October Notes!

Life has been busy, busy, busy up in the Atria! The youngest children have found a rythm and come into the room ready to choose a work. Aside from practical life lessons of pouring, spooning, sorting, etc, they've spent some time learning the names of the articles of the Mass and have shared the Parable of the Leaven (Mat. 13:33) together. As an adult, it always amazes me that the young children can ponder for such a long time on a very short parable. It has certainly taught me to slow down and savor the word of God!
If you're wondering what to do with the little cups of dough that come home from the atrium, you can scrape the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake it at 375 for about 15 minutes. I might not serve it for a company dinner, but the kids usually like it ;-)

The Level 2 children have worked on the gestures of the Mass, the articles of the Mass and will study the structure of the Mass next week. That's a rather involved work, teaching the children about the main parts of the Mass and how they follow a set order. This allows the children to again visit gestures and prayers that they learned in the Level 1 atrium, contemplating with a deeper understanding.
They've also looked at the plan of God throughout time, and marvelled at all the gifts we've been given. This is great preparation for the moral parables and maxims they will delve into this year.




In Level 3, the children have been working on the Plan of God material, and 'telescoping' in on various areas. We've been rotating work with the sacraments, saints, and prayer services.

This past week, we looked at the structure of the Mass from Level 2, and then focused into more detail. We talked about the Mass being one prayer made of many prayers, just like the Bible is one book made of many books. It was interesting to watch the children work with this material and recall the gestures some of them had first learned 8 years ago!

Next week, some children will have the opportunity to look at the individual prayers and as a whole group we will revisit the liturgical calendar.

May the Peace of the Good Shepherd be with you all ~
Beate

"The Montessori method is based on love, and the genius of the great educator lies in the fact that she made love the foundation for man's dealing with himself, his fellow men and with God." Sofia Cavalletti

Week 2!

(I found this tucked away on my phone, and thought I'd publish it even though it's a month old!)

 In this photo, the boys are working on the individual gift strip - the original work was introduced in Level 2 as a way to focus on the gifts God has given humanity and the great care He took to prepare an environment with not just the things we need, but so much beauty to enjoy before finally creating mankind - who arrived like "guests at a banquet." It was interesting to watch the children work - they seemed to gravitate naturally towards a typological view of history quite on their own. Seeing the old foreshadowing the new and looking forward to the future. These boys ended up moving the candles which are next to the cross at redemption to both ends of the strip - in the beginning God created light, and at Parousia there will be no more darkness. 




Hopefully you received the parent/catechist note that went out to everyone but I wanted to quickly update what our focus is in the atrium right now.

Level 1 is continuing those crucial lessons of grace and courtesy that make life in the atrium so pleasant and working on practical life lessons such as pouring, hand-washing, and tracing. These simple lessons will meld into liturgical lessons as time goes on and in the meantime they help with both fine and gross motor skills. Some of the children listened to the parable of the Good Shepherd, a parable with a meaning that continues to grow and deepen with every telling.

Level 2 and 3 will spend two weeks intensely focusing on the Plan of God, lifting out the moments of creation, redemption and parousia, we ponder on His great love for us.

This young man is working on an extension of the Plan of God work titled the People and the Peoples of God. It is one way to look at the invidual bridges that form between us and the people who walked before us through the works that we still use today.













May the peace of the Good Shepherd be with you all ~

Beate

"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child will be our teacher if we know how to observe."
-- Sofia Cavalletti

A great beginning!

Sunday was the first day of classes and it was admittedly a bit on the hectic side! However, all of us are happy to be back with the children and are looking forward to another fabulous year of unpacking the wonders our faith.

Level One had 18 bright and energetic little ones, all ready to listen to the Good Shepherd. The catechists spent the morning doing lessons in grace and courtesy and giving some practical life demonstrations. Hand washing is always a favorite - my own nine year old will often wash her hands in the contemplative manner she learned in the Level One atrium six years ago.

Level 2  spent the morning reaquainting themselves with the atrium and learning about their new rooms. I will miss being with the six to nine year olds but will still spend time with those preparing for their first holy communion. They will start the year pondering the theology of God's Grace and Love as He prepared our world for us. They will also revisit the gestures of the Mass they learned in Level One, contemplating them on a deeper level.

Level 3 spent the morning reading and discussing Ephesians 3:14-21 and the children are to read and this scripture at least two more times this week. I highly recommend a giant print edition of the New American bible for the children to have at home. This version is easier to read for the younger readers.
Six of the children worked together to conduct a prayer service for the whole group at the end of our class time. I know some parents were waiting, but hopefully you understand how special this was for the group.

Class times:

Our classes meet from 9:30 until 10:50 even if the morning Mass hasn't finished. If you attend the 8:30 Mass, just have your child come in quietly, as we will already be working. For those of you who attend the 11:00 Mass, feel free to bring your children at 9:15 so they will have a bit of time to settle before we get started.

If you need to contact a catechist, email me and I will put you in touch.

Wishlist:

I'm looking for a nice sized area rug for our Level 3 atrium - if anyone has one they are looking to re-home, think of us :-)

May the peace of the Good Shepherd be with all of you ~ Beate

“Dear brothers and sisters, God calls us, by name and surname, each one of us, to proclaim the Gospel and to promote the culture of encounter with joy.”

~ Pope Francis

September is Here!

All the catechists have been busily working upstairs in the atria preparing for our 8th year of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd! This year marks the beginning of the Level 3 atrium - a journey the began 5 years ago with just a dream and came into fruition the past three years as we made materials and completed the formation.  A big thanks to Msgr. Doerfler for his blessing and Father Sam, who allowed us to move forward. Thanks also to Father Alberic for his trust in us!

Archbishop Gustavo has some familiarity with CGS and shared that "it is a beautiful catechesis!" All of us agree, and ask for your prayers as we start our year.

By the way, isn't Pope Francis's general prayer intention for this month perfect for the atrium? I feel his blessing as we strive to create an environment of stillness which enables us to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Value of Silence. That people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters.

Beate

End of the Year Celebration in the Atria

Our last session of the year was spent meditating on Pentecost and the gifts of the Holy Spirit - it is always a joy to watch the children as they ponder which gift they should ask for at the present moment. In the level 2 atrium, knowledge and wisdom were very popular - 6 to 9 year olds are intent on figuring out all they can about this wonderful word God has created for us.

CCC 1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

I've noticed that the younger children often tend to focus on awe (fear of the Lord) and fortitude. Perhaps they still recognize their littleness and long for strength.

Later in the week, I'll try to post some photos of the May crowing. Thanks to the Helping Hands for providing roses this year! The children were excited to carry these beautiful flowers to honor Our Lady.

May the peace of Christ fill your family with joy and hope this summer ~ Beate

Update: Here are the May crowning pictures - a big thank to all who participated!

Wow - The End of the Year is Already Here!

We've had a lovely year spending time together in celebration and prayer and thank God for the gift of one another. I'm already planning for the fall and know I will miss our classes this summer!

Our last class is this coming Sunday, May 5th, and will culminate with the May crowning at the beginning of the 11:00 Mass. Once the children process in to honor Mary, they will proceed around to the back of the church where they can meet their parents.

On May 4th, the altar servers and their parents are invited to join Father Alberic, Deacon Paul and Mrs. Chris for Altar Server Vocation Day at Holy Family Parish Hall, 245 Hidalgo St. in New Braunfels  from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Please call 830-609-5320 to RSVP.

May 19th we will hold an altar server training after the 8:30 Mass and encourage anyone who is interested to attend. Any person who has received First Holy Communion is eligible to serve and those receiving training will have ample opportunity during the summer months to participate in this important ministry.

****UPDATE***** The altar server training has been moved to May 12 after the 8:30 Mass.

Following the training, the altar servers and other liturgical ministers will be recognized at the 11:00 Mass. There will be pizza afterwards!

June 3 - 7 children aged 4 through 10 are invited to join us for vacation bible school.  If you're older than that, volunteering is a lot of fun and a great way to get some service hours. Call Chris Hanly at 830-237-2172 or Beate Buescher at 210-889-9869 for more information.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the children during Mass this summer ~

Beate

Celebrating the Liturgy of Light with 3 to 12 year olds