Give this book to your small children to help you make a visit to the tabernacle with them. The pictures are drawn from the art that decorates tabernacles. They tell a story or reveal a truth about Jesus that you can share with the littles. The book also has pages with prompts for children to create their own drawings.
Prepare for your visit. Start with a short visit at a time of day when you are not rushed, and the children are not hungry or tired. Talk to your children ahead of the visit. Tell them that the family is making a visit to Jesus and why. You can explain how Jesus is present in a special way as the Host kept inside the Tabernacle. Encourage them to look for the Host at Mass and to watch to see when the Host is put inside the tabernacle.
Teach them to make the sign of the cross and to kneel on one knee before the tabernacle because Jesus is present there. Explain that this is how we say hello and goodbye when we visit Him.
Let your children know that Jesus is here, that He loves you, He sees you, and He hears you. Encourage them to talk to Him quietly in their heads without words or to draw pictures for Him. Share with them the skill of listening. What is it that they hear when they are quiet? They can draw it to talk with you later about it.
After visiting the tabernacle together, look at their drawings and talk with them about the love Jesus has for them. Plan when you will go back.
Learn more about tabernacles, the stories behind the symbols, and how to use them to pray in Return to Me: Visits to the Tabernacle by Lynda Rozell (En Route Books and Media, 2024).
Paperback: $9.99
Danielle C. Mesa was born in Boston, Massachusetts to a devoted Catholic family. Her father is a deacon serving at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston. The desire of her heart is to use the gifts and talents she has received from God to give praise and glory to the Lord. Danielle’s aspiration is that her book will reveal the joy and hope children with special needs bring to their families and those around them. She holds a fine arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Post-Bachelor’s degree from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
