Parables and Signs: A Retreat for Adults

This article is part of a "column" I write for our parish bulletin each week called Faith Formation Begins at Home.  This week it is an invitation to a retreat I am putting together based particularly on two chapters in Sofia Cavalletti's book, The History of the Kingdom of God, Part I: From Creation to Parousia.

Parables and Signs: A Retreat for Adults Probably if your children are older than high school or if you don't have children, you don't think too much about religious education methods and modules. Or if you do have young children, one religious education program vs. another might not make that much of a difference to you so long as your child is being formed in the faith. I doubt I would have had much of an opinion either, once my children were grown, had it not been for the discovery of Sofia Cavalletti and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Aside from Dr. Cavalletti's ground-breaking discoveries relating to the religious potential of the child, she was also unmatched in her ability to distill her vast knowledge of Scripture, Sacred History, Liturgy, and the Gospel into its most essential and life-changing points. This week's article is a heart-felt invitation to you as adults to "come and see" what thousands of adults from around the world are discovering for themselves in the world of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: a transforming gift. Monday, December 16th, from 6:30-9:30pm, step into a world where the greatest Mysteries of our Faith are presented as simply as Our Lord intended.   When Our Lord taught, He used one language.  Whether by parable, or miracle, or Sacrament, Jesus Christ uses the language of sign to simultaneously communicate and hide a Mystery.  This language cannot be translated.  It must be experienced.  It holds within its simplicity an invitation to an interaction, to a reflection, to a response.    Come and hear. Come and see.  But mostly, come and reflect and respond to the mysteries Our Lord has made accessible to us in the simple form of seed, leaven, pearl, miracle, and sign.  There are just shy of a dozen spots remaining for Parables and Signs.  Please RSVP to mandie@dmallsaints.org by December 9th to reserve your spot.  We will begin at 6:30 with an appetizer potluck and a bit of fellowship, so please bring something to share!

God's blessing on you and your family this week and always, Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and Director of Religious Education

Communal Prayer in the Atrium

Prayer changes as the children grow and move through the levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Here's a little overview of ways we experience prayer in the atrium.

All Levels: Nearly every presentation in the atrium has an element of prayer.  Either we are solemnly reading scripture, or isolating a part of the mass, or proclaiming some truth of the Faith, but it is always a call to think more deeply, to respond with joy, and with that joy and pondering to be drawn further into relationship with God.  I wanted this post to be a picture of what "group prayer" looks like in the different levels.

Level I: In the first level the group prayer is led by the catechist. Since the children are largely pre-readers, the prayer will usually consist of reading a prayer card that was chosen (like "Hail Mary" or "Glory to God") and reflecting on those words in silence for a few moments.  The candle is always lit, and the children always marvel as we talk about Jesus as the Light!  These children also pray for their families, friends, pets, neighbors, and they also say thank you to God a LOT.  They also love to sing simple songs at prayer.

Level II (1st-3rd grades or 6-9 years): Prayer becomes more child-led in this Level.  A few examples of prayer from the past two weeks that were pretty amazing:  Two girls, a first grader and a third grader, were using a template to prepare prayer and they were trying to choose a scripture.  They began to walk around the atrium and found the Kingdom of God parables.  The older girl took the lead and they made a booklet with ALL of these parables.  They even drew pictures.  It was beautiful!  The other example was of a boy who loves to make timelines for his prayer. He made a timeline of Jesus' life.  The catechist tried to get him to limit his "props" from around the atrium to four or so, but the young 3rd grader complained, "But I want to inspire people!"  He ended up pulling the shell from the baptism work over for the moment Jesus was baptized, and he chose the scripture from the Flight into Egypt for his reading.  The final moment on the timeline was (of course) the Leaven.  He asked the other children what the meaning of the Leaven was, and after they shared their ideas, he told them that it was like heaven because it rises so big and so fast, and that is the Parousia--what we're waiting for!  It was a profound reflection and synthesis for all who shared in this prayer.

Level III (4th-6th grades or 9-12 years): Prayer here can either be much simpler than the Level II kids, or can be much more involved, depending on the time these big kids have to put into it.  A few examples from the last couple of weeks:  In one atrium, there are three girls who love to sing. Their scripture readings were chosen around the songs they wished to sing.  And they sang in parts.  And the other children in the atrium joined in.  It was like a choir broke out in the atrium. Beautiful!  Another group was of younger children, and they broke up their scripture reading into a choral reading piece, with each having their own part, and sometimes reading all together.  The very first day of Level III, a few older children decided that they had to read from the Creation story in Genesis because it tied in so well with the works they had done that day. They read the whole first chapter, and though this can be a long reading, the other children were perfectly attentive and reflective. This age child will also bring in intentions to prayer and some of the intentions these bigger kids bring can be hard and heavy.  They also like silence.  For several years we would have silent moments in the atrium and the children would all comment on how LOUD the clocks were. We just built three new atria and I had an excuse to buy new clocks for every room. Digital clocks. I can't wait to make silence with them!

Proclaiming the Kingdom of God

At the beginning of the year in Level III there is a strong focus on the Kingdom of God: the History (from Creation, to Redemption, to Parousia), the Gifts (from the beginning of Creation that were prepared for humans, to the gift of other people, to the great gift of Jesus especially in the Eucharist), and the Plan that existed in the mind of God from all eternity: to unite all people and things in a universal (cosmic) communion of love!

Sometimes the children flow right along with the presentations, and sometimes it takes a little while for them to get back in the swing of thinking about these great mysteries.  When some young boys were working with the "History of the Gifts" material, we came upon the question: 

"Of all the gifts you have received, which is the greatest?"

For one of these boys it was very difficult to choose.  Finally it came down to a toss up between YouTube and Play Station 3.  A second boy tipped the scales when he said definitely Play Station 3.  The third boy who was younger than the other two was still writing the card that reflected on the gift of other people and was writing names of those with whom he had a special relationship.  So we posed the question to that young man.  "Of all the gifts you have received, which is the greatest?"

He turned from his work and said firmly, "Uh, Life?! Come on guys, get with the program!"

The other two boys then realized that YouTube and PS3 wouldn't mean much to them if it weren't for the gift of life, so they quickly changed their answers.  I love how the younger boy was able to proclaim this truth and help his friends become even more aware and grateful for just how greatly God has gifted them. I didn't have to say a word.

Mary's Communion Song

So there's a story behind this song.

It was my second year running the First Communion rehearsal, and it was still a disaster.  I mean, the kids were darling and sweet, but as I was trying to teach them the proper way to receive our Lord, I sounded like a very confused square dance caller.

"First you step in to the aisle and walk forward. Wait! Hold your hands prayerfully! We're not in line for McDonald's! Okay, now we prepare our hands (or our tongue).. Now you receive and you make a Sign of the Cross. What? Oh! Don't forget to BOW!"

It didn't get much better from there.  As I was driving home, I thought of how much more I wanted these children to remember WHO they are receiving versus thinking only about HOW to receive.  I pulled in the driveway in the dark and had my head down, but I could see the Mary statue in the front of our garage.

Mary, is there some way I can simply teach these gestures so that the focus is your Son?  Help me to get out of the way!

The next thing I knew I started singing this song... "I walk in a line with my hands in prayer..."  It must have been her special desire to answer this prayer for how quickly the song came to mind. I was able to teach the song to the children the next night!

Since a friend recorded me singing it and put it on YouTube, I've had requests from places as close as Missouri and as far away as Japan and South Africa find me and ask for the song.  A friend has helped me with the music. I am providing it here.  My only request is that if you use it, you leave a comment as to where you are from! It's fun to see how far good news travels!

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries, Level III Catechist and All Saints Parish DRE

p.s. By the way--if your parish or children in your parish receive on the tongue, you can change the words to: "I walk in a line with my hands in prayer, bow to my Lord who is present there."

p.p.s. If you would like a .pdf, please let me know and I'll send it to you! Thanks!

Here is a video of the children singing it!

Moses and the History of the Jewish People

In Level III this semester, our studies have taken us deep into the book of Exodus.  Studying that people whom God chose to be His own, we have become very familiar with the history of Israel.  From their enslavement in Egypt, to God's response in the call of Moses, and up through the Gift of the Law and their entry into the Promised Land.

These last few and upcoming weeks are the capstone and pinnacle of our studies.  If you have read this blog before, you might remember that we do 5 typology studies in CGS Level III.  Typology is just a fancy word for seeing "types" or "ties" between Old and New Testament events, as they both point to a future reality that we call  "Parousia"--what we adults might call the end of time, but which the children call that time "when God will be All in All." 1 Corinthians 15:28.

Moses is one of these typologies.  After meditating (discussing and thinking hard) about the connections between crossing the Red Sea and Baptism, between Moses and Jesus, and even manna and the Eucharist, our study turns to the present.

One of the sad realities of the past 100 years, and really the past 2000 years, is that the Jewish people have sometimes not been accepted in the countries to which they have spread (diaspora). The children (especially our American children) really have a hard time understanding the reality of something like the Holocaust, or as the Jewish people call it, the Shoah, because they can't imagine a world where one "people" considers itself so superior to another that it can treat them worse than animals or insects.  Hopefully this will be true for their whole lives.

Our last reflection on the History of the Jewish people (for now!) is that the Jewish people are still waiting.  They wait for the promises which the Lord has made to them that He will send a Messiah. When that Messiah comes:

"He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted... Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea." Isaiah 11: 4a, 6-10

While we believe that Jesus was and is that Messiah, we also wait for that time when all is brought to perfect fulfillment.  We have so much in common with our elder brother, the Jews, as we await that time when "God will be All in All."

God Bless,
Mandie DeVries
Level III catechist and Director of Religious Education

Stumbled Upon a Goldmine

A guest reflection by parishioner Melissa Hill

“What are they doing?”

This was one of the first thoughts I had when I was led into the atrium, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classroom, for the first time. The room was unlike anything I had seen before, and I have to admit that this style of Religious Education seemed a bit odd.

Having just registered at All Saints, I was determined to get my kids involved. So I decided to stay around and watch what they were doing. By the end of the session, I was very interested in what was happening there. I thought I needed to learn more about it, and honestly, it would have been hard for me to leave my children in an environment I didn’t understand. When invited to become an assistant in the room, I agreed without hesitation.

Within only a few weeks, I knew I had stumbled upon a goldmine. This "weird" form of education was producing a profound result with the children. Not only did they know terminology I didn’t know as an adult, they had a reverence for the liturgy and scripture that I hadn’t seen before.

Later that year, I enthusiastically entered into the formation course for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, but I had no idea the impact my formation would have on my personal relationship with God and Church. I thought this would be a class on how to be a catechist in this new style of classroom. Sure, that was part of my journey, but equally as significant was my own formation, my own experience.

During the extensive training sessions, I became like the child myself and learned about liturgy, scripture and relationship in a way I never had. I came out of the educational experience with a certificate of completion and ready to lead an atrium. I also came out with a new excitement for Catholicism and a readiness to make changes in my own life. I am convinced that the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program has made me a better mother and wife, and has been the catalyst for so many other growth opportunities for me.

I am so grateful that instead of turning around and going the other way, I was willing to go inside that strange looking classroom and find out for myself what was going on in there!

May God bless your families and your week! ~Mandie DeVries, Director of Religious Education