Prepare Ye

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light" Isaiah 9:2.

This week, many of our Level I children as young as three years old heard these words spoken eight centuries before Jesus Christ was born. God is preparing His people for a gift, we tell them, and through the prophets, God tells us for what and whom, and even where, we should look.

A light. A star. A ruler. A son. Born of a Virgin. Emmanuel: God with us. Bethlehem. A child with authority. Wonder Counselor. God-Hero. Father-Forever. Price of Peace.

All of these things the prophets foretold. As we prepare these children to celebrate the mystery of Christmas, all of these signs point to that child who lays there in a feed box for animals. It's an incredible paradox: King of the world. Foretold for centuries. Heralded by angels. Lying in a manger?

It's all there, just like the prophets said, but it isn't quite as we might expect it. Good thing God pointed the way for all those years, or we might have missed it!

As the children grow, we offer further reflections on the Messiah "who is to come" from the prophets. In Level II (for 1st-3rd grades) and Level III (4th-6th) we hear about the incredible peace that will flood the earth. The wolf will lay down with the lamb. The young lion and the calf shall browse with the young child to lead them. No harm or ruin on all my holy mountain. The earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea. There will be no mourning or wailing. Death will be destroyed forever.

Is this what we see on Christmas? Even the most stubborn optimist would have to admit it is not. Jesus is the Savior, and He did come to establish His kingdom. Yet we wait for the day when "everything is subjected to him" and "God will be all in all" 1 Cor 15:28.

With the children, we reflect deeply on the prophets' words because they have relevance for us today. The prophets had a call, a vocation, to listen deeply to the word of God--to encounter Him in their own hearts. From the depths of this relationship of listening, the prophet speaks God's message. It is not just to the people of their time, but of our time as well. Their words not only prepare us to recognize and accept Jesus Christ who is born on Christmas morning as the Messiah foretold, but to look and prepare carefully for the Parousia: that time in which God will be all in all.

Red is for Pentecost

In the atrium, our celebrations mirror the liturgical year as much as possible. We are simply living and enjoying the life and rhythm of the Church year with the children.

The exceptions are when the "school year" has ended before the greatest celebrations have taken place. So even though we still have several weeks left to enjoy and you grow from the Feast of Easter, we celebrate Pentecost this week with the children in our Level 1, 2, and 3 atria, as this is already our last day in the atrium. It's such a beautiful reflection on the "Birthday of the Church" and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that came not only to those who are waiting in the upper room, but also to each of us.

Liturgy of Light

Exult! Let them exult! The hosts of heaven!

An excerpt of the Exsultet (sung by one of the children) during this morning's Liturgy of Light in the atrium. The 4th-6th grade children prepare this special celebration of Easter (modeled after the opening rites in the Easter Vigil) for the younger children. There may have been happy tears on the part of some adults in the room!

Work Is Love Made Visible

It's funny how we model the faith in the littlest things. The children come into the atrium and it is all prepared for them. They leave it beautiful when it is time to go. They take care of the environment and each other. Parents have told me that when they use our language at home, they find a magical power to the words: "It is time to restore our work." It isn't magic, though. It is tapping into the dignity and desire of the child to live in harmony with those around them. It gives purpose to their work and their life.

"Work is Love made visible." Kahlil Gibran

I was asked to make this with a new and equally relevant quote :) #stteresaofcalcutta #catholicart #catholicartisans

A photo posted by Sweet Oak Gallery (@sweetoakgallery) on Feb 6, 2017 at 8:06pm PST

On Catholic Guilt

"Ms. Mandie? Is tonight Reconciliation Night?"

I was walking down the hall several years ago just before our Wednesday night session began when a third grade boy named Alex asked if it was the night, once a month, that Father Harris made himself available for children who choose to go to confession.

I responded that it was indeed, and Alex gave me the first of many surprising responses that we have seen since starting Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at our parish for preparation for Eucharist and Reconciliation:

"YES!" he cheered, as he pumped his fist.

I remember how I responded to the news that we were going to confession at CCD classes back in the day. Sweaty palms? Yes. Fist pump? No.

Over the past several years, it is this common and most striking response to the Sacrament of Forgiveness that has made catechists and parents alike comment that something different indeed is going on in the hearts of these children that have been placed in our care.

Catholic guilt doesn't seem to exist for them. They seem to fly to the Sacrament of Reconciliation each month with little fear or trepidation at all. Often the lines are so long that the priest (and sometimes two priests) can't get to all of the penitents in line.

Last week I found this drawing that Adam, a fourth grade boy in our program, made during his personal work time in the atrium. I almost looked past the significance, it was so stunningly simple. Though it had been a year and a half since he'd shared in the True Vine (John 15) bible study while preparing for First Communion and First Reconciliation, this little moral theologian pondered so deeply on the parable of the True Vine that he could articulate his own motivation to keep sin out of his life... and it wasn't because of so-called Catholic Guilt.

"If your [sic] bad, you clog the goodness." 

He realized that he is a branch on that True Vine, and the goodness (grace) flows from God (the Vine) to us (the branches). When we sin, it blocks that goodness. So don't sin! It has nothing to do with being a bad person or feeling great shame. It's about letting the LIFE of GOD flow into you!

The innocent and joyful witness of these children should inspire all of us to get rid of those "sap blocks" in our lives. Let us make confession, do penance, amend our lives, and for goodness' sake, let the grace flow!

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday!

A prayer from a 7 year old in the atrium for you as we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Easter!

Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30

Bless Me, Father: A Primer on the Sacrament of Reconciliation

If you can handle the 12-year-old video technician's wobble, a few of my daughters and I put together something for you that might help give you some ideas of how to prepare your child for his or her first (and subsequent) confessions.

I do recommend this "mock confession" model. I also suggest the idea of filming a video with your child--this highly motivated Leah to learn! She told me the next day that she is READY for her First Reconciliation! The main thing to avoid is the idea of checking off a "grocery list." When you say you are sorry to someone you hurt, you come with contrition and sorrow. These are the most important elements for us to bring. God does the rest.

Another daughter and I also put together this little song to break down the 5 things you may say when you go to confession.  

Here are the words. The words in bold are the things you can actually say (the actual Rite does not call for these words, but they are the customary form and can help to get over nervousness):

1. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

2. Bless me Father, for I have sinned.

3. This is how long it's been.

4. These are my sins. (This is where you confess your sins).

These are the ways I've fallen short of who I want to be.

These are the things I've done that keep your grace from flowing free.

5. And I'm sorry for these and all my sins.

(Then it's Father's turn. He will give advice and a Penance, then he'll ask for the Act of Contrition which you say. He will then pray the Prayer of Absolution. You will make the Sign of the Cross at the end and say Amen and Thank you, Father! often you will go and do your penance in the church as soon as you are finished).

This isn't the theology of the Sacrament at all, that's what all of our the Bible studies are for! This is just the "form" so to speak. Some priests I've confessed to didn't care much at all whether or not I used the "form" above, but once you know it by heart, it takes a lot of anxiety away. We always have cards available so they can "cheat" on the customary form part, but it would be great for parents and kids to run through it a few times together. I know Leah felt much better after 5-10 minutes of going through it with me. 

God be with you as you prepare your child!

The Ninety and The Nine

The third bible study for First Communion/First Reconciliation preparation will take place tonight. This study focuses on two stories: that of the found sheep and of the found coin. Most of the children will have seen these presentations with materials in the course of the year, and they are already familiar with this scripture. 

The direct aim of this evening is to see the parallels and differences between these two parables and for the children to see similarities in their lives. A coin gets lost through no fault of its own, but a sheep may choose to disobey. Sometimes we get lost without being at fault, but sometimes we are lost and far away from where we want to be, and we know that we did something to cause it. 

The emphasis here, though, is not on the fault of the sheep or the coin, but on the action and LOVE of the shepherd and the woman. It is God’s initiative which brings us back, not our own, so we never need to fear confessing our fault—or being found—because it is the will and joy of God that a sinner repents. 

The following video was made for a catechist retreat a couple of years ago. The song is very old, but "His mercies are ever new." 

When those around Him ask the Shepherd: "You have 99 sheep here, are they not enough for you?" He responds with some force, "This of Mine has wandered away from me. And though the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep!"

Language of Prayer

So many times in the atrium, our album pages (the "lesson plans" for our presentations) have as the direct or indirect aim "to serve as an aid to prayer."  This is work a child did in the "prayer writing corner" of her Level II atrium. It is evidence that the words we give to children can truly be a gift to them which they in turn use to offer the praise of their hearts toward God.  How beautiful!

"May Father Son and Holy Spirit Bless the world and may the holl world pray for the wonderful day of Parousia. When God will be all in all and will bless the earth with All his power." 

Prayer by a 7 year old girl during her 5th year in a CGS atrium. (I love how she misspelled "whole", but correctly spelled "Parousia"!)

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

Parent Orientation--Revisted!

Here is a link to the Parent Orientation that I posted last year.

It has some helpful insights into CGS. I hope to get on and post more about what we are doing these days, but with building 3 new atria in one summer, PLUS the New Roman Missal changes to our existing material--it is a bit overwhelming!!

I will share one story: I was presenting the "Individual Gifts Strip" to 3 Level III children (4th graders) and we were thinking about which of the gifts we have received was the greatest. Two of them very nicely said that their family was the greatest gift. A third was thoughtfully looking over the material and then said: The Mass! I was MUCH older than 4th grade when I figured that out!

"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will." Matthew 11:25-26

Keep an eye out for new posts in the coming months! I'll find the time somewhere!

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries, Director or Religious Education and Level 3 Catechist