The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III
November 04, 2008 - Vol 1, Issue 3 |
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, |
At our last session, the first-year children spent quite a bit of time discovering and discussing the Plan of God strip. It was a very animated discussion. Particularly, they debated who would be writing in the "Blank Page," the time between today and Parousia. Some thought that history was God's to write, and others thought it was for people to write. I can't recall if anyone said, "It's for me to write." What do you think?
The second/third year children actually jumped forward to work on what I'd planned for this week: The Peoples and the People of God. (Read more below.) This week, they will work on something called the Plan of God mute strip. It is a replica of the regular strip, but with all the writing and pictures missing. The children place cards of writing and pictures onto the mute strip. I will also introduce them to our research books. They might choose to start researching the Saints in search of a few to which they relate in some special and meaningful way.
Peace, Lina Hilko
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| The Peoples and the People of God |
The Plan of God strip helps us identify and think about large groups of people who share a common location and traditions. We refer to these as "the Peoples," cultures such as the Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, etc. Each of these cultures was born of small beginnings, rose to its greatest splendor, then declined and even disappeared. But the works of each People are handed off to another People forming inheritances that are never lost -horizontal bridges from People to People. The work called "The Peoples" helps children meditate on all these concepts.
A second part of this work, "The People of God," helps children meditate in a special way on God's chosen People: Israel. The People of God are the people to which God chose to first reveal Himself as the One God. The heritage that Israel continues to pass on to all peoples throughout the world is the knowledge that there is only one God. First-year children may not work with this part until next year - we'll see.
We have a good collection of reference books (from the Eyewitness Books series) on ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans and on the various cultures of Mesopotamia. This work sometimes appeals particularly to 6th grade students who are likely studying these same cultures in Social Studies. |
| Continued Conversations |
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You may have noticed that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd seems to have a vocabulary all its own. This vocabulary is intentional and is meant to de-school catechesis and to designate this time, space, and activity as special and sacred.
Even after years of being a catechists, I still often trip on words. It takes time and conscious effort to use the vocabulary of CGS. Below, I share some of these special terms so you can try to incorporate them into your conversations. But remember ... the best thing is to be in conversation, no matter what words you use!
Instead of: Try:
religious education catechesis
class atrium
student child
teacher catechist
lesson presentation
The "stuff" in the Atrium is referred to as "materials." Children may work with any material once they have received a presentation to demonstrate the proper use of the material. The activity in which a child is engaged is the work of the child. All work in the Atrium, assuming it is done in a reverent manner based on seeking relationship with God, is prayer. So, prayer is not limited to spoken words, but can be meditation, reading, working with manipulatives, writing, or artwork, just to name some methods of prayer.
And why is it called "Atrium" anyway? Here's a good explanation form Mustard Seed Preaching by Ann M. Garrido.
"In the ancient church, the atrium was the gathering place between the liturgical space of the Church and the street. It was the space in which the faithful recollected themselves before entering into the liturgy. It was also the place where the catechumens received instruction in the faith, in preparation for their full immersion within the Christian community. [The Atrium is to serve a similar purpose; it is] not to be a 'children's Church' separate from the 'adult Church,' but rather an aid to the fuller participation of children in the liturgical and communal life of the one Church that includes the baptized of every age."
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Please feel free to talk to me or email me ( LHilko@aol.com) if you have questions or comments or concerns about this information.
Sincerely, Lina Hilko
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