In Memory of Sofia Cavalletti

An interview about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City interviews catechist and formation leader Diane Olsen about how the Montesorri method is applied to teaching the Faith to young children. This information segment answers question parents often have about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Diane beautifully stresses the difference between formation versus education and gives a few ideas of living a religious experience in our homes with our children.

Direct download: 2013_fc_eg_Cat_of_Good_Shep_mixdown.mp3

Good Shepherd Sunday

Today, after an incredibly rich four hour retreat yesterday, eleven very happy children received our Lord for the very first time. May they always remain in His love! Congratulations to Sophie, Kolbe, Sophia, Ashlyn, Suraya, Jacob, Madison, Allie, Matthew, Nate and Michael - it's been a blessing sharing this journey with you :-)

Thank you Father Alberic, JoAnn Origer, Joyce Colyer, Sarah Buescher, Sabine Summerville and all the parents for all you did to help us to prepare!

Holy Week

Sunday began Holy Week. In the words of my friend Leonie, "Holy Week boldly proclaims His love and presence and ushers in the rejoicing of Easter. Even when we don’t feel His presence, Holy Week reminds us that he has been there all along. He will be there all along. There is that sense of suffering-with, and that glorious recognition, in our noisy lives, of the joy of the Resurrection."

Yesterday, Archbishop Gustavo blessed the Holy Oils at the Chrism Mass. Tomorrow we begin the three day liturgy leading to the Glory of the Resurrection! Too often these days tend to be spent doing last minute things for Easter - oh no, your sandals are too small! What happened to your white sweater??? What are we going to eat!?! How can we arrange work and school for everyone that we can get to Mass?

Instead, I'm taking a deep breath and reflecting on the important stuff ;-) Seven years ago my now 13 year old gathered sheep around the Last Supper work and sat with it a long time. She'd recently made the discovery that we are the sheep and that reality spoke to her in a very profound way. There, at the table of the Last Supper, Jesus the Good Shepherd shared how He would remain with us forever. The next day, He gave His life for His sheep. In our own lives, we are invited to share in both the suffering of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. Perhaps the suffering intensifies the joy. It's a deep theology and it is the children who have opened it up for me.

My prayer for you is that you will listen to the whisper of our Lord as He invites us to stay awake with Him during the Triduum - to spend some silent moments just being with the one who loves us most and gave His all just so we can be eternally united with Him!

~ Beate

The child is the teacher:

In our Level 3 atrium, we have been focusing on the story of Abraham for the past seven weeks. Today we just happened to be at the binding of Isaac, which coincided with the first reading at Mass. I told the children that today's reading would be difficult to digest, and we would take our time with it.

Instantly identifying with Isaac, the children were naturally horrified at the Lord's command. We continued to read

Gen 22:5 -  Abraham said to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey, while the boy and I go on over there. We will worship and then come back to you.” 

The children pointed out that Abraham seemed to recognize that God had another plan. However, when he took and bound Isaac on the altar, they weren't sure about that trust. We finished the chapter and discussed what we had heard. I pointed out to them that at that time certain cultures worshiped their gods by offering the best that they had - even in the Jewish culture, the very best of the harvest was offered to God. When we had some time to refect on that theme, I asked the children to think back on the chapter we read, and lift out the defining moment. One child responded: "God said 'Stop!'" I asked them to ponder that and encouraged them to work in their journals. One child was clearly having a hard time with the subject matter. I sat with him a bit and he shared his horror at a parent killing his child. I asked him again about that defining moment and he responded (my responses are in blue):

"When God said 'Stop!'"

"I wonder if Abraham shared this story with Isaac?"

"Yes."

"I wonder if Isaac shared this story with his children?"

"Yes."

I left him with that and after a time I heard him tell a group of boys:

"This had to happen to Abraham so he could hear God's 'Stop' and pass it down through the generations so parents would always know not to kill their children."

Honestly, in the words of a 4 yo in the level 1 atrium, I had to sit with that a while.

In the peace of the Good Shepherd,
Beate

Synthesis, the work of the older child:

One Sunday after Mass, a mom shared an observation her 8 year old son made after reading the Parable of the True Vine. He offered that God is the Vine grower, Jesus the Vine and we are the branches - something we have touched on during our conversations in the atrium. However, the beauty of what came next is truly profound. Jesus wants us to remain and if we do, we bear much fruit. The fruit is grapes, and the grapes become wine and then the wine becomes the blood!

As an adult, I'm still grappling with seeing myself as part of God's divine plan and am deeply grateful that the children are part of my life, offering insight into the deepest mysteries.

Thank you for sharing, Kate!

CGS becomes part of life:

Thank you for sharing this with us Lynn! 

I wanted to share some good news.  H. came home from RE yesterday and worked diligently to set up a prayer table for us in the family room (pic attached).  She and G. visited it at least twice yesterday, and G. even went to it this morning before school to say a little prayer.  It is just one of the sweet blessings that they bring home from the RE program that you offer at St. Thomas.  The prayer table is a wonderful addition for our home, especially in this Lenten season. 

Thank you for all of your meaningful work that you do with our children!

Warmly,

Lynn and Brad R.

This is the 4th year these children have been part of our atrium, and it's been a treasure learning about the Good Shepherd together with them! ~ Beate

For more information on setting up a prayer space visit: 
"How to set up a prayer Table" at CGSUSA.

Hope

"The biblical message is always a message of hope. In the outbreak of evil there is always a seed that is stonger than destruction...a seed from which life can be restored." ~ Sofia Cavalletti