You'll recall from our last newsletter that one important aim in Level I is to begin to connect the child with the mass.  As you read last time, from Chapter 4 of The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti, the founder of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:

"There are various ways in which Christ is present in the midst of mankind, yet the Eucharistic presence has a unique character. ... Therefore, the child who comes to know the Good Shepherd should be initiated into the greatest action in which we meet Him:  the Mass."  (pg. 79)

[The richest content] "is preceded by a number of exercises involving nomenclature and movement that, although poor in meaning, are nevertheless quite useful to the children and prepare the way for more complex work.  The character of this work is sensorial and therefore responds to the child's needs."  (pg. 90)

This week's Level I presentation lays the foundation for a much deeper presentation on Preparation of the Chalice, which will be given in April.  In preparing the chalice, the priest pours a tiny drop of water, representing humanity, into the large chalice of wine, representing Jesus and divinity.  The priest says the prayer, "By the mystery of the mingling of this wine and water may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
 
The Preparation of the Chalice allows the child (and parents, too) to contemplate the mingling of humanity and divinity.  However, in order to contemplate this action and prayer of the priest, someone must first have prepared the cruet of wine and the cruet of water.  They don't just appear on that table at the back of the church by magic.  (It is the sacristan's work to prepare this and other items of the mass.)  This week the young children become more connected to the entire Preparation of Gifts in mass by noticing a small, perhaps seemingly insignificant, first step.  God works through the small to create the great.  So, even this small step is important to God.