The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level II 
March 16, 2010 - Level 2, Issue 12
In This Issue
Last Supper
Reconciliation
Special Note: Wednesday Children
Listening to God
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Dear CGS Level II Parent  
The Good Shepherd

This week, the Level II children will split into two groups.  Children who have already received First Reconciliation will join the Level III Atrium to prepare for and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Sarah Coles will lead their reflection.  This will only happen on Tuesday and Thursday as those are the only days that have Level III.  The younger children will remain in Level II and receive a presentation on the Last Supper.  Read whichever presentation article applies to your child.  The article "Listening to God" applies to all.

 

Atrium will not meet again until after Easter Sunday (next sessions are April 6/7/8).  As we experience this three-week break from Atrium, please help your child continue Lenten work by participating in Holy Week masses and events as appropriate.  Please read the article below on "Listening to God" for ideas about helping your child connect with the Holy Week masses, especially on Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday.  St. Teresa has the beautiful tradition of Living Stations of the Cross at 3PM on Good Friday.  There are roles that children can play.  Whether participating or attending, the Living Stations help children to connect more tangibly with the narratives of Jesus' Passion which they hear in Atrium and in mass.

 

Peace,
The Level II catechist team:
   Jane Ott and Liza Bloomer on Tuesdays
   Megan Wallenfang, Vanessa Hernandez, and
      AmyMcCue on Wednesday
   Barb McHugh and Myrna Gomez on Thursdays
and Jane Ott (writer) and Lina Hilko (editor)
Last Supper (read for younger Level II's) 

This week the catechists will present to the children the event of the Last Supper.  We will learn that Jesus spent his last night in the Cenacle, or upper room, to celebrate the Passover meal with his disciples.  We have a wooden model of a Cenacle as a three sided room, a table for dining, and three dimensional figures of the disciples and Jesus.  The three dimensional figures emphasize to the children that this was a real event in history with people in a particular place (in this case the Cenacle). 

 

We discover with the children in the Gospels the important words that Jesus said to his friends during the Last Supper:

 

"Take this, this is my body."

 

"This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many."

 

These words are what we hear at Mass each week, and Jesus wants us to continue to says these words in remembrance of Him.

 

Sophia Cavalletti explains the significance of this new relationship or covenant that Jesus formed with all peoples the night of the Last Supper:  "During the Last Supper presentation we emphasize Jesus' will to remain with men of all times; therefore we focus on the words of the consecration with which He expressed this will, designating as the ultimate end of the bread and wine that they be the signs of His perpetual presence in the midst of mankind and of His continuing intervention in the life of humanity."  (Religious Potential of the Child 6-12, Cavalletti, Pg. 114)

 

It is important to note that all of our presentations about Jesus' death in the atrium are followed by proclaiming the rest of the story.....He is Risen!  We reenact the Last Supper this week with Jesus and his disciples around the table with bread and wine. We then show Jesus and his disciples leaving the Cenacle for the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed.  We tell the children that at the Mount of Olives, people arrested Jesus.  Jesus was crucified and died.  We place a crucifix on the Cenacle table which still holds the bread and wine.  Immediately, we tell the children that Jesus rose again.  We place and light two candles on the Cenacle table.  This image clearly reminds us of mass and our celebration of Eucharist and often results in quiet contemplation.

 

Parents and children are encouraged to explore the Gospel readings of the Last Supper together, perhaps something special to do during Holy Week.

 

Luke 22:7-14

Mark 14:12-17, 22-24 (omitted is the passage about Judas which can leave too strong of an impression with the young children)

Matthew 26:17-30

 
Reconciliation (read for older Level II's)

The children who have already celebrated their first Reconciliation will join Level III to prepare for and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on March 16th or March 18th.  God offers infinite love and mercy in the gift of forgiveness and healing as mediated by the church through the sacrament of Reconciliation.  The four moments that comprise the sacrament are:

 

         The Good Shepherd calls us by name to walk with him.  We compare our lives to God's Word and realize that we are not always able to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow him.  (Examination of Conscience)

         When we become aware of our unloving choices and actions, we confide to God our weaknesses, trusting that God is loving, good, and faithful.  (Confession)

         God releases us from the bonds of our sins, freeing us from our weaknesses with the strength of the Holy Spirit.  (Absolution)

         We respond to God's gifts of grace, healing, and strength by walking forward on the path shown to us by the Good Shepherd.  (Penance)

 

Parents who would like to reflect more on this sacrament for themselves may choose to read the Level III newsletters from:

 

February 2:   developmental stages of moral formation

February 16: reflections on True Vine and what it means to walk as a child of light

March 2:       reflections on God's faithfulness and mercy; parable of the Found Sheep

March 16:     reflections on the parable of the Forgiving Father (Prodigal Son)

 

In addition, parents may want to read and reflect on the narrative of healing, particularly of the woman with a hemorrhage, found in Luke 8: 40-55.  This story helps us to reflect on the gifts of healing, strength, and peace that we receive through the sacrament of Reconciliation, and also on the communal aspects of the sacrament.  Consider why Jesus sought to talk, face-to-face and in front of all those gathered, to the woman who was healed of the hemorrhage.  Her physical problem was already resolved through her private, secret action.  Was there greater healing yet to be accomplished through spoken, public interaction?  Does this apply to us today?

 

Even though various Atrium presentations provide opportunity for children to meditate on Reconciliation, the truth is that this is a drop in the bucket.  Parents are the first and best teachers of the faith to their children for many reasons, time and exposure being a great one.  If you have questions or concerns about the sacrament of Reconciliation (as with anything in catechesis), please reach out to Sarah Coles or Fr. Frank.  The staff and catechists are here as a resource for parents.  As one of our Maxims states:  Ask, and you will receive.  Seek, and you will find.  Knock, and the door will be opened.  Matthew 7:7

 

Special Note:  Wednesday Children

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated during Atrium sessions on Tuesday, March 16th and Thursday, March 18th.  Level II children who have already celebrated this sacrament before and who usually attend Atrium on Wednesdays are invited and encouraged to attend on March 16th or March 18th instead of their regular Wednesday session.  If such a switch is not feasible for your child, we encourage you to find another time that your child can celebrate the sacrament, such as St. Teresa's Community Reconciliation Service on Monday, March 29th at 7:00 PM.

 
Listening to God

[Very similar to Level I article]  The celebrations of mass on Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday can help your child connect their Atrium work to our liturgical life.  However, it can be hard for young children to listen to readings at mass.  The first hurdle is for them to discern that there's relevance, a reason to tune in.  If you think about it, children automatically tune out of many adult interactions because they sort of sense that what's going on isn't meant for them.  You can help your child tune in by whispering something like, "Let's listen carefully to this story.  Tell me if it sounds familiar."  The second hurdle is comprehension.  Listening to an adult reader at mass is not the same as listening to your parent read a story at home.  The lectors and priest don't stop to define hard words or to ask little questions to see if you were paying attention.  Parents can sometimes highlight just one relevant point very quietly at the end of the reading, just to help strengthen a connection.

 

Also, the more we hear a story, the easier it is for us to connect to it the next time.  Consider reading a story or stories about the events we remember during Holy Week or about the Jewish Feast of Passover to your child over the next few weeks.  I particularly like visiting the children's section of the Barnes & Noble on Webster and Clybourn.  They have a good variety of books, and it's easy then to skim through for the story that best presents events that are particularly important to you.  Choose books which include the four key places/moments we proclaim to children:  Last Supper, Prayer in Gethsemane, Death on the Cross, Resurrection.  To connect with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, you are looking for a book that treats Jesus' life with respect, employs scripture-based fact, and fits with the age of your child(ren).

 

I have Easter books for parents to browse displayed noticeably on top of a shelf in Level III Atrium.  You are welcome to take a look.  The selection changes at Barnes and Noble from year to year.  Some good books I saw this year are:

 

My top choice this year (you can browse it in Level III):

The First Easter by Carol Heyer

 

Simple board books for the youngest:

The Easter Story by Patricia Pingry

The Story of Easter by Patricia Pingry

 

Simple Spanish/English version:

The Story of Easter/La Historia de la Pascua by Patricia Pingry

 

More complex, read selective pages and grow into it

The Story of Easter by Christopher Doyle and John Haysom

 

 

Please provide comments about this newsletter to Lina Hilko, the editor, at [email protected] and/or Sarah Coles, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education, at [email protected].