Page 10 - Lessons and Activities on What Makes Us Catholic

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THE AMBO—TABLE OF THE WORD
Objective
To deepen learning about the importance of the word of God during liturgy, using imagination and creativity
Background for Catechists
e church (especially through the Second Vatican Council) reminds us of the many ways Jesus is present with us during the liturgy. We are fed and nourished through God’s word and the Eucharist. e General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass reminds us that there is a close relationship between the altar and the ambo, emphasizing the connection between word and Eucharist: the two tables, the table of the word and the table of the Eucharist.
e U.S. bishops’ document Built of Living Stones gives further guidance on the use of the ambo: “Our reverence for the word of God is expressed not only in an attentive listening to and re ection upon the Scripture, but also by the way we handle and treat the Book of the Gospels. e ambo can be designed not only for reading and preaching, but also for display- ing the open Book of the Gospels or a copy of the Scriptures before and after the liturgical celebration” (no. 62).
Materials
□ Pencils, markers, crayons □ Copies of the handout
Lesson Starter
Ask: When someone shares an important message (college classes, the president’s State of the Union speech, etc.), where does the speaker often stand?
As the learners explore the use of lecterns and podiums, help them to see that the church has a unique kind: an ambo. It’s much more than a podium; it’s a table from which we are
fed, since the message (the word of God) is so crucial to our lives: it leads us to Eucharist, and Eucharist leads us to live the word of God.
Discuss with your learners the uniqueness and reverence due the ambo and the use of the two liturgical books used at the ambo: the lection- ary (the book of the readings for each Sunday and weekday Mass as well as for other liturgies: baptism, anointing of the sick, funerals, rites of blessings, etc.) and the Book of the Gospels (gos- pels for Sundays and feasts of our Lord and the saints). Invite them to imagine what the covers of these two books might look like.
Share with your learners that, at times, churches (following guidelines from Built of Living Stones, nos. 126–127) use a simple fabric hanging, a stole-like piece, conveying the color and a symbol or image of the liturgical season.
Activity
Divide your group in half. Invite half of the children/youth to design a front cover for the Book of the Gospels; invite the other half of the group to design a simple hanging for the front of the ambo.
Prayer Together
Word of God, as we gather around the table of the word, open our hearts to cherish your message. Open our lips to share your message. Open our hands and feet to be your message to our world.
Options
▪ If there is time—or enough children/youth to divide into three groups—invite them to also design a cover for the Lectionary.
▪ ey might design several hangings for the ambo—for each of the liturgical seasons and for celebrations of baptism, con rmation, marriage, etc.
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