What S So Holy About

What’s so Holy about

This Thursday?

The Stories and Symbols

of the Last Supper

What’s So Holy about This Thursday, p. 1

Purpose

Participants will explore the differences and similarities of the Last Supper stories; they will bake and break bread as they discover the many meanings of the “Body of Christ.” This session is designed for high school youth and is most effective with motivated learners. It may be done very easily with groups from 5-30 participants.

Note to Leader: In this session the group needs to meet near access to a kitchen with an oven. If this session is done with a larger group, there needs to be at least one adult for every ten youth. Consider inviting parents to join teens for this session for two reasons. First, it will improve the quality of the conversation and influence a more mature attitude throughout the prayers and activities. Second, it will break open the symbols and stories of Holy Thursday so that attending Mass together as a family might have more meaning. In fact, families who don’t usually attend Holy Thursday liturgy might decide to do so after this session.

Materials Needed

· Ingredients for making bread:

- 2 cups of whole wheat flour, in a clear measuring cup

- 1 cup of white flour, in a clear measuring cup

- 4 teaspoons of baking powder, in a small clear dish or container

- 1 teaspoon of salt in a small, clear container

- ½ cup of shortening (or butter) in a small dish

- 1 and 1/3 cups milk, in a clear measuring cup

- 3 teaspoons of honey, in a small, clear cup or bowl

Note to Leader: If you have less than 30 participants, you will only need one set of these ingredients. If you have more than 30, you may want to set up two or more bread-making stations, and you will therefore need two or more sets of ingredients.

Place the ingredients beside their original containers, so they are more easily identifiable. For instance, the clear measuring cup of whole wheat flour can sit in front of the bag it came from, which most likely says, “Whole wheat flour.” It’s best that these items are all in clear containers so the participants can see what they look like.

· Large, clear mixing bowl and large wooden mixing spoon

· Spatula

· Floured bread board, and some extra flour in a bowl

· Rolling pin

· Bread pan

· Four butter knives

· Oven in a nearby kitchen

· Bible (on a Bible stand would be great)

· Candle and matches

· Cloth

· Bibles, one for each participant

· Pens or pencils

· Resource 1, “The Bread-Making Prayer,” copies for leader and Readers A and B

· Handout 1, “Five Scripture Comparison,” one for each participant

Note to Leader: This is a two-page handout; copy double-sided, so the participants only have to handle one piece of paper.

• Handout 2, “A Deeper Look at the Symbols,” one for each participant

Note to Leader: This is a two-page handout; copy double-sided, so the participants only have to handle one piece of paper.

· Five 3 x 5 index cards

Prepare in Advance

1. Set up the ingredients in the way described above, in the center of a large work table. Have the utensils and bowl, pan, and breadboard on a large tray to the side of the table.

2. Enthrone the Bible (by using a book stand if possible). Place on a cloth, with a candle (and matches) on a nearby table.

3. Set up chairs in a semi-circle facing the work table.

4. If possible, set up an additional space, with work tables to accommodate about five or six youth and one or two adults each.

5. Invite a young person to light the candle in the beginning of the bread-making prayer.

6. Invite a young person to read the short Scripture passage.

7. Arrange for several different youth to take on the roles of the pouring ingredients into the large clear mixing bowl and mixing what they have poured.

8. Invite two youth to be readers for the bread-making prayer.

9. Invite a young person to knead the bread during the break-making prayer. Find someone who has kneaded bread before, or have that person practice at home ahead of time. Explain to that person how he or she will need to take the bread out of the mixing bowl, hold it up high for the participants to see (for just a moment), and then put it on the breadboard and begin kneading it, adding extra flour if needed.

10. Invite another young person to be ready to remove the bread from the breadboard, and to place it on the bread pan, then roll it out with the rolling pin so that it is only about ¼ inch thick. Then, he or she will need to round off the edges so they look even and finished.

11. If you have a larger group, then it’s a good idea to have these bread-making assistants and readers practice with you ahead of time. It’s always easier to do something well if you have done it once before—especially in prayer. Bread-making is very graceful and prayerful if it is done with confidence and reverence. But it is not prayerful if it is done with awkwardness and giggles, due to nervousness in front of a large group. However, in a smaller and more intimate group, a practice would not be necessary, since everyone will be participating; they will not feel as if they are “performing” bread-making in front of an audience, and therefore they would not really feel nervous.

12. If you have a combined group of parents and teens, be sure to ask parents as well as teens to be part of the bread-making.

13. It is essential that those who are mixing and kneading and handling the bread dough wash their hands right before the bread-making prayer.

14. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees when the prayer begins.

15. Prepare five index cards to say the following Scripture passages. Highlight or bold just the quotes.

Index card #1: From the Book of Psalms (81:16): I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with wild honey.

Index card #2: From the Gospel of Matthew (5:13): The salt of the earth.

Index card #3: From the Book of Exodus (3:17): A land flowing with milk and honey.

Index card #4: From the Book of Numbers (7:13): Fine flour mixed with oil.

Index card #5: From Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 5:6): A little bit of yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.

Session at a Glance

7:00 pm Welcome and Introductory Activity

7:10 pm Bread-making Prayer

7:35 pm Scripture and Symbol Exploration in Small Groups

7:55 pm Small Group Sharing

8:15 pm Break for Breaking Bread

8:25 pm Deeper Reflection in Small Groups

8:40 pm Wrap-up of Thoughts in Large Group

8:50 pm Short Closing Prayer

9:00 pm Good Night!

Note to Leader: If you have more time than this – if you can schedule the session to last another thirty minutes, then it might be a nice idea to add a foot washing ritual. This would involve having pitchers of warm water and basins (one set for every ten participants), and a towel for each person. Simply set up foot washing stations, and invite the first person to sit in the chair. Slide the basin over, and place their feet in the basin. Pour the warm water over their feet, rub their feet, and then lift their feet out, wrap them in the towel, and dry them. Move the basin over, invite that person to be the next foot washer, and invite the next person to sit down to have his or her feet washed.

If you include this simple ritual, the schedule would look like this:

Session at a Glance (with foot washing ritual)

7:00 pm Welcome and Introductory Activity

7:10 pm Bread-making Prayer

7:35 pm Scripture and Symbol Exploration in Small Groups

7:55 pm Small Group Sharing

8:15 pm Break for Breaking Bread

8:25 pm Deeper Reflection in Small Groups

8:40 pm Wrap-up of Thoughts in Large Group

8:50 pm Break

9:00 pm Foot Washing Ritual

9:15 pm Ask for participants to share what that experience was like

9:25 pm Closing Prayer

9:30 pm Good Night!

Welcome and Introductory Activity (10 minutes)

Greet participants as they arrive, and ask them to take a seat. As others arrive, ask them to talk to each other about one of their favorite meals. If they don’t know one another, have them share their names as they talk about foods and memories.

When it’s time to begin, say:

“Welcome, and thank you for coming. Tonight we will be exploring the stories and symbols of Holy Thursday, in hopes of discovering what’s so holy about it. Since it’s a celebration of the Lord’s Last Supper, one of the primary symbols is bread, and all of its individual ingredients. We will begin the evening together with a bread-making prayer that will explore the purpose of each of those ingredients and how they are part of our lives.”

Bread-making Prayer (25 minutes)

Follow the directions on Resource 1, “Bread-Making Prayer.”

Note to Leader: Be sure to set a timer for 15 minutes so the bread doesn’t burn.

Scripture and Symbol Exploration in Small Groups (20 minutes)

Divide the group in half. Give the first group Handout 1, “Five Scripture Comparison.” Give the second group Handout 2, “A Deeper Look at the Symbols.”

Ask the adult leaders with each group to review the procedure and the expectations of the activity. Be sure they read all the directions before they begin. Tell the groups they have 15 minutes to complete the task described on their handout. Part of their task involves figuring out how to share their key learnings to the other group(s).

If you have one adult for every 2 small groups, then the adult should be with the small group using Handout 1 until they get past step H. After that, they can visit the other small group to provide some guidance. Once the group with Handout 2 decides on their key insights and learnings, it would be wise for that adult to return to the small group with Handout 1 to assist them with deciding their key learnings as well.

Don’t lose track of the time! The bread should only bake for about 15 minutes. Be sure to take it out in time.

Note to Leader: If you have fewer than ten participants, then instead of dividing the group in half and giving each small group a different handout, do both hand-outs together. First, follow the directions for Handout 1, “Five Scripture Comparison,” together, then follow the directions for Handout 2, “A Deeper Look at the Symbols,” together.

If you have more than 20 participants, instead of dividing the group in half, divide them into small groups of 5-6 youth, with one adult per two groups. Two small groups will be combined for the sharing part.

If this is a parent-teen session, have teens and their parents split up so they are in different small groups.

Small Groups Share Their Key Learnings (20 minutes)

Bring the two groups together, and thank them for their hard work and reflection. Ask the “Five Scripture Comparison” group to go first, and share their key learnings with the others. Allow the other group to ask any questions they might have. When they are finished, thank them for their insights.

Next, ask the “Deeper Look at the Symbols” group to share their key learnings with the others. Allow the other group to ask any questions they might have. When they are finished, thank them for their insights.

Remind the participants of the Holy Thursday liturgy at your parish by including these points:

• The Holy Thursday liturgy is really “part 1” of a three part, continuous liturgy, which begins with Holy Thursday and ends with the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening.

• The time of the Holy Thursday liturgy at your parish.

• Mention the kinds of things they can expect to see at this celebration such as:

▪the stripping of the altar, and the creation of the special chapel of repose

▪the washing of the feet, and how your parish usually does this ritual

• If your parish uses hosts most of the year, but uses actual bread on Holy Thursday, mention that as well.

• Create a sense of anticipation as best you can so that families who don’t usually attend might find themselves interested in going.

Invite the participants to take a break for breaking bread with one another.

Break (10 minutes)

Have the bread ready to go, along with other snacks and drinks. Cheese, nuts, and fruit are good choices, since they go with bread, and they are foods that were probably eaten a lot by Jesus and the disciples. Sparkling grape juice might also be another good choice.

Deeper Reflections in Small Groups (15 minutes)

Begin by summarizing what you heard the two groups say were their key learnings from their earlier activity. Be sure to say something about their insights regarding the question of “What does Jesus actually want us to do?”

Explain that they will be returning to small groups for some more reflection on that question.

Note to Leader: At this point, you can have them return to the same small groups they were in, or you can mix them up to form different small groups. If you are working with parents and teens, then be sure that parents and their teens are together in the same small groups.

In small groups, have the adult leaders ask them for specifics regarding this question:

What does Jesus actually want us to do—and why?

▪ With our friends?

▪ At school?

▪ In our families?