Sacred History Becomes Prayer

A catechist shared with me the story of a 2nd grade boy in her atrium.  This little boy is very sweet, but sometimes (as with all 2nd grade boys), you might wonder if he's really "getting" it. Then there is a day like last week:

This child loves to prepare prayer for the class.  Last week, his prayer was especially involved.  He brought over two small tables (chowkis) and put them in front of the prayer table.  He took a trip over to the blue (unity) strip which is the long timeline that maps out sacred history from the Creation to the Redemption (Jesus) to the time when God will be All in All (the Parousia--we say it Pair-uh-see-uh).  Then he took some adding machine paper and made a quick timeline of his own, making sure to have the Redemption and Parousia marked out.

Once he was finished, he brought his rudimentary timeline back to the chowkis and taped it on (for good measure).  Then he went to the shelf and found the Nativity material which he placed over the timeline where it said "Redemption."  Next he went to the other side of the room and got the Leaven work.  If you remember, the leaven work reflects on Jesus' words:

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman took 

and mixed in with 3 measures of flour till it was leavened through."

This work he brought and placed on his timeline where it was marked "Parousia."  

It was about now when the catechist couldn't hold herself back a moment longer and had to ask, "Will you tell me about your work?"

The child explained that the Redemption was the time that Jesus came, and the Parousia is when the Kingdom comes, and the Leaven is about the Kingdom.  Another assistant (who happened to be his mother), then asked: "Oh, is it like the present and then the future?"

"No," the child responded. "Because I think that the Kingdom is happening right now, too.  I really think it is both the future AND the present."

"The Kingdom of Heaven and the Leaven" is a presentation that the child first receives in Level I, when they are 3 or 4 years old. This is truly synthesis at its best: unlooked for and unasked for by the adult, but diligently and fruitfully sought by the child. 

Little Theologians

The early weeks of Level II are finished now, and it has already been a great year!  Over the first few weeks the catechists and assistants are using the opening presentations (lessons) to help us see where the children's interests are and where they are in their understanding of the faith.

I have to say that in my own Level II atrium at 3:50, I was blown away by the 6 year olds during "part one" of a presentation called "La Fettuccia."  This presentation gives an overview of the big picture of the History of the Kingdom of God: the Creation, the Redemption, and the Parousia (we pronounce it Pair-oh-see-uh).

I was narrating the story of creation and got right to the part where: "God made man in his image. In the image of God He created him. Male and female he created them."

Then the children interrupted.

One said, "Human beings don't do what God wants them to do."
Another responded, "Yes they do!"
Child 3: "Not always.  Sometimes they do bad things."
Child 4: "Why would God make people to do bad things?"
Child 3: "God didn't make them to do bad things, but sometimes people just make bad choices."
Child 5: "Oh you guys, this all goes back to the garden with Adam and Eve and the apple!"

We ended up finishing our presentation and talking about God's gift of himself (the Redemption) and about the time when "God will be all in all" at the Parousia.  It was a profound moment for me though, as I watched the group of little theologians head off to put their shoes back on.  They have much to teach us, and I am continually humbled by the opportunity to watch them (and in some small way, help them) grow in their knowledge and faith!

~Mandie DeVries
CGS Catechist and DRE

First Communion "Virtual" Parent Meeting

Greetings First Communion Parents:

I know you are all greatly looking forward to May 19, 2013!

I know that we had planned on a meeting in early October, but based on feedback from previous years, I was faced with a dilemma: if I have the meeting in the spring, no one knows what is going on until that late in the game. If I have the meeting in the fall, everyone forgets by spring!  Also, it occasionally happens that a child who was not planning on receiving this year is ready by the spring or vice versa.  Solution: I am going to have TWO parent meetings.

1. A "virtual" fall meeting for a heads-up and overview of what we plan to do for First Communion prep
2. An early spring meeting for parents of all children who will receive First Communion on May 19th at 10:30 mass.

This blog entry is that first meeting. In this meeting I plan to cover:

• How we determine readiness for First Communion
• How First Communion Prep is a part of CGS formation from 3 years old up past 2nd grade
• How your child's particular preparation in our program will go

So first: Readiness.  

Usually we say that it is around the 2nd grade year that a child is "ready" for First Communion.  Eucharist is a free gift, given weekly, even daily, to those who have been prepared for it.  It is the summit of our initiation into the Catholic faith.  Sometimes a child who is in 2nd grade does not yet have this desire.  We try to respect a child's wishes in this regard, so that they are prepared when the time does come. We want the children to be prepared, mentally and spiritually, so that they can recognize the gift they are offered. 

This also means: a child usually will have been in religious formation for at least one year before their First Communion year.  This means that all children receiving in 2nd grade will also have been in religious education classes in 1st grade.  This is a guideline that will help separate foundational education (basic evangelization) from preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  We generally ask children to wait until this "full year" is under their belt before asking for First Communion, however, if a child sincerely asks for the Sacrament, it is rare and nearly impossible for us to deny him his heart's desire!!

It DOES happen that sometimes children who are younger than 2nd grade ask to prepare to receive.  Again, these children will have had one, or sometimes three, years of preparation before this moment.  Children in this circumstance who ask for the Sacrament will be given the chance to meet with Father to discuss why they desire to receive early.

This is why I'd like to wait until Spring for our official "in-person" meeting.  We'll have a much better idea of which children will enroll for preparation!

Next: Preparation in CGS Class

We've actually put together a whole handbook on how "lessons" or presentations your child has been receiving in the atrium are building toward a fuller participation in the Mass, and particularly inviting them to make their hearts ready for the Eucharist.  This handbook can be found on our parish website:

http://www.dmallsaints.org/First%20Communion%20Preparation%20Booklet.pdf

The long and the short of it is that the general preparation is being done each week as you bring your child to RE classes, and as you bring your child to weekly Sunday Mass.

Finally: the Particular Preparation

The "Home Stretch"-so to speak-for First Communion/First Reconciliation Preparation begins with a class pilgrimage to the Grotto of the Redemption (April 27, 2013).  Families are encouraged to make the trip with their child if at all possible, or we can arrange transportation if necessary.  You can ask parents of older youth in our program (or the kids themselves) and they will tell you that this pilgrimage is definitely a highlight!

Following the pilgrimage, we will have 4 special sessions plus a retreat.  These sessions are for BOTH children and parents.  The children will have Bible Study and reflection time (check out the handbook we linked to above!) while the parents will have 1) a special meeting to discuss more particularly (and prayerfully) your child's formation and preparation, 2) a presentation living a Sacramental Life with your child, given by a guest presenter: this year the director of St. Joseph's Ed Center, Matt Halbach, will give this presentation, 3) an opportunity for parents to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, 4) a time for parents to help prepare food and things for the children's retreat, and 5) an opportunity to sit in on your child's final Bible Study and then celebrate with them as they receive their First Reconciliation.

The dates for these special sessions are always from 6pm-7:30pm the first 3 Wednesdays in May, plus the Friday night before First Communion and 9-2:30 on Saturday for the retreat.  Here is a link to the Sacramental Flyer that details all of these dates.

http://www.dmallsaints.org/2013%20Sacramental%20Prep%20Flyer.pdf

What should you be doing now?

As the year goes by, you can help your child by ensuring that:

• they are learning their prayers (Hail Mary and Our Father are key prayers for Penance for Reconciliation, and they are important to know anyway!) as well as the Act of Contrition.  
• Attend Mass weekly as a family.  
• Make sure your child is paying attention and behaving reverently.  This is a key readiness factor, too!
• Ask your child's catechist or me if you have questions regarding preparation!

That is all I have for now.  I hope you feel a little more clear about how the year will go.  Please let me know if I can help you in any way!

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries

Director of Religious Education

The Memorial

I had a guest in my atrium this past weekend, and I always wonder what an atrium session will be like when a guest is there.  As my husband tells me, it's kind of like an electron: you can't look at it without changing it.

Anyway, the children were doing their work: mostly working on the Rubrics of the Mass work and copying their own missals.  And I began the presentation of The Memorial for three of them at a time.

Now the first thing they always say when they see a familiar work is: "I've seen this one."  So when they see the Cenacle (which is the Last Supper material) all set up with the altar and candles and bread and wine and crucifix, they want to be sure this isn't a repeat.  "I promise," said I, "this work grows with you."

The premise of The Memorial is that we recognize Jesus' presence on earth 2000 years ago was a singular event.  Being so close to our Lord was a blessing that was unfathomable, and his disciples and others living at that time got to experience it.  But does this mean that we were born too late??

The work that flowed from the Cenacle was on a long orange mat (orange is consistently the color of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in CGS) and on it the children and I worked to piece together the story.  Beginning with the Last Supper, it is apparent that Jesus wanted to be with All People of All Times.  This is why he said, "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood." And why he said, "Do this in Memory of me."

The children then see the words of the consecration placed on the card speaking of that Passover meal, as well as the bread and wine (the clay paten and chalice) moving from the Cenacle work to sit beside those words on the mat below.

The following events of Jesus' life are highlighted. His Death, His Resurrection, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Then we continue with a new card speaking of the Apostles repeating those words of Jesus: "This is My Body, which will be given up for you." and "This is My Blood, which will be shed for you and for many." And Jesus is again present to them.  When I asked the children how it was that Jesus was present again, one group immediately said "In the Bread and the Wine!"  While the other had to think for a moment.  Both however, were convinced of the Real Presence.  They then moved the Bread and the Wine  down from the Passover... further down the mat to this time of the Apostles.

The work continues on two more cards, one that speaks of the bishops and one of the priests.  We begin to see that the closeness, the intimate presence of the Lord is not something that only happened 2000 years ago, but it continues up to today!

Then one child saw the final card and grabbed it: "Oh, it's my favorite! The time when God will be all in all!"  She was referring to the drawing of Jesus returning in glory, with the cross that is over the whole earth.  The final point of the presentation was that this Memorial would continue to up until the time that it is fulfilled: at the Parousia!

The children were very peaceful and even sang the beautiful song that goes so well with this presentation: "We Remember."  One of them immediately grabbed the booklet that goes with the work and went to copy it.  Another found the card from the Rubrics of the Mass material called "The Memorial" and proceeded to compare and contrast that prayer with the one found in the folder.

I never know if what I see is what others see, so I asked my guest what she thought of her day in the atrium. She asked about getting her own children signed up.  I suppose that's a good sign.

In the love of the Good Shepherd,
Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and DRE

CGS Brings the Faith to Fareway

A parent (and catechist) sent me an email this week about her 4th grade son who insisted on two particular cans of Pringles while they were grocery shopping. He wouldn't tell her why he wanted them so much, and she was especially confused since they already had two cans of Pringles at home.

This is how he set them up when he got home...

"See, Mom!" and he began to sing the song he has sung in CGS since Kindergarten:

"Purple and Green and Red and White, are the colors of the year! Purple and Green and Red and White, remind us of the Light!"

Even at the grocery store we can be reminded of the Light! Who knew that Pringles cans could help us learn our liturgical colors? Way to go, Mom!

God Bless Everybody!

Mandie

This Holy Week! CGS-Inspired Prayer Presentation for Teens and Adults

Many adults in the parish have asked if there is an "adult version" of CGS. It seems adults are drawn to the materials and intriguing presentations of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

To that end, we are offering a unique Holy Week experience this year. As we celebrate the "birthday" of the Liturgy of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, it seemed appropriate to offer a prayer presentation on Holy Wednesday called:

The Holy Mass:

The Origin of the Eucharist & The Origin of the Liturgy of the Word

These two presentations (one from Level II, and the second from Level III) will be presented live and projected on a big screen. These presentations follow the roots of the mass all the way to the time of Jesus, and even further back in time.

The "direct aim" of nearly every presentation we do in CGS is this: to lead the child to fuller participation in the mass. I believe these presentations can do this for teens and adults as well. I know they have changed forever my own experience. I hope you will join us: April 4, 2012 @ 7pm in the church! (When we finish up, the Life Teen kids will go back to their regular class!)

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and DRE

A Stranger and You Welcomed Me

A catechist in a Level II class shared a story this week of what happened when a new child came into the atrium.

The other children were very excited to welcome the new child (it was our 6:45 session), and during the class, got busy preparing for that evening's closing prayer.

As it turned out, they had spent their time making letters out of paper and cutting them out and tying them together so that they spelled a word. When they rang the bell for prayer (which signals to the class that it is time to put away work and come to the prayer table), they hung the word over the front of the Good Shepherd tapestry hanging above the prayer table.

"WELCOME."

We are constantly humbled by the children's spontaneous joyfulness in living the gospel.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34-40

Silence

With some recent articles about what Pope Benedict has to say about silence, I thought it might be a good time to talk about silence in the atrium. Thank you to Ms. Lynn, a Level II catechist at our parish, for passing these on to me!

In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the mantra is "simple and essential." We meet about 25 times per year. We have to make sure that the most essential formation happens for the children in that time. But one of the most essential parts of that formation is to make the child comfortable with prayer--not just spoken prayer, but most importantly silent prayer.

As Mother Theresa said: "The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. And the fruit of service is peace."

In the stillness of our hearts, we become aware of the guest of our soul.

I suppose that is why CGS formation trains us to start this work with the smallest child. You would be amazed to see how peaceful a 3 year old can be for a few minutes of silence. This week in my class, a fourth grade boy asked if we could make silence for the whole class time. We got to about 7 minutes before entering our presentation for the day. I was impressed, though, at how much more focused the children were after the time of recollected silence.

As an aside, that same 4th grader was very disappointed to discover that he only had a few more years in CGS. "Isn't there a Level 4? Can you make one?"

God Bless you and your families,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and Director of Religious Education

The Hinging Virtues

Many of our 10+ year old kids are getting to see my favorite work in the Level III atrium: The Cardinal Virtues. The presentation lays out the 4 Cardinal Virtues.

The first three: Justice, Prudence, and Fortitude are the virtues that push us to do the good. The last one: Temperance, is the virtue that holds us back from over-indulgence.

The word "Cardinal" comes from the italian word that means "hinge." This is important because our whole lives "hinge" on the degree to which we have (or have not) these virtues.

As the children are introduced to the "sister virtues"--they see that virtues like meekness, patience, gratitude, and humility all relate somehow to the Cardinal virtues.

To the left is the box that was made for this work. We have a Level III catechist who wrote out all of the virtues (cardinal and sisters) and their definitions on the back, as well as the arrows pictured below. This is a great part of CGS because that catechist is probably the most familiar of all of us with these virtues because of her hard work in preparing this for us.

This part of the Virtues work is my favorite! The children are invited to read stories from the bible and make their own judgments of whether or not the actors in the scene were exemplifying or deficient in a virtue. The little arrows have plus and minus signs on them for the children to point to the parts that they notice a + or - for the virtues.

This helps them to see the world in the light of the virtues. The more we can, with God's help, develop the virtues in our life, the better our world will work. (Just like the hinges on a door!)

Until next time!

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist & Director of Religious Education

The Sacrifice of Isaac

This week sees the pinnacle of our Abraham study. "The Sacrifice of Isaac" encompasses Genesis 22:1-19. Abraham, living among cultures whose ultimate worship to their gods was human sacrifice--the sacrifice of the firstborn, it must have been a sacrifice that Abraham almost expected that his God would require of him.

Yet, the One True God, the God of Life does not will this sacrifice from Abraham:

"Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the angel. “Do not do the least thing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one.” Genesis 22:12.

Abraham does offer a sacrifice, but as he prophesied to his son, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the offering." And as we dive into the typology (the study of the connections between Old Testament, New Testament, and the future) of this event, we see the the Lord did indeed provide the offering--the final sacrifice: His own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He also bore the wood for the sacrifice on his own shoulders as did Isaac, and Jesus also showed the obedience of Abraham in his sacrifice.

Typologies always look to the future as well, though this one can be harder to see. One day, however, we will all offer perfect praise to God--as we offer our whole selves without reservation to his greater glory!

God's blessing on your families,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and Director of Religious Education

Reasons it is OK to be late to Atrium... (True story)

We had a child come in a little late to atrium last week, and she apologized to her catechist but said, "My grandma said we had to be late today."

The catechist was a little surprised and said, "Oh, okay. Why is that?"

"Well, as we were driving up tonight, the sun was just setting and it was so beautiful that Grandma said we just had to sit and watch it. She said that watching God's beautiful sunset was more important than being on time today."

The catechist smiled and said, "Your grandma is right. In our class, we are practicing taking time out and thinking about God and thanking him for his blessings. Your grandma is doing that in the real world!"

Way to go, Grandma!

More on Abraham... And a serious sidenote.

Level III kids in some of our atria continued their study of Abraham this week, and we finally hear about the birth of Isaac. Abram was 75 when God promised him a son, and he is 100 years old when the promise is finally realized with his wife Sarah. Kind of makes our 3 week wait seem a little weak! In the coming weeks, we'll dive in to the significance of the "Sacrifice of Isaac." Stay tuned.

In a couple of Level III classes this week, the children chose to discuss (at their own level) the tragedies of the past weekend. I invited one of our catechists to share her experiences in talking with the kids: (Thanks, Melissa!)

~ Mandie DeVries, DRE

From Melissa: This past week, we spent time in our Level III atria talking about some serious issues that have been facing our children in the past week or more. As you know, there were two suicides in the Johnston school district last weekend.

You may not know that we have several families in our parish from this school system who were affected. Because of my history as a substance abuse counselor and having worked with youth around the city, I felt comfortable discussing the subject with our kids.

We talked about the impact suicide has on a family, a school, a church and the community at large. We touched on the emotional state of the people involved and the lengths that need to be taken to intervene. We talked about the Catechism of the Catholic Church and what our faith tells us about the issue. We talked about bullying and our role as Christians in this and other situations our youth face. But most of all, we talked about God's never ending love for us.

I encouraged the children to take full possession of their membership in Christ's body and to always, always know that there is a way out of any situation through God and Church. I told them that along with their parents, the entire Religious Education staff is there to help them sort through any difficulties they may have, and that we could always bring in our Pastor, Father Harris for them as well.

During the late class, Father happened to be available, and came in to speak to the children and answer questions about the topic. I was glad to be able to discuss this in the manner we did. Our children are rich in their knowledge, understanding and faith. We were able to bridge some of their questions and hopefully to instill a belief that we as a staff, are also here to help.

If you have any questions at all or want to discuss further, please feel free to send me an email (and I can send you my cell # if you'd like to chat).

Thank you for the amazing opportunity to live in the protection and guidance of our Good Shepherd with your children.

Melissa Hill, Level III CGS Catechist

Level II--Parable Work

Parable work continues on from the Level I into the Level II atrium, but in a deeper way. The child (as you may have noticed!) is building a capacity for synthesis--drawing conclusions from many stories, and by the age of 7 is strongly rooted in a sensitive period for justice (read: they are concerned with what is "fair.")

One parable work the younger ones (and some older) are seeing in Level II is the synthesis of the growth parables. This presentation draws together the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, two favorites of the children--especially those who have seen them since they were 3 years old! The children wonder together with the catechist at the lesson these parables have for us about the Kingdom of Heaven. A few insights the children come to:

• There is a mysterious power at work in both the seed and the leaven that causes the growth and "leavening" of the tree and bread.
• In both cases, the seed and the leaven seem small and insignificant. The Kingdom must also have this appearance: starting small, not seeming so important, but then it becomes something greater, something beautiful.
• We also start small--in our mother's wombs! We did not cause our own growth, could that same mysterious power be at work in us? What is this power? (The children all know and answer: God!)

It is a privilege to sit with the children as we think about these parables together. Catechists will tell you that no matter how many times they sit and listen with the children, there is always a discovery of something new and beautiful in the parable.

He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” Matthew 13:33

Catechist Tea

Just a quick post on a little something we started doing 3 (or so) years ago: Catechist Teas. Modeled after what one trainer mentioned in passing--that Sofia and her collaborators would often sit in the atrium after classes and drink tea while discussing the presentations, the children, and/or making materials--up to 10 of us meet once (or more) per month to do just that.

Lately, we have started to choose one presentation to focus on as the springboard for our conversation. Two months ago it was the presentation of The Presentation (in the Temple--a Level I presentation). Last month we looked at the International Eucharistic Presence (Level II), and ended up bringing together many different album pages and tweaking the presentation until it was "just right." Yesterday we looked at the Level III work, The Cardinal Virtues.

This is a good opportunity to revisit the presentations as adults and to be sure that we are on target with our direct and indirect aims and doctrinal content. The presenter usually reads the direct and indirect aims afterward and we all discuss on how (or not) the presentation mirrored those.

It's been a beautiful way to build a community and to get stronger in our own understanding and formation. These concepts are never outgrown... each is like the song we sing with the children in Level I: "It is the smallest seed that there is...[that] becomes a magnificent tree!"

"And the Kingdom is in the highest... and the Kingdom is o'er all the earth... and the Kingdom is o'er all the earth... And the Kingdom is inside of us."

God's Blessings,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist & Director of Religious Education

Level 1 Atrium: Falling in love with God.

Well I can’t believe it has been two weeks since our Christmas celebration and break, the children were so excited to be back in the atrium. We started off by recalling the birth of Jesus in the manger and the people that came to visit him, like the poor shepherds. The children were presented a work about the adoration of the Magi also known as the three Kings or astrologers. It is a beautiful work that reminds us that Jesus came for everyone, the rich and the poor.

We lifted up the word, “homage” which means to show respect and honor by kneeling and bringing gifts. We also discussed the meaning of the three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) to help us ponder the true identity of this child, Jesus.

It is sometimes easy to forget the meanings of the gifts in which gold was a gift for a King, frankincense was used by a priest and myrrh is holy oil used to anoint a person’s body after they died. After the presentation, some of the children would be called to the work and we would reread the scripture (Mathew 2: 1-12) as the children moved the figures to reenact the event. Some children also enjoyed tracing pictures of the work.

Connected

It is amazing how one work will flow and be connected to another work. Each work builds on each other and helps deepen the children’s love and understanding of God. When talking about the word, homage, we also discussed that we give Jesus homage every time we genuflect at church. We talked about the gifts of bread and wine that we bring to Mass. Children seem to intuitive know that gifts are brought to special people. We presented a work about preparing the cruets. The cruets are the containers that hold the wine and water. At All Saints the cruet of water is on the altar table whereas the cruet of wine is brought with the other gifts. Make sure you point out the gifts that are brought up during Mass and the cruets; it is a wonderful way to help the children be more involved at Mass. This is a favorite work of the 3-6 year olds as it helps them master controlled movement of pouring, learn new words and being more involved at Mass.

I’m sure you have already experience this with 3-6 year olds, but don’t be surprised then your children want to start pour more of their own drinks at home.

This coming week we will be learning the parable of leaven. It is work that helps us contemplate how the Kingdom of Heaven grows. A concept that is honestly still a mystery to me. I encourage you to read the short passage Matthew 13:33 and do your own contemplation. Don’t be surprised if your children come home telling you they made bread as the presentation does involve flour and yeast (leaven).

We don’t let the children bring this work home, but feel free to stop in and look at it and ask questions. I have seen many children find a sense of peace and joy in this work as they slow stir the mixture. It is as if they are talking to God.

God’s Blessing,
Michelle Moore, CGS Catechist

Typologies Continue

You can tell it's been busy when it's been months since my last post! But I will still try to keep it short so that folks still want to come back and read without getting eye strain. ;)

Off to the left I have a picture of a child's work from the Flood typology. This is the first time a child has copied a whole chart!

For some background: this is our 2nd year (in a 3-4 year cycle) in Level 3. While children will end up seeing most of the Level 3 presentations over the course of their 4-7th grade years, our schedule looks a lot like the Liturgical Calendar.

As our Typology work continues, we are diving in to the study of our father in faith: Abraham. Abraham (or Abram, depending on what chapter of Genesis you're in) is important because of two principle reasons:

1. He listens to God's voice


2. He obeys

This is the first time that mono-theism enters into human history in any sustained way. Abraham doesn't just follow A god. He follows THE God.

For the children, we go straight to scripture (and they are getting much better at looking up verses!) and so far we've studied a bit about:

• Abraham's life as a semi-nomad--what life was like for him and what things were important,


• Abraham's character--how he was a clever and peaceful man who always sought peaceful means of looking out for his interests, and


• Abraham's relationship with God--he even walked with Him as a man walks with a man--interceding for the city of Sodom before God.

The children have also been working with card packets that help them to learn more about Abraham. The photo to the left is of the Abraham and Worship card packet. Many children will trace and/or copy this work.

We have a couple of weeks before we get to the pinnacle of our study--the sacrifice of Isaac. But the children will be well-prepared to enter into that story and see how Abraham's life and love for God prefigures (typology!) the Almighty Father who loves us so much that He is even willing to sacrifice His Son.

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and Director of Religious Education

Here is a photo of one child's work copying the Nomadic Life packet...