The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III 
April 20, 2010 - Level 3, Issue 14
In This Issue
Passover and Exodus
Is It I, Lord?
Prayers for First Communicants
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Dear CGS Level III Parent,   
The Good Shepherd
 
Level III continues its study of Moses and the Exodus which will be our focus for the rest of the year.  Attendance is important to your child's full enjoyment of the study.  Rather than miss a session due to a conflict, please consider coming on the other Atrium day that week.  Level III meets on Tuesdays or Thursdays.  Always feel free to reach out to your catechist to discuss any issues you are having (attendance or program content or anything else).
 
As a reminder, our Bible study covers:
April 6/8 - Moses' birth and call to vocation
April 20/22 - Passover, Exodus and crossing the Red Sea
May 4/6 - Sojourn in the desert
 
I must admit that discussion was enthusiastic and hard to control in the last Thursday session, and our group didn't get to Moses' vocation. So, Thursday is off schedule, but Moses has been around a long time, and the book of Exodus isn't running away as such. We'll see where we all end up.

Peace and joy,
The Level III catechist team:
   Sarah Coles and Michael Sanem on Tuesdays
   Lina Hilko and Bernadette Diaz on Thursdays
Passover and Exodus
The scheduled Bible study this second week (except that Thursday kids are still catching up) is to cover Passover and the Exodus.  I've listed some comments or questions for parents to consider.  These may or may not be things the children discuss or wonder about.
 
Tenth Plague (Exodus 11:4-6)
  • Sometimes adults can have a hard time reading passages from the Old Testament.  Jesus himself challenged a lot of people in his time with very uncomfortable teachings.  So, if certain Old Testament passages introduce discomfort in you, try to keep listening to God's Word so over time you build understanding and knowledge.  Can it be like massaging a knot out of your muscle?  Sometimes we need to remain with the source of discomfort and work and work with it.
Passover (Exodus 12:1-13, 28-34)
  • As an adult, you have probably heard the Passover story before, perhaps many times.  Is it a familiar story for our children?
  • How can we read the Passover story, while considering simultaneously the life of Jesus?  Do we see parallel imprints of God in these two events separated by so much time (more than a thousand years)?
  • Do we see connections to Passover in recent history or in our reality today?  Do we anticipate connections at Parousia?
  • At the end of these passages, how do you think the people of Israel are feeling?
Exodus (Exodus 12:37-39) 
  • Can you imagine this exodus?
  • To what can we compare this group in size?  Have you ever been to the Chicago fireworks on the 3rd of July?  That's about one million people.  Could this group be as large?  Imagine.
  • How would you feel?  What would you take?  These people had been living in Egypt for 400 years.  Where are they going?  What will it be like?
  • Can you imagine being their leader?  Being Moses?
Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5-31)
  • Keep asking yourself how the characters feel?  How does Pharaoh feel?  How do the people of Israel feel?  How does Moses feel?
  • In this overall Bible study, we talk to the children about the word "remember" and the word "know."  In the context of God and the people of Israel, "remember" means more than, "I remembered to make my bed."  These words reflect the covenant between God and His people.  So, in these passages, we ask ourselves if Israel is "remembering" God in this way of deep relationship.  The people have just experienced the power of those ten plagues.  But when faced with Pharaoh's army, are they remembering with the trust of deep relationship?  Or are they remembering selectively ... and forgetting selectively?
  • Do we see parallels of such selectivity in recent history or today?
  • We also have been wondering with the children what is meant when we read the words "fear of the Lord."
Rejoicing (Exodus 15:1-2, 20-21)
  • Have these events changed the people of Israel?  Are they transformed?  In what way?
  • Can you see a connection between the crossing of the Red Sea and the sacrament of Baptism?
That is the end of this portion of our study.  Picture the moment.  What's next?
Is It I, Lord?
After this week's sessions, only two more Atrium sessions remain in the year.  So, Sarah Coles, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education, has begun planning for 2010/2011.  We are asking parents and other parishioners to consider whether they are being called to serve God by being a catechist.

St. Teresa's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program provides a variety of ways in which a person can serve as a catechist. Certainly, many of our catechists have pursued or are in the process of receiving formal CGS training, which does require significant commitment. However, this is not a requirement. St. Teresa's offers a role we have coined the "neocatechist," which gives adults the opportunity to learn about and naturally fall in love with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Neocatechists are paired with a trained, experienced Catechist and serve as an assistant in the Atrium.
 
A Neocatechist would not be expected, nor required, to pursue formal CGS catechist training. The Neocatechist is expected to:
  • Commit to attending their assigned Atrium consistently;
  • Commit to attending a weekend catechists' retreat in September;
  • Commit to attending at least one catechist meeting during the year; and
  • Commit to attending diocesan-required training on the prevention of child abuse.
More information on time commitments will be given in an upcoming e-newsletter.
 
A successful Montessori learning environment, such as the Atrium, provides the best experience for children when at least two, and even three, consistent adults are available in the room. This allows the primary catechist to tailor presentations to the needs of individual children or small groups while ensuring that the rest of children are using their Atrium time appropriately.

We ask that parents and other parish adults consider this service opportunity. Please contact Sarah Coles or talk with any of the current CGS catechists to learn more about becoming a catechist. We understand that you are discerning whether the opportunity is correct for you, and you are not obligated to the program simply because you are asking and learning. You will find that CGS catechists often feel that they are experiencing rich spiritual growth themselves when they serve as a catechist.
 
Prayers for First Communicants
About 24 children are preparing to celebrate their First Communion at St. Teresa this year.  How truly joyful!  The celebration will be at the noon mass on Sunday, May 2nd.  Please keep these children and their families in your prayers as they enter the final two weeks of preparation.
 
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.