CHILDERMAS: INTRODUCTION
A Service of Nine Lessons and Canticles
for
Childermas
BACKGROUND
The Western Churches have been ambivalent about how to celebrate this feast, sometimes using the color red with Gloria and Alleluia to emphasize their martyrdom but at other times mourning by using the color purple and omitting the Gloria and Alleluia –The Catholic Encyclopedia. This service keeps that ambivalence emphasizing children as both models and victims.
One source of inspiration for this service was the annual Anglican Service of Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast by the BBC each Christmas eve. A key element of the great popularity and staying power of this service is the standardization of the Lessons while the Carols provide both variety and standardization. There are standard hymns sung with the people, while many of the choral hymns are repeated each year some are different, including one newly commissioned piece.
Another source of inspiration has been the Byzantine tradition of a Canon based upon nine Canticles using both the Old and New Testament texts. Some of the nine Canticles here are part of the Canon, others are difference scripture texts. Like the Nine Lessons, the Nine Canticles are meant to be a constant framework.
Like the Byzantine poetic tradition, these texts of the Lessons and Canticles are meant to be a rich meditation upon the experience of childhood as portrayed in scripture, both its beauty and its tragedy.
Hymns and/or troparia may follow each Lesson and Canticle before the Canticle Litany/Prayer. Rather than proposing any myself, I have left it up to communities, congregations, and organizations to choose their own expressions appropriate to their cultures, and occasions. This service template is meant to be an ecumenical framework that can be shared across religious organizations.
Rather than following the Byzantine tradition of poetic texts inspired by nine standard Canticles, more freedom was used in choosing the texts of the canticles and in paraphrasing those texts for contemporary life.
This service is meant to be a foundation framework. Prior to each lesson, there should be a brief news article depicting some contemporary situation of children. For the first seven lessons these should be about the plight of children and adolescents whether it be physical abuse, sexual abuse, sweat shop labor, AIDS, etc. For the last two lessons, these should show children and adolescents as exemplars and role models. The news articles might be accompanied by large posters, slide projections, or videos.
After each lesson (if desired a choir may perform some musical piece.) In the choice of music, the
choir director might consider that some greater effect might be achieved by
placing an idyllic piece of music against the stark really of life depicted in
the news article. As with Christ’s Passover it is best to maintain the unity of
the Passion and the Resurrection
In keeping with the spirit of the service and another tradition, the lessons and prayers and other activities should be led by children, or adolescents, or the youngest (or newest) members of a community.
“In many churches in
While this service is most suitable for the period between Christmas and the Sunday after Epiphany, it may be used at other times of the year as suggested by the Armenian tradition.
This Service, in the form of one lesson and Canticle per day, may also be used as a Novena by groups, families and individuals. This is again in accord with a tradition of beginning a Novena on Holy Innocents and ending on January 5th the eve of Epiphany.
Finally I wish to thank John Seryak for suggesting that Voice of the Faithful do something for the feast of Holy Innocents.
The procession into the Church of the Children who will lead the service is in silence or may be accompanied by somber instrumental music. The last Child in the procession carries a pastoral (shepherd) staff in the manner of an acolyte.
If a bishop is in attendance at the service, the bishop should follow the procession and present his staff to the acolyte at the front pew where the bishop will station himself during the service.
The acolyte with the pastoral
staff takes a position behind the lectern. Each Child who takes a turn
presiding bows to the acolyte and receives the pastoral staff before she reads
or prays, returning it to the acolyte at the end of her service.
THE OPENING PROCLAMATION
A Child proclaims each phrase; all the Children serving
echo each phase as a chorus. The congregation stands in attentive silence.
JRST Deuteronomy 14:1-2; 4:7,9
You are the children of the LORD your God. R.
You are a people holy to the LORD your God. R.
The LORD has chosen you from all the nations of the earth. R.
Hear now, these principles and teachings; do them today that you may live well. R.
Take great care about your deepest self; and guard your very life. R.
Do not forget any of these things which your own eyes have seen. R.
Never let them depart from your heart all the days of your life. R.
Teach them to your children and to their descendents after them. R.