Catholic Prayer: Prayer Cards for Easter Grace at Meals

Description:

Antiphons are the short verses which the Church uses during the liturgical seasons to help us catch the spirit of the feasts we celebrate. Children love these gems of prayer because they are so brief, so easily memorized. We use some from each feast before and after grace at meals.

Children enjoy printing the antiphons on 4 x 6 cards or paper which may be used as prayer cards when the family gathers for their evening meal. Because the prayers are so short, even first graders are able to print them. Older children will want to color and decorate theirs with symbols appropriate to the feast from designs in the section on Symbolism. Antiphons for feasts and their octaves from Easter to Trinity follow.

Prayer:

Easter: Father: This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia. Family: Let us be glad and rejoice in it, Alleluia.

Paschaltide (Second Sunday of Easter to Eve of Ascension): Father: Over Your resurrection, O Christ, Alleluia. Family: Let heaven and earth rejoice, Alleluia.

Ascension: Father: God ascends amid shouts of joy, Alleluia. Family: The Lord amid trumpet blasts, Alleluia.

Pentecost: Father: And suddenly there was a sound from heaven as of a violent wind coming, Alleluia, Alleluia. Family: The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking with diverse tongues, alleluia.

Trinity Sunday: Father: Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Family: Let us praise and exalt Him forever.

Prayer Source: Family Customs: Easter to Pentecost by Helen McLoughlin, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1956