The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level I October 1, 2014 - Level 1 |
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| Dear CGS Level I Parent, |  We just finished our third session of catechesis for 2014/15. The Level I children were introduced to, or considered again, the deep love and care of the Good Shepherd found in John 10. They continue to discover the Atrium and the works that are available. This is the first Level I e-newsletter of the year. The catechesis e-newsletters are intended to help parents connect with their child(ren)'s experience in the Atrium (the CGS term for our rooms). Newsletters are often level-specific, but sometimes combined when the topics being covered across levels are related. Newsletters are not issued weekly. Sometimes we include Level I articles called "Feed My Sheep" that suggest ways to connect Atrium to home. Suggestions should never limit you; hopefully, they inspire you. Level I presentations are not very conversational. The 3-6 year old child is still developing speech and vocabulary. Abundant hands-on materials exist in Level I to provide the 3-6 child, who often cannot yet read or write, the means to continue reflecting on the presentations. So, the parent can support their Level I child through activities, much more so than through lecture or lengthy discussion. The "Feed My Sheep" title was chosen to highlight action. We know that parents are the first and best teachers of the faith to their children, and we seek to support you in this role. Please reach out to your catechist or to Kate Lynch, Director of Religious Education, with questions, comments, or concerns.
Peace,
Lina Hilko (editor)
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Falling In Love
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The central aim that permeates all of the Level I presentations and experiences is to help the child fall in love with God. It's beautiful just to rest in that concept for a moment ....
Level I children, who are 3 to 6 years of age, are in a "sensitive period" (a Montessori term) for relationship. I really like the description in Mustard Seed Preaching by Ann M. Garrido:
Children have a deep desire and capacity to be in loving relationship. Relationship - children teach us - is the most essential, the most beautiful, and the most real thing in the universe. It is their deepest need and, when it is met, it is their greatest joy. Because their capacity for relationship is so large, it can be difficult to satiate. The children's great hunger to love and be loved offers perhaps the best testimony we have to the foundational principle of Christian anthropology that humans are ultimately "wired" to be in relationship with God. For, only in God, does the child's need and capacity fully meet its match.
The 3-6 child isn't in a sensitive period for moral formation; that will start to emerge in Level II. The time, space, and opportunity that Level I offers the child to fall in love with God through Jesus, the Good Shepherd, provides the solid foundation for the child's moral formation because their whole life and all its moral choices can be built on the child's knowledge that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves them abundantly, completely, and perfectly. Their life becomes a joyful response to that gift of love.
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Feed My Sheep
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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd initiates the child's relationship with the Father through his Son. Thus, the central proclamation in Level I is the parable-allegory of the Good Shepherd found in John 10:1-18. The complete parable is presented gradually over the course of Levels I and II, with specific portions being provided at appropriate times, based on the child's readiness. (Specifically, the hired hand and the wolf are presented in Level II but not in Level I.)
Consider taking time yourself to read and reflect on the parable of the Good Shepherd. When you nourish yourself spiritually, your child is nourished as if by osmosis.
Our text in Atrium is scripture, often read directly from the Bible. We also now have small bound scripture booklets that are easier for small people to work with. Parents are always encouraged to read from the Bible at home. But you can also build bridges between Atrium and home by reading illustrated books with your children. There are various books that connect to the parable of the Good Shepherd, the parable of the lost (found!) sheep, and Psalm 23 (the Lord is my Shepherd). Look for something simple and beautifully illustrated which, ideally, uses scripture directly or stays very close to the original words of scripture. Also, there are some interesting books built around the Our Father prayer and beautiful books of Psalms. If you are interested in more specifics, consider asking any catechist to show you favorite books in the Atrium. Even Level III has a great library of beautiful books that any age-level can enjoy.
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Food for (Parental) Thought
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You might have noticed and wondered about the title of this newsletter: The Gatekeeper. The "gatekeeper" is mentioned in John 10: 1 - 4.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
One of the harder things a catechist must do is to stop themselves from interpreting, explaining, or defining - to simply present and facilitate the children's joyful discovery of meaning and purpose. Parables speak uniquely to each individual. The same parable can provide a different message at different points in one person's life. And the characters and objects in the parable can change in meaning. In Level I, the children begin by wondering who the shepherd is; who the sheep are.
It's good as parents to read parables thoughtfully and wonder about them because this is a skill we ask your child to develop. For example, who is "the gatekeeper?" I wonder.
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Feel free to comment on this information to Lina Hilko, LHilko@aol.com, the editor and/or Kate Lynch, kolynchdre@gmail.com, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education. Thanks!
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