The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, All Levels
January 19, 2010 - All Levels, Issue 08 |
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| Dear CGS Parent, |
I must admit that I procrastinated and put everything off this Martin Luther King holiday, including all e-mail, until late this evening. And so, as I prepared to begin writing Catechesis e-newsletters for the week, I learned the very sad news of the death of Myrna Gomez (Level II Catechist on Thursdays) and Tom Kinsella's son Carlos yesterday (Sunday, January 17th). I do not have details at the moment, but I understand that the funeral will be late morning this coming Thursday (at a church other than St. Teresa's), and a wake will be held on Wednesday evening.
My heart is just so heavy, and I cannot offer the proper thought and prayer to craft fresh newsletter words. I'm sad for that because I know that this week's presentations are so rich and filled with joy and hope and gratitude. And it is right that they should be because the Good Shepherd brings us such love and joy and care. So, I encourage each family to pray for the blessings of the Good Shepherd's love and nurture and joy. Please pray for God's peace and healing for Myrna and Tom, their entire family, and all those who grieve. And let us give thanks for the gift of love and joy that Carlos must feel as he is embraced by the Good Shepherd in a way that we can only glimpse while we are here on earth.
I provide brief information on each of the presentations for this week below.
May Christ's peace be with all of you,
Lina Hilko, Editor
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| Level 1 - Psalm 23 |
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[Copied from Level 1 newsletter dated March 3, 2009.]
This week the children will reflect the words of Psalm 23: 1-3:
The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.
Sometimes the catechist chooses to present only the first verse, "The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." And sometimes the translation says, "There is nothing I shall want."
You may recall from the very first newsletter (November 4, 2008) that the central aim that permeates all of the Level I presentations and experiences is to help the child fall in love with God. Level I children are in a "sensitive period" (a Montessori term) for relationship. Here (again) is a description from Mustard Seed Preaching by Ann M. Garrido:
Children have a deep desire and capacity to be in loving relationship. Relationship - children teach us - is the most essential, the most beautiful, and the most real thing in the universe. It is their deepest need and, when it is met, it is their greatest joy. Because their capacity for relationship is so large, it can be difficult to satiate. The children's great hunger to love and be loved offers perhaps the best testimony we have to the foundational principle of Christian anthropology that humans are ultimately "wired" to be in relationship with God. For, only in God, does the child's need and capacity fully meet its match.
Listen to the words of Psalm 23 through the ears of a child who treasures loving relationship.
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| Level 2 - Synthesis of the Our Father |
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[Copied from Level 3 newsletter dated May 19, 2009. Although the below describes a very similar presentation given in Level 3, the guides for parents are applicable regardless.]
This week, Level III children will work on a synthesis project organized around the Lord's Prayer. I will lay out large laminated strips containing parts of the prayer. The children will place items from the Atrium or written recollections around the different strips, thus connecting the year with the prayer. Children may choose to perform a similar synthesis written into their personal Prayer Journal.
Maybe you'd like to try this for yourself. Sometimes with formulaic prayers, they become routine. It is an insightful experience to really slow down the prayer and listen to each phrase. Stop at each phrase and listen to God's whisper to you on that topic.
I remember a couple times that Fr. Michael Sparaugh, S.J., led retreats at St. Teresa. Both times he led the retreat participants through the Our Father with body movements (mostly hands and arms). This had the effect of slowing down the prayer and helping one be cognizant of each message within the prayer. You can try this, too. You don't have to know his motions. The challenge is to think of your own motions that depict each phrase.
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| Level 3 - Eucharistic Prayer |
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[Article below copied from Level 3 newsletter dated April 21, 2009. In Atrium this week, the first year children will work with a material as described below (the 13 parts of the Eucharistic Prayer). The returning children, who already worked on this presentation last year, will receive a presentation focused only on the preface of the Eucharistic Prayer. The Preface asks us to lift our heart and give thanks to God, the creator of everything. The Preface culminates with everyone praying, "Holy, holy, holy Lord ...!"]
You may recall that, back on December 16th, the Level III children worked with a high-level depiction of the structure of the mass. There are four companion presentations for Level III, which are detailed works drilling in to each of the four segments of the mass (Liturgy of the Word and the three sub-components of Liturgy of the Eucharist: Preparation of the Gifts, Eucharistic Prayer, and Communion). This week the children will work with the Eucharistic Prayer, which is considered the "heart of the mass."
The Eucharistic Prayer is comprised of 13 parts. The whole is truly beautiful. It begins with an invitation to lift our hearts to the Lord and an invitation to give thanks to God. Since "Eucharist" means "giving thanks," this is fitting. The prayer includes an account of the Last Supper. The Level III children may remember and connect to presentations from past Levels where they heard Jesus' words, "Take and eat. This is my body." Also, "Take and drink. This is my blood." And, "Do this in remembrance of me."
After the account of the Last Supper and the congregation's proclamation of the mystery of our faith, the Eucharistic Prayer includes prayers for the leaders of the Church, for the entire family of the Church around the world, and for those who have died and gone before us. All these prayers support our overarching petition to God that, through the Holy Spirit, we become one body, one spirit in Christ. Truly this prayer is intended to unite past, present, and future and to unite all people in all places in all times.
The Eucharistic Prayer is the first detail of the mass that is presented in Level III because it ties so beautifully to the various Level III works related to the Plan of God and the key moments of Creation, Redemption, and Parousia, the time when God will be all in all.
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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 this e-newsletter. |
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