The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III
April 7, 2009 - Level 3, Issue 13 |
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, |
Well, here we are at Holy Week. Although various schools are out on Spring Break, Catechesis is meeting this week. If you are in town, please do come.
St. Teresa's offers various ways to commemorate and celebrate Holy Week. You can access the bulletin from the parish web site in order to find details. The Holy Thursday mass at 7:00 PM provides a time to remember in a most special way Jesus' deepest and most lasting gift of the Eucharist. Level III children should be developmentally ready to remember Jesus' arrest, trial, and death through St. Teresa's tradition of the living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 3:00 PM. If your Level III child would like to participate as an actor, they should come at 1:00 PM to prepare. The details of various other observances are in the bulletin.
Cathy Jackson (parishioner and CGS family member) told our family about a great and memorable play, "The Gathering," staged by students at Chicago Hope Academy. This is an Easter play based on the Last Supper. This year, we are going to join the Jacksons, adding a new experience to our Holy Week. I'm grateful that the Jacksons have invited us to experience this with them. Think about it. Is there a meaningful Holy Week experience that you treasure for your own spiritual nourishment? Is there someone you would invite to share in that experience? Pass it on!
I wish your family a very blessed Holy Week and Easter season.
Peace,
Lina Hilko
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| The Story of a Bread |
The reflection this week in Level III traces the history of a loaf of bread. It probably sounds a bit silly or odd. But it actually is quite beautiful to contemplate, and some children will connect together various bit and pieces that they have heard in Atrium before. I specifically picked this presentation for this week because of the proximity of Holy Thursday, the mass in which we remember the institution of the Eucharist. Our time on Tuesday can best be supported by your family attending mass on Holy Thursday.
When we look at a loaf of bread, it's history actually begins in a very different time and place. It's history begins with a farmer planting a seed. In the womb of the earth, a work begins. Water and soil, sunlight and heat contribute to the work. After much time, the seed grows into a ripe stalk of wheat. This occurs through the work of the earth. And then, humans (and machines) enter the process once more to harvest, thresh, and mill the wheat into flour. The flour is sent to a bakery, where water, leaven (yeast), and fire all contribute to the transformation of the flour into bread. This bread can be brought to our table to nourish us and to enhance our meal. The bread on our table is a gift received from God: it is the fruit of the earth and the work of many people.
At this point, both the earth and humankind have finished their work. People have transformed the seed as much as they can. They cannot go any further. However, God can . There is a gesture that a person - a priest - can perform so the seed reaches its highest level of transformation. This gesture is a prayer in which we ask God to transform the bread into the Risen Christ.
"And so, God, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become for us the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ." The love of God, through Jesus Christ who died and is Risen, is made visible in a particular way in our world through the Bread.
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| Continued Conversations |
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At family dinner this week, consider making special effort to incorporate a beautiful loaf of bread. Present it in a beautiful way. Invite your child to share with the rest of the family the history of this bread.
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| Say Cheese! |
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Bread ... cheese. What a segue. This is a reminder that St. Teresa's is working to create a picture directory of parishioners. Much of our work in Catechesis is to enable the building of a deep relationship between the child and God. Children learn most by example. When you model good relationship-building skills, you support all of your child's lifelong endeavors to engage in meaningful relationships, the most important of which is with God.
Please don't underestimate the importance of a picture directory in building relationships. Please support St. Teresa's creation of a complete directory and demonstrate to yourself and your family how much you value St. Teresa as an important community for your family. You can sign up for your free photo by calling the parish office at 773-528-6650.
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Please feel free to talk to me or email me ( LHilko@aol.com) with your questions, comments or concerns. Sincerely, Lina Hilko |
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