The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level III 
March 12, 2013 - Level 3, Issue 13
In This Issue
Continued Conversations
Moses/Exodus Schedule
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Dear CGS Level III Parent,  
The Good Shepherd

Level III continues their study of Moses and the Exodus with a Seder celebration. On March 17/19/21, we will celebrate the ceremonial portion of a Passover Seder. We will not follow the ceremony with a dinner, as would be typical in a Jewish home. (Perhaps we'll expand to dinner in future years.)

 

ACTION ITEMS: 

  1. Please RSVP by this Friday (3/15) to LHilko@aol.com to let us know if your child will or will not attend on which day* (March 17, 19, or 21). We must plan supplies and space.
  2. Please specifically email to LHilko@aol.com if your child has any food allergy. The typical Seder plate uses nuts. We must plan carefully to ensure safety and a happy experience for all.
  3. If you as a parent are interested in this experience, please email to LHilko@aol.com. We would joyfully welcome interested parents assuming space isn't an issue. (Sunday may present a problem. Tuesday and Thursday are easy on space.)   

* As usual, your child is welcome on any day of the session if they have a conflict on their normal day. If any Sunday child could attend on a weekday just this once, it might be helpful and provide a smoother experience due to the size of our Sunday Atrium.

 

So far, the children have engaged very fully (we keep running out of time!) in the studies of Moses. We hope they enjoy the Seder.

 

Peace,

   Lina Hilko, Editor
Continued Conversations

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, I'd like to encourage families to plan ahead how they will celebrate this very special time. Holy Thursday mass is so beautiful and important to nourishing your child's Level III experiences. This mass specially commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. The readings at this mass support the Level III typological scripture studies of Moses and the Exodus because the First Reading is of the institution of the Jewish Passover. This mass helps us particularly meditate on various common threads running through God's Plan, from Old Testament to New Testament and ultimately through to Parousia, the time when God will be all in all.

 

Also, Holy Thursday is the day each church receives its new blessed oil for the coming year for the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick. I know at St. Teresa's in year's past the new oil is brought ceremoniously forward (don't know if this is a norm or not). Since liturgy and sacraments are central to Level III work, this is a particularly beautiful mass to attend. Notice the details together. Visit the oils together so you know where they are in the church. 

 

Moses/Exodus Schedule

Sunday and Tuesday Atria experienced glitches in scheduling due to snow and catechist calamities. (Please pray for Myrna Gomez - Level I Sunday catechist - who broke her ankle and Tom Kinsella - Level III Sunday catechist and devoted husband - who is caring for Myrna.) They are behind by one week in the Bible study. So, our Bible study of Moses and the Exodus will continue as follows:

 

Tuesday and Sunday Atria 

  • April 9,14 - Sojourn in the Desert
  • April 16,21 - Gift of the Law (study of emergence of Jewish communal worship)

Thursday Atria 

  • March 12 - Sojourn in the Desert
  • April 11 - Gift of the Law (study of emergence of Jewish communal worship)
  • April 18 - Typological work related to Moses/Exodus 

      

The broad scripture passages for the Bible study are shown below, although in any given session we may read less than the references.

Passover and Exodus:  Exodus 12:1-39; 13:17-18; 14:5-31; 15:1-2 and 20-21
Sojourn in the Desert:  Exodus 15:22-27; 16; 17
Gift of the Law:  Exodus 19:1-20; 20:1-17; 24:3-8; 25:1-22; 26:1-37; Numbers 9:15-18; 10:1-13 and 25-26
Death of Moses:  Deuteronomy 31:1-2 and 7-8; 34:1-12  
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.