Case of the Can't s

I'm sitting here, 9:30 in the morning, eating a Hershey bar and blasting out a mix of Christian music. Yes, chocolate at 9:30 in the morning. Hey, it's mid-afternoon in France! Vive la France, oui? Et Notre Dame de Lourdes!

Ladies and gentlemen, I have case of the can't s. So I am applying the appropriate mix of prayer, music and chocolate. And I do mean a mix, because Vivaldi's Gloria is being followed by Jars of Clay singing "Frail." Yes, when down, give God glory and praise. That gives great perspective. It's all good. (Or, as we just learned in St. Pat's Bible study on the letter of James, "Count it all joy!") Then admit your frailty and great need. It's okay to need Him. Really.


I'm not entirely sure how I made this slide down, but God has used it to teach me some very important things.

We all get to this point. Nothing is really wrong with life, but we are tired. Things look hard and little lying whispers tell you how hard or impossible or time consuming or selfish certain things would be. Or maybe the whispers tell you that you are not doing enough -- the trap of doing too much. Then doubt comes -- are you SURE you're doing what God wants? The sin of sloth creeps in. Then we feel overwhelmed and guilty by all the work that needs to be done and decisions that need to be made. Mix that with distraction and a sense of distance from God (however untrue) and Voila!

So, what have I learned? One example:


Vacation Bible School John is a 5th grader. Last year of elementary school. Last year to be a VBS participant. Junior High and High School kids are volunteers -- they work and help during the week.

It is a little daunting, to think of all the decisions and changes for next year. Should we let John on to Boy Scouts? At what point will CCD become to difficult for him? What about VBS next year? Ugh, and the Jr High IEP! But lets not go there yet.

I had settled in my mind that this was our last year for VBS. I could not imagine what kind of things John could do as a helper. Now, THAT kind of thinking is NOT like me. (So, be aware, even your most positive sounding parent of a special needs kid may end up being negative. Beware! Don't assume they are always right when they say the kid "can't" do something.)

Praise God, a mother in charge of the main check-in table, K, asked me how John was doing at VBS. Then she related to me how her daughter, B, was asking what John would do next year when he was in Junior High. I (negative lady) interjected that I had no idea and was not sure if he'd participate. Fortunately, K went on to say that she was pleased that B was thinking about John volunteering next year. (Mea Culpa!) Then she and another mother immediately came up with the ideal job for John.

The next day, I watched my son be swarmed by young lady volunteers AND some 5th grade girls, too. (John is extremely cute, if I do say so myself.) One of the volunteer's mothers came up to me at the end of the night, introduced herself, and related how much fun her daughter was having working with John -- how she talks about him every night.

Okay, I'm crying now.

You see, by SHOWING UP (see my past posts), we helped encourage a can-do attitude with the kids of the parish. Of course John should be there! Of course he should be involved! Why not? So, when I fell, the children of God (and their holy Moms) were there to pick me up.

SHOW UP. HOPE. And LISTEN TO THE KIDS.

My grandmother always said, "There's no such thing as can't." Or, to put in in the context of the great gift of the Incarnation and Redemption (talk about something that seemed impossible!), "For with God nothing will be impossible." (Lk1:37 RSV)

So let us respond, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Lk 1:38)


Okay, where's my rosary....

Blessed be God.

Liturgy Cards

Okay, I'm going to totally wimp out this month and cut and paste from a brochure I made about Liturgy Cards, describing their use at Mass and for catechesis. It's summer. I'm still getting the routine down.

I seem to have managed to insert a picture. Good for me! Now, to copy and paste the description of the above. :-)

The “source and summit” of our Roman Catholic faith is the celebration of Mass. However, for some children, and therefore their parents, Mass can be a challenging experience. This is especially true for young children and children with special needs. However, with adequate visual supports and catechesis, the children can participate more fully in the Mass.

Liturgy Cards are an attractive, simple, portable and adaptable tool designed to aid children, parents and CCD teachers in meeting this need.

What are Liturgy Cards?

Liturgy Cards are a set of twenty-two 1½-inch square laminated cards, each with a simple picture and heading for the corresponding part of the Mass. These cards are similar to the kinds of cards many children with disabilities use at home or school to communicate, keep schedules and calendars, and follow tasks. Cards are either kept on a 1-inch binder ring, or on Velcro or magnet strips in a folder. The child either flips through the cards or, with the Velcro or magnet style, removes the card as each part of the Mass is completed. Cards are easily removed or reordered as the liturgical season requires. A second version of the cards include 2 1/2-inch square laminated cards which can be mounted on an accompanying poster, for classroom display or games.

What need do they meet?

Liturgy Cards provide any child a simple means to follow Mass, like a miniature missalette. They help reduce anxiety and increase comprehension of the Mass for a child and reinforce aural cues. They help children organize their thoughts and learn the rhythm of the liturgy.

In religious education, the cards provide a way to increase learning and understanding by providing visual support needed to follow lessons about Mass They allow for increased participation and expression at CCD, especially for children with verbal communication challenges. And they allow for easier testing of comprehension of the liturgy for children who are non-verbal or who have challenges related to reading and writing.

Who will be served by this product?

Children with disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, visual or auditory processing challenges, AD/HD and Down Syndrome are among the people who benefit from the use of picture cards. Based on statistics from Easter Seals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and “The Official Catholic Directory 2005” (Pub P.J. Kenedy &

Sons), there are likely more than 7,000 newly baptized Catholics each year with autism, cerebral palsy, or Down Syndrome alone.

Pre-school age children also benefit from the simple, colorful, non-verbal prompts at Mass which are given by Liturgy Cards. Based on statistics from the above sources, there should be nearly 3 million Catholic children ages 3-5 who could benefit from these cards.

Children in the early grades, particularly those preparing for First Communion, can use the cards during school or CCD Masses. And the poster version of Liturgy Cards provides a solid visual teaching tool in the classroom, as well as a fun catechetical game.

What makes this product unique?

Liturgy Cards are easy to use. They are simple, visually uncluttered, and small enough to fit in a purse or pocket.

Liturgy Cards are multipurpose. They can be used at religious education class, daily or weekly Mass, and for all liturgical seasons. You can add or remove cards according to the person’s level of comprehension.

Liturgy Cards are picture-based. No reading required.

Liturgy Cards save you time. They are pre-assembled and ready to use. No hunting on the Internet for appropriate graphics, and no purchasing of expensive picture card software.

Comments from the test group:

• “Your visual cards are exactly how I have been able to reach several families at my own parish. I have approached these families in the past but they didn’t seem interested. I told them about your cards and they wanted to set up a meeting.” (Regional DRE)

• “It’s a more modern version of children’s missals, but much more kid friendly.” (mother of pre-schooler)

• “My son makes the sign of the cross every time he sees the cross and folds his hands when he sees praying hands.” (mother of 8 year old with Down Syndrome)

Interested? I do not have a publisher/manufacturer and am not in the position to mass produce them myself. But if you want to produce them, if you have comments or questions, or if you are at wits end and are desperate for the support of these cards, please do g-mail me at the above address! I am listening for God's will on this one.

You can make these cards yourself. My son has a binder of hand-made cards, using clip art and photos, for catechesis and for RECONCILIATION.

For more general information about the use of picture cards, see the web sites for the secular manufacturers of these kinds of products: PECS (great source of information) and Boardmaker.

Well, have a wonderful day. (And GO TO MASS) :-)

Blessed be God.