The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III
October 6, 2009 - Level 3, Issue 01 |
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, |
(Note, the welcome letter is the same in each Level newsletter.)
Welcome to the 2009/2010 catechetical year. The catechists of St. Teresa are especially overjoyed to welcome the children this year into our new space. St. Teresa's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has been on quite a journey to find a suitable place to devote to our children - space in keeping with the needs of a Montessori learning environment and space that conveys to our children their importance to this community and the importance of sacred time and space to meet and know God. We hope your children feel how special this place and time is. This truly is holy ground, and great things will happen here.
As we did last year, we once again will provide e-newsletters each week that CGS meets. The newsletters are generally Level-specific because the developmental needs of the children and the presentations usually differ greatly amongst the three age groups (3-6 for Level 1; 6-9 for Level 2; 9-12 for Level 3). From time to time, the same message is appropriate for all Levels, in which case the message will be repeated in each newsletter. If you have children in various Levels, we trust you will patiently scan for such repeated information. Also, as this is our second year for the newsletter and because CGS Levels cover three years each, sometimes articles will seem familiar to you if you are in the second or third year of a Level. Presumably such articles are included because the information is important. One thing we know about children is that they learn and perfect skills through repetition. This is actually true at all ages. So, even if something seems like repetition, read it with ears open. You might hear something different each time you read.
These newsletters are intended to help parents to live out their own baptismal vows, as well as the baptismal responsibilities they accepted for their children. One of the concluding blessings of the Rite of Baptism is over the father and mother, who "will be the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. May they also be the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord." The community of St. Teresa has shown very concretely this year that it seeks to support parents in their role as first and best teachers.
May your whole family feel joy as you journey with the Good Shepherd this year!
Peace,
The Level III catechist team:
Sarah Coles and Michael Sanem on Tuesdays
Lina Hilko and Bernadette Diaz on Thursdays
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| Overview of the Year |
This year's Level III presentations will revolve around four main areas: The Plan of God; the Sacraments; the Mass; and Typology studies. Children in their second and third years will also work with the Cardinal Virtues and the Miracles of Jesus. A little more information on each of the main areas is given in following sections. Subsequent newsletters will describe the presentations actually occurring around the time of each publishing.
Each CGS level is designed as a three-year cycle. (Level III is particularly rich in presentations and material, and many people feel there's easily five year's worth of stuff.) Parents must be patient in order to see the overall plan unfold or emerge. Catechists often hear from parents that they "don't get" the program. Truly, part of that feeling comes from the fact that it is a very rich, but also very slow, process. We hope the newsletters help you to connect with and support your child.
We will provide the full schedule of presentations in a subsequent newsletter as this one is already pretty lengthy. Our first presentation this year will be on the Plan of God strip.
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| The Plan of God |
Many Level III works revolve around the Plan of God strip. So, we begin each year by meditating on and working with the strip. In Level II, children will work with the Fettucia, a long ribbon representing the timeline from Creation through Redemption (the time of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection) to Parousia (the time when God will be all in all). In Level III, the Plan of God strip focuses on a portion of this overall history - the part related to human beings. Although Plan of God works are rich and complex, with many messages and avenues of exploration, there are two strong messages that are repeated throughout Plan of God presentations.
- A plan has existed all along in the mind of God to bring all people, all things, all of creation into the full enjoyment of God in a cosmic communion of love.
- The history of the Kingdom of God has been, and continues to be, written by people all over the world, of all types and all ages. We are each called to contribute to this history.
It is this final sentence that is foundational to Level III work. The 9-12 year-old child is called to write his or her "Blank Page," to actively collaborate with God, people and all of creation in building the Kingdom of God. We pray that this becomes a life-long dedication.
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| Sacraments |
This year, a key focus for all children in Level III will be the sacraments in general, with specific additional time devoted to Baptism and Reconciliation. During Lent we will devote two sessions (10 and 11) to Reconciliation meditations, followed by a Reconciliation service during our 12th session. |
| The Mass |
The "Structure of the Mass" presentation helps the child visualize an order and structure for the 49 prayers that comprise the Mass. The various prayers are organized within two large categories: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is further organized into three parts: Preparation of the Gifts, Eucharistic Prayer, and Communion. This year, we will all delve deeply in various ways into the Eucharistic Prayer.
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| Typology Studies |
In Level III, the children begin to work with the Old Testament. Earlier levels focus on the New Testament, with the only Old Testament touch points being the prophesies related to Jesus and some Psalms. Level III works with the Old Testament through a concept called typology, which essentially looks for recurring concepts throughout God's history. This year, first-year children will study the Creation accounts during our 3rd, 4th, and 5th sessions (November and first December session). In the spring, we will all together work through a typological study of Moses and the Exodus. Typology studies easily require three successive sessions, and this makes regular attendance in Level III very important.
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Please feel free to talk to Lina Hilko ( LHilko@aol.com) or Sarah Coles ( secoles@gmail.com) with your questions, comments or concerns about Level III or this e-newsletter. |
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