Training Happy Hearts: How May I Serve, Your Majesty {A Liturgical Year Drama Game}

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe is coming up.

This feast day is an ideal time to refocus children on Jesus as a servant-king. While doing so, it can be a fun to add a bit of drama to the day by adding a Liturgical Year twist to the popular theater game Greetings, Your Majesty called How May I Serve, Your Majesty.

How to Play How May I Serve, Your Majesty

Playing How May I Serve, Your Majesty is easy and requires no preparation, props, or supplies, unless you wish to give "Your Majesty" a throne (chair) to sit on, a servant symbol to hold (a towel) or a crown to wear (which can made with paper). It can even be played in a minivan if you're on the road (although it is a bit easier to play when everyone knows where everyone else is seated.)

1. Ask one person - "Your Majesty" - to stand or sit facing away from the rest of the family or class.Have another person secretly stand behind "Your Majesty" and say, "How may I serve, Your Majesty?" in a strange or different voice.

2. Ask "Your Majesty" to guess the name of the person who spoke, by replying with an idea for serving others followed by the person's name. For example, "You may secretly do an extra chore today, Luke," or, "You could make a meal or snack for someone, Jack."

3. Continue play: If "Your Majesty" guessed incorrectly, "Your Majesty" becomes a player and whoever spoke becomes "Your Majesty".

If "Your Majesty" guessed correctly who spoke, "Your Majesty" stays in the chair and another person secretly comes up and speaks. (Depending on the size of your family or class, predetermine how many turns "Your Majesty" can guess before offering someone else a turn as "Your Majesty". With a small group, I suggest three consecutive turns as a limit. With a larger group, I suggest five.)

What Concepts and Skills Does This Liturgical Year Drama Game Reinforce?

In playing How May I Serve, Your Majesty, children will continually get reinforcement of the idea that we are meant to follow Jesus' example of serving others and will, hopefully, come away with a wide variety of simple ways we can serve others in everyday life (which can make a great tie-in with making an Advent Chain!)

Children will also focus on listening skills, and, of course, play with a variety of vocal elements, which may include:

Pitch – speaking in a high or low voice.
Pace – speaking quickly or slowly
Pause – using purposeful dramatic pauses
Tone/Expression – coloring the voice with a mood and intention towards the listener, e.g. happy, sad, worried, etc.
Volume/Projection – speaking loudly or softly, but always audibly with appropriate projection
Accent – using a distinctive mode of pronunciation to call to mind a particular nation, locality, or social class
Emphasis – putting pressure on individual syllables or words to makes them stand out or to change the meaning or feeling behind a word phrase, or sentence.
Intonation – the rise and fall of the voice
Articulation – the clear and precise pronunciation of words using lips, teeth, and tongue.

You may wish to chat with children about how, sometimes, just listening intently to another is a great gift of service, while, at other times, listening with a careful ear may help you discern how best to help another.

Likewise, you might also touch upon how developing speaking skills puts you in a position to better engage others as you speak clearly to them about faith.

Pray an Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King

Speech, of course, is also used for prayer. It is a wonderful idea to pair the fun of the How Can I Serve, Your Majesty game with the beauty of traditional prayer. Before or after playing, then, you may wish to consider praying this prayer:

Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ, King

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before you. We are yours, and yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with you, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known you; many, too, despising your precepts, have rejected you. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to your Sacred Heart.

Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned you; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and the unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Grant, O Lord, to your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give tranquility of order to all nations; make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever. Amen.

~Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences, June 29, 1968

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ, King.