Kids may not know “ineffable” but they sure know how to treat it!

Posted on 26 October 2009 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

So much of what people send me is simply dreadful.

Here is a nice piece to lift the spirit!

[9-year old X’s] 7-year old sister needed a monstrance for her St. Clare costume (for the parish festival alternative to Halloween on Sat. eve) so he made this for her. The bottom of an A&W can forms the center–cut out and with the sides cut into strips and twisted into ornate rolls. The stand is a paper towel tube + plastic drink container base and the sunburst is well, obvious. It’s all held together, of course, with kids’ favorite adhesive: tape. I don’t know if we’ll get to the painting of it because we’re trying to move next week but I almost prefer the pre-paint version for its inventive charm. I was slack-jawed, quite frankly. Kids may not know how to define "ineffable" but they sure know how It should be treated!

 
The result?

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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11 Comments

  1. Kimberly says:
    26 October 2009 at 5:19 PM

    I love it. It gives one the holy giggles.

  2. Jack007 says:
    26 October 2009 at 5:58 PM

    All those images of TLM sprouting everywhere, like the one above in PA give me hope that we are making our way out of the desert…but images of a monstrance made out of an A&W can by a child REALLY give me hope… for the FUTURE!
    It is after, all about the children, right? :-)
    Thanks for posting it, Father!

    Jack in KC

  3. Rich Leonardi says:
    26 October 2009 at 6:16 PM

    Lovely. Our parish still has first communicants create felt banners. So when my oldest son’s turn came, he made a beautiful sunburst monstrance.

    If the world gives you lemons …

  4. ejcmartin says:
    26 October 2009 at 6:24 PM

    Oh how I wish our parish would host an alternative to halloween. Sounds like a project for our family next year. Presently we have our own little private party.

    Our cleaning lady’s 9 year old daughter is going to her school as St. Anne for halloween. Our cleaning lady is not Catholic and prior to working for us faith played no part in her often troubled life. Pray for them both.

    I just showed my 7 year old the monstrance and he was impressed. Looks like a project for our house coming up!

  5. taximom says:
    26 October 2009 at 8:31 PM

    Our parish – St. Margaret of Scotland in Oceanside – is having an ‘All Hallow’s Eve’ party on Saturday night. They will light a bonfire in the big piazza’s firepit, followed by square dancing and a buffet of delicious desserts. The children who want to dress up will choose to represent their favorite saint.

  6. chonak says:
    26 October 2009 at 9:00 PM

    This is better than some “real” monstrances. This summer on pilgrimage I saw the Eucharist carried by a priest using a small wooden stand about four inches high, with no luna and no decoration. It was, in effect, a wooden clip to hold the Sacred Host upright.

    But these kids have got it right!

  7. Suburbanbanshee says:
    26 October 2009 at 10:29 PM

    taximom —

    Tell the kids to dress up as Bl. Terence Albert O’Brien, Dominican, bishop, and martyr, hanged on Halloween by bad ol’ General Ireton!

    Extra points if you let the kiddies carry around a noose as an attribute or pretend to haunt the general’s dreams with predictions of doooooom.

  9. Jayna says:
    27 October 2009 at 9:44 AM

    That kid is way more inventive than me.

  10. irishgirl says:
    27 October 2009 at 12:14 PM

    Oh, this is so cool!

    Suburbanbanshee-I’ll have to look up Blessed Terence Albert O’Brien-never heard of him!

  11. BLC says:
    27 October 2009 at 5:20 PM

    This is adorable!

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