The Mass Book by Jennifer Sharpe {Book Review}

The Mass Book for Catholic Children is a delightful book by Jennifer Sharpe and illustrated by Kristen Rabideau of Drawn2BCreative. This beautiful Mass Journal offers 3 straight-forward, repeated templates throughout the book with nice illustrations, big print and ample space to record key words and prayers, draw, color and check boxes for good behavior.

We received The Mass Book* at the perfect time! Adam is just a mere week away from his First Reconciliation and we’ve been prepping for both his First Reconciliation and Holy Communion. We’ve always looked for ways to keep our younger kids attentive…or at least quiet and relatively still…during Mass and this book is going to be great for Adam. Always a little different from our other kids, Adam is kind of a reluctant reader but we can usually draw him in with illustrations…and the excuse to draw.

I love that there are a number of different activities ~ recording the psalm and the name of the Gospel story, drawing a picture about the Gospel, recognizing words (and the name of Jesus!) throughout Mass, recording special prayer intentions, coloring with the Liturgical Color of that Sunday and checking off good Church behavior.

At our Parish, Confirmation candidates are expected to fill out a form summarizing the Gospel and Homily and a few key details about the Mass each week leading up to being confirmed. I kind of wish it was expected of all of us to take notes to help us retain the teaching and insights gleaned from the Mass. I know that I retain the homily message a lot better when I manage to write a couple notes in my little Mass Journal (or use these Missal Stamps in my Missal).

I know that Adam will listen a whole lot better if he is tallying the number of times he hears Jesus’ Name. I can tell that this book is going to be great for us as Adam brings it to Mass each week! By the time April comes around when Adam will be making his first Holy Communion, he will be more consciously familiar with the parts of the Mass, recognizing the Liturgical colors and seasons, hopefully geared to listen to the readings and homily more attentively and prepared to act more like a big kid in the pew. We’ll keep you posted!

Purchase The Mass Book at Amazon**!