The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III
November 18, 2008 - Level 3, Issue 4 |
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, |
This week all the children will have the opportunity to contribute to a timeline entitled My Century. This work will be available for the rest of the year for children to add to as they wish. Also, we'll take the time to catch-up certain children who missed either of the last two sessions.
The season of Advent begins on November 30th. The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. You may want to plan ahead what, if anything, you want to do differently during this season of preparation. Perhaps you and your child can plan this together. This gives a chance for you to discuss what Advent is and how the church changes during Advent. For example, the church will move from green vestments for Ordinary Time to purple for Advent (also for Lent, both of which are times of preparation). The readings at mass will come from "Cycle B," rather than the current "Cycle A." It seems like the holiday season can speed by. Consider taking time now to plan so the first Sunday of Advent doesn't sneak up on you.
I pray you will all have a blessed Thanksgiving. I am truly grateful to work with your children.
Peace, Lina Hilko |
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| My Century |
This work is one that is created by the group during a given year. It's simply a large-ish, long-ish sheet of paper with annual markings from 1909 through 2009. As a group, we brainstorm significant events, people, and inventions to write on the timeline. A variety of research books exist in the Atrium to assist us. Some children may choose, as a follow-up or extension of My Century, to create their own, personal timeline. It's up to them.
Parents have been reading in this newsletter for the past three sessions about timelines and people and cultures. You may have started to wonder when (or if) we'll get to any "churchy" stuff. That feeling -- that there exists a separation and compartmentalization between the secular and the sacred -- is a tendency we are actually combating through the My Century work. Children should start to discern that secular history is not separate from sacred history. And God's works are not separate from humankind's works. Rather, all history is part of God's one, unified plan.
(And just as an FYI, this marks the end of our "opening series" revolving around Plan of God. For at least the next five sessions, we'll be working from the Bible or from the mass.)
Now, one other discovery that may come from My Century work is that not everything that happens seems to support God's plan. The meditation the children received at the first session states that all divisions, all wars, every act of ill will, every lack of love is against the Plan of God. And the meditation states that, "Every effort that strives toward union, every action that seeks to create peace, every work of love is a 'yes' for the Plan of God and prepares for Parousia, the time in which God will be all in all." So, we may reflect on the broad concept of timeline entries being for or against the Plan of God. However, in such a conversation, children also discover that many items are not clearly classified - aspects of an event or invention may be for the plan and aspects may be against. |
| Bridges |
As mentioned before, this session marks the end of an intensive reflection on the Plan of God. So, I think it's good to rope back to those bridges, or connections, that are so prominent throughout the plan. We may not go around thinking daily about connections, but they're everywhere and can be fun to detect and appreciate. I think we can all readily accept the existence of horizontal bridges -- from person to person, people to people.
That vertical bridge between heaven and earth is more of a stretch. Most people, I think, will struggle with this concept at some point in life. Jesus Christ, true human and true God all at the same time. Jesus Christ who rose from the dead, conquered death forever, lives today. Jesus Christ, in whose risen life we share when we are Baptized. And Jesus, whose very body is present in the Eucharist. This vertical bridge is more challenging (at least at some point in our lives) to know or embrace. Hence the term "mystery" in the Mystery of Our Faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Nonetheless, children seem fairly at ease with both the horizontal and vertical bridges. But what about Parousia, the fulfillment of God's plan to bring all people, all things, all times, all of creation into the fullness of God's love and joy? Parousia really breaks our linear concept of time and space, moves way beyond mere horizontal and vertical connections. If all creation is brought into the fullness of God, does that mean all time, all history, is somehow together all at once? We wonder .... |
| Food for (Parental) Thought |
Perhaps many of you were at the 9:30 mass this past Sunday and listened to Fr. Ben's reading and breaking open of the Gospel from Matthew 25:14-30. This Gospel is a parable about three servants, each given a sum of money (referred to as talents) to care for while their master is away. The first two servants put the talents to work and double the value given them. The third servant buries the talent given him. This does have the effect of keeping it safe, but it gains nothing. The master rewards the first two but punishes the third servant severely.
This happens to be one of the challenging parables that is presented to Level III children, although it is not specifically in the presentation plan for this year. (Who knows, maybe we'll look at it.) Fr. Ben's homily hit on a very important point that is foundational to the overall progression of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Level I (fall in love with God) to Level II (remain in my love) to Level III (we are each called to collaborate to fulfill the Plan of God).
Fr. Ben asked the question of why the third servant acted the way he did. Fr. Ben suggested that the third servant acted out of fear. The first two servants knew their master's expectations and were proud to serve him. But the relationship of the third servant to the master was not based in love and respect. The third servant did, in fact, know about his master's expectations and qualities. But the servant's response was not founded in love and respect, but rather in fear.
Our children's entire lives can be a response toward God's awesome gifts, a response joyfully offered from the foundation of a loving relationship. The sincere hope of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to provide the time and opportunity to fall in love with God so our responses to God's gifts blossom from love. |
| Schedule of Presentations |
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Since it has been six weeks since the newsletter showed this information, here it is again, in case you want a "refresher."
Session/Date Presentation
1 10/14 Orientation to Atrium / Plan of God Meditation
2 10/21 Plan of God - 2nd Moment
3 11/14 The Peoples and the People of God
4 11/18 My Century
Advent begins 11/30
5 12/2 Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
6 12/16 Structure of the Mass (Introduction)
Christmas season 12/25 - 1/10/09
7 1/6/09 Creation Typology - 1st Account
8 1/20 Creation Typology - 2nd Account
9 2/3 All: Creation/Redemption Timeline Work
1st Yrs: Holy Bible and the Sacraments
2nd Yrs: Creation/Redemption/Parousia Booklet Work
10 2/17 1st Yrs: Hist of the Kingdom of God - Individual Gifts Strip
2nd Yrs: Hist of the Kingdom of God and the Holy Bible
Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent) 2/25
11 3/3 Maxims in the Cosmos
12 3/17 Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Palm Sunday 4/5
13 4/7 Structure of the Mass: Eucharistic Prayer
Easter Sunday 4/12
14 4/21 Story of a Bread
15 5/5 1st Yrs: Fettucina
2nd Yrs: Plan of God 2 - Individual Strip
16 5/19 Synthesis of the Our Father
Pentecost 5/31 | |
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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