The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level I April 12, 2011 - Level 1, Issue 07 |
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| Dear CGS Level I Parent, | 
I meant to write last week but left for a Spring Break instead. So, this newsletter covers all April: last week's presentation (so you know what your child saw) plus the next two presentations.
Last week, Level I children worked with a model of the City of Jerusalem, which lays the groundwork for the child's ability to relate to the events of Holy Week. The youngest children may not always seem to really be understanding Holy Week, but you'd be surprised. As a parent, I'm sure you've had those moments when you say, "Oh my gosh, I didn't even know she was listening!" (usually as your child repeats a bad word or some sordid family gossip). As we journey with children through the years of catechesis, we do see that they have been making connections and layering on the learning all along. It's always a joyful moment when we, as catechists, get to say, "Oh wow! I didn't know he was listening!" And it definitely happens.
This week, the children will receive a presentation on Jesus' Last Supper celebrated in the Cenacle, or Upper Room. They saw the Cenacle in the model of Jerusalem last week, so this gives a good chance to try their hand at "connecting the dots," so to speak. The final week of April, just following the first Sunday of Easter, Level I will receive a presentation on the "Empty Tomb," the Resurrection. We can joyfully proclaim that Jesus is Risen and lift our voices with the "A" word once again. (Do you know about the "A" word? It's what we usually sing before the Gospel at mass. But during Lent, we "put it away," so that at Easter it is even more joyfully sung than ever.)
As always, the work that parents do to support their child's catechetical experience is so very important, and even more so during Holy Week and the Easter season. Please read the article "Feed My Sheep" (that's the title we use when suggesting Level I parental connections and support ideas) for ways you can help connect Atrium to liturgy and life.
We pray that our families have a blessed Holy Week and celebrate Easter with much joy! Peace,
The Level I catechist team:
Betsy Peterson, Martha Garcia Barragan, and Mairead
Reidy on Tuesdays
Liza Bloomer and Anne Edwards on Thursdays
Kathy Murdock, Shannon Blaha, and Marilyn Slavi
on Sundays
and Lina Hilko (editor)
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Feed My Sheep
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Parents can particularly support their children's catechetical work by attending a mass on Holy Thursday, the day that commemorates Jesus' Last Supper, celebrated with his friends in the Cenacle. Help your child know or notice what is special about this mass. Ask your child beforehand what they remember about Jesus' Last Supper. (And if they don't say much, it's okay. Learning is a "layered" effect.) It can be helpful to parents to know that the Atrium readings from the Bible about the Last Supper focus on the institution of the Eucharist, whereas the Gospel at Holy Thursday mass focuses on the washing of feet. I wonder if this can be confusing to children. Do they wonder if this is the same Supper?
Another good way to help your child connect with Easter is to read stories of the events of Holy Week and Easter with your child. I find that Barnes and Noble at Webster Place has a great children's section. Take time to pre-read the stories to make sure the one you pick emphasizes the events that are important to our faith, such as the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Not every story portrays this topic the same way. And of course, it is most important that the story emphatically proclaim the Easter Joy that Jesus is Risen. Level III Atrium has some Easter story books available in case any parent wants to browse through them for ideas.
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City of Jerusalem
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At the beginning of December, Level I children received presentations on geography. They saw the globe with a small red dot to mark the land of Israel. They saw the raised surface map of Israel with pins to mark three key cities: Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. During the seasons of Advent and Christmas, children received presentations on Jesus' infancy narratives which helped them connect accounts of Jesus' birth and childhood with the cities in the raised surface map. In all these ways, catechesis helps to introduce the young child to Jesus as a real person who lived in a real place in a real time, even if it's a place we haven't visited and a time long ago.
So, the catechist begins by asking the children to remember the globe and the map and a baby Jesus. Then, the catechist brings the children forward in time to an adult Jesus and brings them in space to a city that was very important to Jesus, the city of Jerusalem.
The catechist points out the basics of Jerusalem. It's hilly. There are stairs to get to different levels of the city. There are pools of water in various locations because people didn't have running water in their homes. Jesus walked in Jerusalem a long time ago. There were homes and other buildings. Also, there were walls around the city for protection. All these details help the child feel that Jerusalem was a real city even though at a different time. We don't have city walls. We have running water. Things change.
After the general orientation, the catechist shows more details, tailoring to the children's attention span. For the youngest children, we will meditate on four key places and moments:
The Cenacle, or Upper Room: Jesus came to Jerusalem to share a special meal, the Passover Feast, with his disciples. This was a special meal with special words. Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it. Giving it to his disciples, he said, "Take it; this is my body." Then, he gave them the cup of wine and said, "This is my blood."
The Garden: After the special meal with special words, Jesus and his friends went out to the Mount of Olives. It's also called the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed there. That night, people came and arrested Jesus and took him away from the garden. Jesus was sentenced to death.
The Cross: Jesus was crucified on a cross in Golgotha. It's also called Calvary. After he died, his friends placed his body in a tomb made from a cave. They rolled a big rock in front of the tomb.
The Empty Tomb: On the third day, women came to care for Jesus' body according to their customs. They brought oils and spices and cloths. But the rock had been rolled away from the tomb, and Jesus' body was not in the tomb. Jesus was risen. We light a candle next to the tomb. This light reminds us of Jesus' light which is stronger than death.
For older children, the catechist may show other places that play a role in Jesus' Passion, such as the House of Caiaphas, the chief priest; the Tower of Antonia where Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus; and the Palace of the Hasmoneans where Herod questioned Jesus. However, quantity of facts is not at all the object of the presentation. It is far more important at this age to rest in and enjoy the glow of the candle that reminds us of Jesus' resurrection. Better to deal out facts sparingly in order for the children to remain attentive for the lighting of the candle.
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The Cenacle
| The Level I children will hear an account of Jesus' Last Supper from Mark 14: 12-17, 22-24, 26. The Last Supper is a very important moment in Jesus' life. He celebrated this meal in the Cenacle, or "upper room" of a house. This meal was celebrated during the Jewish feast known as Passover. Passover is a feast that has been celebrated by Jewish people for thousands of years, starting a long time before Jesus was even born and being celebrated still today.
After reading the account one time, the catechist will read it again using the materials. The materials are a wooden box representing the Cenacle, a long wooden table covered by a white cloth, three-dimensional figures of Jesus and 12 apostles, a small paten holding a clay model of bread, and a small chalice. Each item is put in place slowly at the right time in the narrative. Great emphasis is placed on Jesus' simple words: "Take and eat. This is my body." "Take and drink. This is my blood."
After a moment of meditation on all that has occurred up to now, the reflection continues. 'Jesus went after the meal to pray at the Mount of Olives.' At this point all the three-dimensional figures are removed and placed out of sight. 'Later that night, Jesus was arrested. We know he died on the cross.' A small crucifix is placed on the table, which still holds the paten, bread, and chalice. 'But we also know that he rose again.' We place two small candles on the table and light them. 'Christ has died. Christ is risen.'
So, the final image for the children is one which connects them to the mass and our celebration of Eucharist. |
The Empty Tomb
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In Atrium, we always talk about the events of Jesus' death in conjunction with the events of Jesus' Rising. It is crucial not to separate the two.
The Level I presentation after Easter Sunday focuses on the joy of the empty tomb. Jesus isn't in the tomb. He is Risen!
In this presentation, the children will hear an account of the resurrection from Mark 16:1-7, where three women come to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body appropriately. A young man clothed in white tells them, "He has been raised." And then the young man continues, "But go and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'"
The young man in white brought good news indeed. And this news wasn't just for the three women. The young man told the women to go tell the disciples. And we hear this same news today. This is good news for the whole world.
The children will be shown materials with which they can continue to reflect on this news. The materials are a model of the tomb, which is a cave with a model of the rock to cover the entrance, and the three-dimensional figures of the women and the young man. The children will hear this presentation so soon after Easter Sunday. Hopefully they were able to listen at mass, and now they hear the joyful news again. (Note to parents that the Gospel at mass will be from St. John, not St. Mark. However, the youngest children are glad to receive the good news and, in all likelihood, won't notice the different Gospels.)
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Feel free to comment on this information to Lina Hilko, LHilko@aol.com, the editor and/or Sarah Coles, SEColes@gmail.com, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education. Thanks! |
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