The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Levels I and II 
April 9, 2013 - Levels 1&2, Issue 14
In This Issue
The Empty Tomb.
Spreading the Good News
A Fly on the Wall?
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Dear CGS Parent  
The Good Shepherd
Joyful Easter! Both Level I and Level II this week will read an account of the resurrection of Jesus and work with a material called "The Empty Tomb."

 
Easter is such a great feast that we don't just celebrate for one day, but rather for 50 days - all the way to Pentecost. Keep taking notice with your child of the beauty of the Easter season within the church and Easter's liturgical color, white for celebration.

 

And it's not just inside the church that we feel the joy. The whole Earth reflects resurrection. Take time with your child to notice nature awakening. Every single day there's a new treasure that is revealed. Yesterday it was hidden, and now here it is ... alive! New life is amazing. Ask together: Who does all this for us? How can we express our thanks?

Peace be with you,

  Lina Hilko (editor)


The Empty Tomb

Christ is risen, Alleluia! We present the narrative of the Resurrection of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark (16:1-8), 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.'"

 

These last words are particularly important, "go and tell his disciples."  We consider that the good news of the Resurrection was not just for the three women. They were instructed to go and tell. And we are all still doing that today. We tell the story again and again. That same good news told long ago is being told today. And this is one way we spread the Good News.

In the Atrium, we have a three-dimensional model of the tomb that we present with the narrative from the Gospel of Mark. It is a depiction of what a tomb might have looked like in Jesus' time in history. The children are individually able to work with this model and the corresponding figures (women and man in white) after the presentation.

 
Spreading the Good News

One way we spread the Good News is by telling and retelling the Gospel stories. Another important way is through the sacrament of Baptism. Next week's catechesis presentations will help children meditate on the various physical signs and gestures used in Baptism. We are fortunate at St. Teresa to have a small, close-knit environment where the whole community is very welcome to stand close around the font during Baptisms to really experience the sacrament. The crowd all gathered close is such a fine way to emphasize that we're in this together - our sacraments are truly communal works.

 

Seize the opportunity to watch closely together with your child at the font. Don't be shy. This really helps your child see the signs and gestures, meditated upon in Atrium, at work in real life. After mass, consider talking about the Baptism. What did you each notice particularly? What were your favorite moments? Why? Consider sharing with your child your favorite memories of their Baptism. This may, with repetition, create a "memory" within them - a very special gift.

 

A Fly on the Wall?
Time flies! And so has our catechetical year. Would you believe there are only five sessions left? As we near the end of this year, it will be time for us to plan for next year, including inviting new catechists to help those staying in the ministry. We can always welcome a parent to observe in the Atrium, and now is a good time to do so if you might consider joining this great ministry. There's truly no "obligation" associated with observing and learning about the Atrium environment and activities. In fact, because catechesis is a significant commitment, we fully expect that a person would want to learn about it before making any decisions. Please reach out to Kate Lynch if you want to observe any of the three levels.

 

Please provide comments about this newsletter to Lina Hilko, the editor, at LHilko@aol.com and/or Kate Lynch, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education, at kolynchdre@gmail.com.