The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level I
February 3, 2009 - Level 1, Issue 7 |
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| Dear CGS Level I Parent, |
This week we will proclaim to the Level I children the Parable of the Precious Pearl. This parable appeals to Level I children because they can relate to the joyful response of finding and recognizing something very, very precious.
It may seem a bit premature to mention this, but it's good to look ahead. The season of Lent begins on Wednesday, February 25th. Please mark you calendars for the start of this important liturgical season and help support your child's awareness of this special time of preparation for the church's greatest feast, Easter.
May you experience the joy of God's precious gifts,
The Level I catechist team:
Anne Edwards, Sylvia Pelini on Tuesdays
Betsy Peterson, Sarah Coles on Wednesday
Natalie Spadaccini Rosenberg,
Megan Wallenfang on Thursdays
and Lina Hilko (editor) |
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| The Parable of the Precious Pearl |
The Parable of the Precious Pearl is found in Matthew 13: 45-46.
When Jesus lived on earth - when he walked and talked and breathed just like us - people would ask him all the time to tell them about the Kingdom of God. And he would answer them by telling them a parable. Do you remember what a parable is? Do you remember other parables we have heard? Let's listen.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." What is the merchant looking for? What does he find? When he sees the pearl, does he know that it is special? How does he feel when he finds that very special pearl? What could Jesus be telling us about the Kingdom of God? We wonder.
The children are shown materials with which they can meditate further. The materials are a model of a house, a two-dimensional wooden figure of the pearl merchant, a basket filled with small pearls (i.e., the merchant's regular possessions), and one pearl representing the pearl of great price. The materials also include a scripture booklet with the words of this parable and some tracing cards related to the parable.
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Sell It All? |
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This parable serves as a good example of how a parable can speak differently to each person. Many adults in hearing this parable focus on the merchant's actions: he sells all that he has in order to buy the pearl. The young child tends not to focus on the selling of possessions. The child tends to reflect on how very precious the Kingdom is. The child may also focus on the merchant's joy and enthusiasm at finding this special pearl. When the merchant finds something so special, he immediately responds.
Different interpretations are just fine. In fact, they are wonderful. They underscore the richness of parables. The value of a parable isn't easily exhausted. To the extent parents choose to reflect on parables with their child, it is most rewarding to remain open and wondering. Keep it simple. "What could this mean? I wonder."
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| What's with the Beans? |
Have you ever asked your Level I child what they did in Atrium? "I poured beans," might be the unexpected response. Have you ever wondered what on earth pinto beans have to do with religious education? The correct response, in true Montessori fashion, would be, "I wonder."
Those beans are part of an area of the Atrium called "practical life works." This area includes spooning or pouring beans or rice, folding napkins, arranging flowers in a vase, watering and pruning a plant, polishing a brass bell or chalice, and sweeping a mess (of beans or rice, most likely). This is just a sampling of works. Practical life works meet many needs.
- One is simply to slow down. When performed properly, the spooning of rice from one container to another slows a child down. The Atrium provides a unique environment to many children - a place of silence that opens space and time for reflection. Silence allows us to hear God's whisper. But first, many of us need help creating silence.
- Another purpose is to provide the opportunity for the child to perfect a useful skill. Pouring dry goods provides the basis for perfecting the skill of pouring. After this, children can use their newly-perfected pouring skills to meditate on the preparation of the cruets of wine and water before mass. Later, the child applies more defined pouring skills to meditate on the mingling of water with wine during the Eucharistic Prayer. Have you ever watched the priest pour wine into the chalice and then pour a tiny drop of water into the wine? Preparation of the cruets and the mingling of water and wine are both Level I presentations and works.
I wonder if you can think of other ways in which practical life works are helpful. Can you think of other presentations they might support? Can you see how these works might help the child connect better to the mass?
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| Feed My Sheep |
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Perhaps parents can think of practical life works at home that somehow tie to Atrium or to the mass or to a deepening relationship with God. For example, do you eat dinner together as a family? The mass is essentially the celebration of a meal as a community. So, it stands to reason that almost anything you do related to family dinner can help your child connect to the mass - setting the table, folding the napkins a certain way, pouring water for each person, decorating the table to create a special environment. Candles at the dinner table can connect us strongly to the altar.
Do you pray together before a meal? Consider introducing some choice in the preparation of prayer and having your child choose and lead prayer. This can be as simple as knowing two or three "grace" prayers, such as 1) God is great, God is good ...; 2) Bless us O Lord .... There's a book I like (bought it at Barnes and Noble at Webster Place) called Psalms for Young Children by Marie-helen Delval. Each short psalm passage is very read-able and beautifully illustrated. If you keep the book in the dining room, instead of a formulaic prayer, your child could choose to read a psalm passage. The possibilities are endless.
The Atrium also offers a lot of choice. Consider choices your child can make related to the family meal. Maybe they can choose the table cloth for a given week. Maybe they can choose a decoration, such as flowers or candles or a statue.
The practical life works you create at home can stand on their own without any direct tie to liturgy. But over time you may choose to simply wonder together as to who makes the choices and takes care of the details at church. Someone is picking the music. Someone is arranging the flowers and pruning and watering the plants. Someone washes the altar cloth, and someone must be changing it. Sometimes there is one candle on either side of the altar. Sometimes two. Sometimes three. Who makes that choice? I wonder.
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| Mothers' Spiritual Reflection |
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Mothers are invited to save the date for St. Teresa's February meeting of the Mothers' Spiritual Reflection group: Tuesday, February 24th from 7:30 to 9:00 PM in the Parish Center. We will spend time reflecting on and discussing parables that are presented to children in Levels II and III.
St. Teresa's Mothers' Spiritual Reflection group is a group of mothers at various stages of motherhood who meet once a month (except summer) to reflect on God's word and grow spiritually. Gatherings are open to any mother who wants to come. | |
Feel free to comment on this information to Lina Hilko, LHilko@aol.com, the editor and/or Sarah Coles, SEColes@gmail.com, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education. Thanks! |
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