Adam’s mom sent us a new game last week: The Priest Game.
All in all it is a great game! We’ve played it every day since it came in the mail. The kids LOVE it and ask to play everyday. I’m sure part of their love for the game is that Fr. Tim is on one of the cards. One of the kids asks to be Fr. Tim every time we play. Consequently, his card is on Eucharistic processions and it was a great introduction to the Eucharistic procession we attended last weekend.
So there are 6 double-sided playing cards–12 possible playing cards but only 6 people can play at a time. Each side has either a color (black, brown, rose, purple, green, red, white, blue, gold) or an office of the holy orders (such as deacon and bishop) and there is one card on the 7 sacraments. On each of these cards are numbered 8 different pictures of things associated with card which have smaller corresponding picture cards to go with it. The picture cards match the pictures on the larger card and on the back of them have a description of the picture and/or a “Did you know…” or a prayer or a “Can you find..?”.
For example, Fr. Tim’s is a blue card (for Mary, of course) on Eucharistic processions and on it is a picture of him in the surplice he’d wear, a picture of a Eucharistic procession (him holding the monstrance under a canopy), the cope, candles, banners, a hymnal, and the censer and boat. So you spin the spinner and you put the picture card on the large card of the number you spin. Everyone takes a turn and the “winner” is the first person to fill their card.
There are many things I love about this game… First, it’s a great teaching tool on our priests and the Mass. Every thing that is used in the Mass or by our priests is on one of the cards with beautiful pictures and the proper names and simple descriptions that even Therese can understand. I have certainly learned quite a few things. Even my beloved husband who is an installed acolyte has learned a thing or two from this game. The prayers, especially those for our priests are lovely and a great encouragement to pray for them. As an aside, knowing some of the priests pictured on the game has added another special dimension–the cards they are on (such as Fr. Tim with the blue Eucharistic procession card–knowing how much he loves and draws strength from our Blessed Mother and the Eucharist and is always leading others to them), and the prayers on their cards say so much about their personality and life. In addition, the game comes with a 3 part DVD on the Mass Explained that Fr. Tim did for his television show, “Inspired by This Confidence.” One of my favorite parts of this DVD is when he explains the prayers the priests prays as he is vesting himself for Mass. It gave me an even more profound love and respect for the priesthood.
My “not favorite” part of the game is that there are 96 picture cards and keeping them sorted so that it doesn’t take half an hour just for find the pictures cards for 3 players. I ended up putting them in separate envelops to keep them organized. We haven’t really done the “Can you find..?” part of the game because some of the cards that are being cross referenced are not in our immediate playing circle and I don’t want to disorganize the other cards. I think having all 96 cards out at one time would be a nightmare for the age and attention span of our kids (2 and 4 years old). But as I said, I haven’t tried it and it might not be that bad.
The kids would agree, it’s a “two thumbs up” game.
My parents handed down to me a couple of books from my childhood. 
(few listed below) or 
