Video Introduction of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

The quote below is from an older video no longer available, but is still resonates :-)

"We just believe in this so much that we're willing to drive 30 miles, one way, to make sure that our children are getting the fullness of their faith."

This resonated with me, since I've been driving to one atria or another for the past 11 years! None of them were less than 20 miles away, but it's been such a beautiful journey.

Summer Catechesis??

While talking to parents about VBS, Sarah was told by several parents how much their children missed the atrium. It would be lovely to have enough catechists available to be able to continue throughout the year for the children who'd like to be there.

The atrium is such a treasure for both the children and the catechists who share the faith with them. Each week brings moments of pure joy into our lives. Even though my plate is full to overflowing, this is one thing that is necessary for my own relationship with Christ. It's a spiritual retreat amidst a life that is often chaotic and exausting and I'm grateful to the Holy Spirit for guiding me here.

In the peace of the Good Shepherd,
Beate

Parent Resource

Check out this wonderful new page at the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:

Resources for Parents

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19: 14

Each child is an important person to you as parents and to God. Parenting is a ministry, a service to life. You, as a parent, have the dignity of being the “original and irreplaceable”[1] person in your child’s religious journey. 

The family is the primary community in the faith journey of the child, it is the “domestic church,” because it is within the life of the family we find the first and privileged place of the Christian community lived. Here, you as parents are “the first heralds of the faith”[2]  Here “faith works through love” and a relationship with God can begin to be nurtured. You, as parents, have shared the gift of human life with your child, and through Baptism, have enriched your child with a share in God’s own life. Your faith, your attitude toward others, and your trust in a loving God strongly influences the development of your child’s faith.[3] We offer these suggestions to help you nurture your child’s developing relationship with God.

Read the rest here: http://www.cgsusa.org/parentresources.aspx 

M. Montessori words to contemplate:

The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist". - Dr. Maria Montessori

Baptism

Every year in the atrium, from the time children enter at 3, they will spend time contemplating the beautiful gift of Baptism. Each year our understanding of this sacrament expands. In level 3, we spent time looking at the 3 distinct moments of the rite and the prayers that accompany them - the first takes place at the doors of the church, the second at the font, and the last at the altar. As a parent, bringing my child to the altar always made me aware that I was giving her back to God and of the gift He'd given me by allowing me to parent her. The realization that this was also symbolic of the Good Shepherd welcoming her to the table grew slowly. This year we talked about the last moments of Baptism in conjunction with Holy Communion and the words of Jesus: "I have longed to share this meal with you."

As always, it is a gift to share scripture with the children.

In the peace of the Good Shepherd ~
Beate

Liturgy of Light

This year we invited all the young people in RE to celebrate with us. Our prayer is that everyone learned just a bit more about the wonderful prayers that make up the Easter Vigil liturgy. 

On Holy Thursday:

From Pope Francis' homily at the Chrism Mass

"On this Holy Thursday, I ask the Lord Jesus to enable many young people to discover that burning zeal which joy kindles in our hearts as soon as we have the stroke of boldness needed to respond willingly to his call."

Amen!

"I am a priest because he has regarded my littleness (cf. Lk 1:48). And in that littleness we find our joy. Joy in our littleness!"

So often, we ponder littleness in the atria - it is something that resonates with all the children, but esp. the youngest. Jesus was born in a little village in a little country....the smallest of seeds contains within the power to grow into a large tree....the tiny yeast has the ability to cause the flour to rise.... One of the gifts I enjoy the most as a catechist, is seeing the deep joy in the faces of the children when the Gospel is proclaimed. 

In preparation for these three Holy Days, we have reflected on the Last Supper, or Cenacle, and on the City of Jerusalem. When presenting the Last Supper to the younger children, we read: Luke 22:7-13 and Mark 14:17, 22-24, 26. This focuses on the essential moments, leaving out the betrayel of Judas. For the 7 - 12 year old children, we gradually add other Passion Narratives such as:

·       Jesus Arrested  -John 18:1-14, (7+)

·       Jesus before Caiaphas Matthew 26:57-68, (7+)

·       *Agony in the Garden - Luke 22:39-46, (9+)

·       Jesus before Pilate and Herod Luke 23:1-12, (7+)

·       The Trial before Pilate - John 18:28-36 and 19:16, (8+)

·       *Crucifixion - Luke 23:33-46, (9+)

· 

The children are also encouraged to find other scripture accounts of these events using the scripture charts provided in the atria. All of my children at home are now 10 and over, so tonight we'll gather our bibles and pick one of the above narratives to focus on. My niece, who has young children, will probably do the Last Supper reading with her 4 year old, using some simple apostles and a block for the table. 6 years ago, after doing this work at home, my now 12 year old found the sheep from the Good Shepherd work and gathered them around the Last Supper table. She spent a very long time meditating on the scene, having just recently made the discovery that we are the sheep. It was a truly beautiful moment!