A Festal Meal celebrating angels

Because next Sunday is the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, you might consider having a special meal  with foods of the season -- although you could actually have this particular meal any time!  

Suggestions for food are back in the August 26 posting.

Music: Teach the children to sing "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" so they will be able to sing it during the Festal Meal. It's an old slave spiritual from the Georgia Sea Islands, invoking the Archangel Michael's help in the hard task of rowing to the mainland. (At a deeper level, it's also about the Archangel Michael's task of carrying the souls of those who have died to join their loved ones on the other side of the Jordan River.) Here are a couple of versions you can listen to online to help you teach your children this lively song about angelic help:

A traditional version with familiar lyrics.

A lively version that might inspire you to find tambourines or drums or other percussion instruments for the children to shake or drum or clang as they sing.

Preparing the table: Because Michaelmas has also traditionally been a festival honoring early autumn, each child could make a name card for the table by drawing, cutting out, and coloring an autumn leaf and then writing his or her own name on it. As they write their names on the leaves, remind them that each of us has a name that is precious to God. If you want to establish who sits where, collect the leaves and set them out just before the meal; otherwise let the children put them at their places once they have finished making them (you could continue on here and have the children set the table as well). As a centerpiece on the table to be used for the Festal Meal, arrange a vase or a bowl of fall daisies, choosing what is available in your region, from the tall blue New England asters to the low growing white daisies of the Southwest -- or fill a bowl with autumn leaves. In front of an adult's place at the table, place a candle, to be lit at the start of the Festal Meal, and a bell to ring midway. 

Have fun! 

THE FESTAL MEAL

Preparing the children

Either earlier in the day or at the start of the meal, teach your children the appropriate responses and gestures:

"God was with them:" the children respond while stretching out their arms, palms up.

"God is with us:" the children respond while hugging themselves, arms crossed and hands on opposite shoulders.

After each blessing, teach them to respond "Amen."

Festal Meal Liturgy for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels (or any time you want to celebrate angels!)

An adult should light a candle and say: Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Everyone: Thanks be to God.

Adult: When God called the Israelites out of Egypt, an angel led the way as a pillar of fire in the night. Later, when the people were lost in the wilderness, God rained down manna for them to eat and gave them grain from heaven. So people ate the bread of angels.

Children (with arms outstretched, palms up): God was with them. 

Adult: As we break this bread together,

Children (with arms crossed, hands on opposite shoulders as though hugging themselves): God is with us.

At this time, pass around the fish pretzels (see the end of the September 15 post for how to make these): ) or any other bread or rolls to share. After a suitable amount of time for eating and talking, everyone should join in singing "Michael Row the Boat Ashore,"  after which an adult should ring a bell to call everyone back to the liturgy. 


Adult: And now may God bless us and keep us.

Children: Amen.

Adult: May God send holy angels to be our guardians and guides. 

Children: Amen.

Adult: May holy angels dwell in our hearts and be companions on our journeys.

Children: Amen.

Everyone: Thanks be to God.

The Festal Meal commences.