The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III
November 3, 2009 - Level 3, Issue 03 |
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, |
We will continue having separate presentations for first year children and returning children through Christmas break. Starting in January, most of our presentations will be to the whole group together.
Remember that all families are invited to join a special, intimate celebration of mass on Thursday, November 19th during the last half of Atrium. Families who attend catechesis on Tuesday or Wednesday are invited to join us Thursday instead of their regular day. If you cannot come on Thursday, then please continue to attend your normal Atrium day.
The first years (generally 4th graders) will begin this week on a series of three presentations on Nov. 3 & 5; Nov. 17 & 19; and Dec 1 & 3. This series is one of a set of Level III presentations in the category called Typology. This first typological study will focus on Creation. This set of presentations is truly a series that builds progressively. Each presentation is rich, involving thoughtful group discussion, and all are interrelated. Consistent attendance is very important to receiving the fullness of the experience because there's no ability to make-up a missed presentation. If your first-year child misses one of these sessions and you would like to help support a complete experience, please feel free to talk to or e-mail Lina Hilko for ideas on how you can make-up your child's missed experience at home. First-year parents, please read the first section below, entitled "Creation Typology."
The 2nd and 3rd year children will work with the Cardinal Virtues. I picked this presentation because the Level III children last year worked a great deal with the maxims, which are words of Jesus that provide us with rules to live by. The maxims help us to discern actions based on loving choices (as opposed to unloving choices). I thought the returning children would enjoy an introduction to this related but different look at "love in action." The timing of this introduction follows nicely with last Sunday's Gospel reading of the Beatitudes, which also illuminate a path which enables us to "have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) Returning parents, please read the sections below after the Creation article.
Peace,
The Level III catechist team:
Sarah Coles and Michael Sanem on Tuesdays
Lina Hilko and Bernadette Diaz on Thursdays
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| Creation Typology |
Children in their first year of Level III will begin their work with the Creation typology. This typological study forms a foundation for the other four typologies that can be presented in Level III. And it really doesn't make sense to present any of the others before receiving this one. We are presenting Creation to first-year children now so that the group as a whole can study another typology (Moses/Exodus) in the spring.
Since the Creation typology was presented last year, it happens that the e-newsletter from last year serves as a perfect text for this series. Please click here to read the archive of the 1/06/2009 newsletter, which provides good support to parents of first-year Level III children.
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| The Cardinal Virtues |
The Plan of God strip, which is a long time-line focusing on the role of human beings within God's history, is foundational to all works in Level III Atrium. Between the present and the Parousia (the time when God will be all in all), there is blank, white space. This is the "Blank Page," the part of God's history that is still being written. It is being written by all types of people, all around the world, of all ages. So many people have worked up to now toward the fulfillment of God's plan, creating a network of relationships. We are each and all called to continue the work of building the Kingdom of God. And one important piece of our work is to remain connected to this network of positive relationship. As the children first heard proclaimed in Level II through the parable of the True Vine (John 15: 1-10), Jesus encourages us, "remain in my love."
Greek philosophers, particularly Plato (and possibly Socrates), taught that people should be guided by the cardinal virtues in order that their relationships be good ones. Virtues are characteristics that promote individual and collective well-being. The word "cardinal" comes from the Latin root "cardin," which means hinge, such as a door hinge. Just as hinges enable a door to perform its useful work (without the hinges, the door is likely just a heavy slab of wood), so the cardinal virtues enable a person to live life to the full.
In this first presentation, the children will be introduced to the names and definitions of the four cardinal virtues and the sister virtues of each cardinal virtue. In the following sessions, the children will receive further presentations that help them distinguish positive examples of a virtue from examples in which the virtue is lacking. The final article of this newsletter lists the virtues and definitions for your reference.
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| Continued Conversations |
Parents of returning children can help support the catechesis by naturally connecting an every-day event to a virtue. The every-day event could come from a movie you watched or a book you read together or from a discussion around the dinner table about something that happened that day to one of you or about something you learned about through the news, a current event.
The booklet that is part of this Atrium material states, "The virtues are acquired by practicing them day after day with God's help and for the love of every creature." The first step in such a disciplined practice is to know the virtues and to be able to identify their positive practice or lack of practice externally. These steps are the necessary foundation to the internalization of this life practice.
Parents can naturally help their child internalize this life practice by helping with the vocabulary and identification steps. You need not tie your comment to catechesis at all. It's as simple as stating, "She showed a lot of fortitude by standing up to those builders in order to save the endangered owls." Such statements, made consistently over time, provide a vocabulary that is foundational to moral development. I must admit, it can be easier said than done because the list of virtues doesn't just roll off the tongue, at least not for me. But it's something to strive for, and it's definitely something in which a parent is instrumental. Catechesis, at best, opens the door (using those hinges, by the way).
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| List and Definitions |
The four cardinal virtues are:
Prudence: The virtue that pushes us to act wisely by choosing right paths.
Justice: The virtue that pushes us to give to everyone that which is rightfully theirs.
Fortitude: The virtue that pushes us to face any difficulty for a just cause, to the point of sacrificing one's life.
Temperance: The virtue that keeps us from excessive desires and actions.
The 3 sister virtues of Prudence are:
Foresight: The virtue that makes us act, keeping in mind what could happen.
Diligence: The virtue that makes us determined to act rightly.
Docility: The virtue that makes us accept the counsel of others.
The 6 sister virtues of Justice are:
Gratitude: The virtue that pushes us to recognize the good things we receive and to reciprocate.
Penitence: The virtue that makes us regret the wrong we have done and make amends for it.
Sincerity: The virtue that pushes us to speak and do the truth.
Humility: The virtue that pushes us to compare the greatness of God with our smallness and to enjoy God's love.
Respect: The virtue that makes us hold others in high regard.
Obedience: The virtue that makes us ready to accept the higher will.
The 2 sister virtues of Fortitude are:
Constancy: The virtue that makes us persevere in right action.
Patience: The virtue that makes us stand firm in the service of good, in spite of difficulties and troublesome people.
The 3 sister virtues of Temperance are:
Meekness: The virtue that holds in check the thrust of rage.
Sobriety: The virtue that makes us refrain from excessive eating and drinking.
Modesty: The virtue that makes us respect what is intimate. | |
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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