The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III March 13, 2012 - Level 3, Issue 12
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| Dear CGS Level III Parent, | 
This week, Level III children will begin working for three consecutive sessions on the topic of Reconciliation. We begin, not by specifically talking about Reconciliation, but rather by reflecting on what it means to remain in right relationship with God as "children of light." Consistent attendance during the next two weeks will be very helpful to your child's full experience.
St. Teresa's Lenten communal Reconciliation celebration will occur on Wednesday, March 28th, starting at 7:00PM (communal beginning; leave when you are done; no communal ending time). It is important to our children's catechetical experience to get the chance to celebrate Reconciliation at least once a year. We ask that parents take their child during Lent to a Reconciliation service and participate in it themselves. We hope you can come on March 28th so as many of us as possible can celebrate this sacrament as a CGS community (the more kids the better for all our experience!). If you feel it is too much to attend Atrium and the March 28th Reconciliation service all in one week, we totally understand and strongly encourage opting for the March 28th Reconciliation. (We will hold Atrium that week but want to give flexibility for those who feel overbooked.)
Our Lenten Family Formation Workshops continue the next two Sundays with topics that are particularly fitting to parents of Level III children: (1) preparing to parent a teen on March 18th and (2) reflections on forgiveness and reconciliation on March 25th. Please consider attending these workshops held in the Religious Education Center at 10:30-11:45AM (during Sunday Atrium time). There is also a fun, hands-on workshop related to Easter Traditions on Saturday, March 31st. (Please RSVP to Kate Lynch for the Saturday event if you are coming.) Peace, Lina Hilko, Editor |
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Meditations on Our Light
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Before touching on the sacrament of Reconciliation, we will spend our first week reflecting on scripture passages that remind us of our orientation toward God and light. We will begin with a beautiful reflection, filled with candle light, reminding us that when we were Baptize, we each received the light of Christ. Then, we will reflect on the words in Ephesians 5:8:
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
We reflect on the subtle difference in wording. Not only do we receive the light of Christ, which can sound a tad passive, but we are light. We go further, though, to think what it means to be "light in the Lord." What does it mean to be "in" the Lord?
We'll reflect on the words from Romans 13:12:
"The night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."
What is our "armor?" In Level III, we often point to the helps God gives us to write our Blank Page in Salvation History: the Sacraments and God's Word. So, one "arm" we have is God's Word, particularly words which give us rules to live by, such as the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Maxims. In this series of Reconciliation meditations, we'll focus on the Maxims, which are succinct phrases spoken by Jesus that provide us moral rules for our daily life. (Interested parents can read a list of the Level III Maxims in the archived Level 3 newsletter dated 3/22/2011.)
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Maxim Work
| This week, each child will pick one Maxim that they want to practice specially for the next week. The child may keep notes on their Maxim observance. This is the child's work. We are not asking for the parent to help in this task (except if the child asks for it) because, in fact, we want the child to experience how attainable or unattainable this behavior is for them personally. When we meet again, the children will share their experiences - successes, failures, or just plain forgetfulness. As we journey together, we learn that it's good to strive and it's human to falter. God provides us the means and the strength to get back on track, always facing forward.
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Moral Formation
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It can be useful for parents to understand the stages of child development and the child's sensitivities around which the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd presentations are organized as they consider the topic of moral formation and the gifts of the sacrament of Reconciliation. You may want to read an article on the developmental stages of moral formation archived from 2/2/2010.
To highlight the most important points for the 9-12 child, we know at such age the child is ready and able to apply moral rules to the child's own actions and choices. The Level I and Level II proclamations of the Good Shepherd and the True Vine have helped to turn the child naturally, lovingly, and joyfully toward God, like a sunflower turns naturally toward light. The spiritually-mature child's moral actions are the expression of the child's orientation toward God's light. On page 154 of Cavalletti's The Religious Potential of the Child, we read, "The enjoyment the child experienced in considering the Good Shepherd's love now grows into the deep joy of knowing himself to be loved and supported, even if one is an imperfect sheep; that the Good Shepherd's love does not stop when faced with deficiency whatever it may be, and that it surpasses every human capacity."
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Service Opportunity with Cuisine
| You have probably heard about Cuisine du Coeur, the scrumptious event hosted by the French community on March 25th in support of raising funds for St. Teresa's social justice ministries, such as Food Pantry and Loaves and Fishes Dinners. Well, the French community could use some extra helping hands, and Level III kids are the perfect fit (or older, by the way). If your child (4th grade and up) is willing and available to help, and wants to support our social justice ministries, please click on this VolunteerSpot link to learn more. You can sign your child up using VolunteerSpot or simply exit if it's not a good fit. If you do sign up, be sure to click the big red "Confirm" button to get your confirmation e-mail. It may be the perfect way for you to enjoy the event and keep your child busy at the same time!
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Please feel free to contact Kate Lynch, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education ( kolynchdre@gmail.com), or Lina Hilko, newsletter editor ( LHilko@aol.com), if you have questions or comments about this information.
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