Subject: Infancy Narratives
Title: Annunciation
Age: 3+
Sources: Luke 1:26-38, RPC, p. 105-113; GS&C,
Ch. 10; MM, p. 77-79, [CCC 461-463, 470, 479, 483, 452-455, 494-511, 328-336
Liturgical Time: Advent (or near feast day – March 25th)
Doctrinal Points:
- Nothing is impossible to God.
- God desired so much to be with us that he became human.
- God is always with us (“the Lord is with you”).
- Angels are messengers from God (they often evoke immediate response).
- It is alright to ask God questions in faith.
- Mary’s response to God’s invitation to servanthood is a model for us in response to the action
of the Holy Spirit in our lives (for 6+)
- Jesus is human and divine.
- Mary is chosen as God-bearer even as a virgin.
- Jesus is conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Jesus is a descendant of the House of David.
- Jesus is King and his kingdom will have no end.
Direct Aims:
- To lift up Jesus as human and divine.
Indirect Aims:
- To prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
- To continue the celebration of Advent
- To give a sense of salvation history – that God prepares his people, reveals himself to his people
and has watched over his people throughout history.
- To nurture prayer language.
- To nurture the sense of wonder and awe.
- To lay a foundation of respect for our Judaic heritage.
- To prepare for later infancy narratives.
- To nurture a trust in God.
- To nurture a personal relationship with God.
- To introduce the characters and events in the Gospel account of the Annunciation.
- To introduce angels as messengers of God’s plan of salvation.
- To begin to know the power of the Holy Spirit in us and the world.
- To lift up Jesus as the Messiah/Savior/Light promised by the prophets.
- To lift up Mary as “highly favored, chosen, handmaid of the Lord”.
Description of Materials:
- A diorama, triptych, or box of wood to suggest a simple room.
- 4-5 ½” figures of Mary and the Angel Gabriel
- A box or basket to hold the figures.
- A scripture booklet with a white cover – the first page should include a map of Israel
showing the city of Nazareth with a red dot.
- A tracing packet in a 9x9 white folder to include laminated sheets:
- Mary & Angel Gabriel
- Some of the words from scripture
- Colored pencils, crayons
- Candles, matches, snuffer, tray for spent matches
- Mat to work on
- Matching art on scripture booklet
- A box for the tracing packet on the shelf in the bookcase (or some other holder for the collected tracing
packets)
Presentation:
Introduction
{Lay out mat}
“We are still in advent, waiting to celebrate what birth?” (or other
introductory comment or question on Advent/waiting/Jesus’ impending birth)
“Have
you heard how Jesus was born?”
“Where did
Mary live?” {wait for response- Nazareth}
“An angel
came to Mary there, we will listen to what the angel told her.
Solemn Reading of Scripture
{Light candle} -say “I am lighting the candle now, so we need to sit still, flat on our bottoms with legs
“criss-cross-applesauce”.
{Show map, point to Nazareth}
{Read from book- The Annunciation to Mary-(read solemnly, sit straight and tall)}
Narration and Meditation
“What did
we hear?”
“What did
the angel tell Mary?”
“We heard
many big words.”
“VIRGIN, is
a young women who is not married.”
“BETROTHED,
means that Mary was promised to Joseph in marriage.”
“Rejoice highly
favored one, what does it mean to be favored?”
“Mary was
told not be afraid, and that God was pleased with her. The angel told her that she would bear God’s son and that he
would be the most high and give him the throne of his ancestor David!” An ancestor is a relative from a long time ago.”
“The angel
told Mary God’s spirit would come upon her.”
“He told her,
her kinswomen would have a baby even though she was old.
“Nothing is impossible for God.”
“What did
the angel say?” “What did Mary say?” “She said YES!”
“I wonder
what it was like for Mary to hear all this?”
Scripture
Reading with Materials
{Display Mary’s house, Mary figure, angel (off to side)}
“Let’s
listen to this scripture again.” {read from book}
{Take angel and place near Mary, continue reading until the end}
Silence
Meditation
continued
“I wonder
why the angel said to Mary do not be afraid?” All those things the angel told to Mary.” “Rejoice most highly
favored. She was special and God knew that.”
“Who will
Mary’s child be?”
“How is he
going to be more special than all other babies?” “That has never happened before.”
“We can wonder.”
“God worked
through an angel and the Holy Spirit worked through Mary.”
Welcoming
and Inviting a Response
“There is
a song we can sing to help us remember what the angel said to Mary. It is called “Hail Mary, Gentle Women.”
{SING song, repeat with children}
“Are there
any prayers you want to pray about what the angel said to Mary?”
“This is your
work now, you can use it any time you like.”
Restoration of the Material:
“Let me show
you where it goes on the shelf.” {Place items back one at a time}
”When
you want it, it will be there for you.”
(encourage children
to ask for the scripture to be read to them anytime they wish)
{Extinguish candle}
Children’s Work with the Materials:
- work with house, figurines
- trace book pages
Children’s Responses (notable things the children say or do):
