle of funnel until reaching the red dot.
• Place wine bottle down. Wipe drip off the wine bottle.
• Cover wine bottle.
• Put wine bottle down on wine tray.
• Pick up funnel.
• Wipe funnel.
• Place funnel on tray.
• Cover cruet.
• Place cruet on tray.
• Invite child to do the water cruet. Ask them, “Would you like to do it again?

  

 

Children’s Work:

• Repeating the exercise.
• Sponging.
• Dishwashing.

 

Children’s Responses: