CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
(ATRIUM OF THE TWO HEARTS)

Religious Formation, ages 3-12

Background to the Good Shepherd:

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is Christocentric. It is through Christ “the way,” that we go to the Father. Children are able to relate to Jesus as the Good Shepherd-who also, like us, lived on this earth. Jesus lays down His life for the sheep. On one level, He is a willing victim, on another level, (the children’s level) He gives all of Himself, His time, attention, care and love.

As this catechesis was being developed, children were observed to learn which aspects of the face of God resonated most deeply within them. It was discovered that children were the happiest when presented with those aspects, which stand at the core of the Christian message. In other words, if it is essential to the faith, the children wanted it. Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised with the deep and loving way in which the parable of the Good Shepherd takes root in children, because this seemingly simplistic parable contains the whole of the Christian message. In the Good Shepherd’s self-giving love, we find the heart of Christ’s Paschal Mystery - His dying and rising. This confirms that the greatest realities should be given to the smallest ones.

The deepest need in young children is to be in relationship and they discover in the Good Shepherd that Someone with whom to establish a relationship. The Good Shepherd image touches children so profoundly that it builds their relationship with God on the foundation of enjoyment. This Shepherd who knows His sheep and calls each one by name and the sheep who are listening to His voice and follow. God is in search of our response and us. This is the image of the covenant which is meant for all people of all time.; that time when “ there will be one flock and one Shepherd” the entire goal of the history of salvation.

Watching a child gradually fall in love with the Good Shepherd is truly a joyful experience. When we fall in love, we want to know more about the one we desire. We want to be one with them. As Thomas Merton wrote: "Love is the epiphany of God in our poverty." To look at a child one may think they are seeing poverty but what is revealed is a richness to open oneself up completely to this love because there are no barriers, it is as natural as breathing.

In Psalm 23 - "The Lord is my Shepherd." - Personal relationship with God. The completeness of knowing, not intellectually. "I know My sheep and My sheep know Me." The emphasis is on the falling in love with the Good Shepherd.

Sofia Cavaletti (co-founder of CGS) comments: This parable of the Good Shepherd from the gospel of John has a starting date in the life of the young child, but it does not have an end date in our life. Once begun, the relationship with the Good Shepherd never ceases; the parable will grow slowly with the child, revealing its other aspects and satisfying the needs of the older child, adolescent and adult. It fulfills in a specific way the exigencies peculiar to the three stages of development Maria Montessori (educator) spoke of :
early childhood, sensitive period for protection;
later childhood, moral sensitive period;
adolescence, sensitive period for heroism.

The parable of the good shepherd reveal three amazing things about God’s love for us.

1. Personal - God does not love us globally, but individually - each of us in a personal way.
2. Unconditional - God doesn’t love us only on the condition that we stay good and do not stray. God loves us even when we stray- and to the point of going in search for us.
3. Rejoicing love - God’s response upon finding us is total joy.

This is a brief explanation of some of the areas and materials that the children work with in the atrium.

THE ATRIUM
The "atrium" is the name given to the environment, which is dedicated to the child's religious life, recalling that space in the ancient Christian basilicas, which served as the anteroom of the church. It is a place where the child comes to know the great realities of his life as a Christian.

PRACTICAL LIFE
There are many areas of practical life the children are introduced to. The purpose of these exercises is to help the child grow in independence, to develop coordination of movement and to aid in concentration. Movement exercises are the first area presented: standing, sitting, carrying a chair, carrying a tray are some examples. To care for the environment, metal polishing, pouring, rolling a mat, flower arranging are introduced. These exercises create a unity between the thought, will and action of the child.

THE MASS
The Mass is presented in various ways, beginning with the sensorial approach for the 3-6 year olds (naming the items used example: altar table, chalice) and advancing to the area of deeper content with the 6-12 year olds. The work directly related to the Mass unfolds from the biblical (parables and history) and liturgical points of view.

BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY
This material helps to concretize the historical events in the life of Jesus. For events surrounding the birth, we use the map of Israel with the principle cities (Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem) as the children advance into the work they begin to localize and name the regions and other cities named in the Gospel.

ART
Opportunity is given to the children to express themselves through the art materials. This can be done through collage work of a particular presentation or free drawing. This provides evidence of their theological interpretation.

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
The parables are the means with which to initiate the child into the mystery of life, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. They are an education to wonder. They offer an element of ever growing reflection. Children have the capacity for discovering the smallest things and considering them with great concentration.

LAST SUPPER
The presentation of the Last Supper is integrated with what has been presented previously on the Mass. During the presentation, we emphasize Jesus' will to remain with all people of all times; therefore the focus is on the consecration with which He expressed this will, designating as the ultimate end of the bread and wine that they be the signs of His perpetual presence in the midst of humankind and of His coming intervention in the life of humanity.

BAPTISM
The baptismal material the children work with consists of the liturgical signs of the sacrament, which are highlighted one at a time. The light and white garment, the water and the word and finally the gestures. The direct aim is to help the child realize that this risen life of Jesus is a gift, meant to be shared with all people.

THE PROPHECIES
With regard to the Old Testament the children under 6 years of age receive a few, short prophetic passages during the season of Advent. The aim is not to initiate the children into the Old Testament, which would require a historical sensibility that children under the age of six do not have, but to offer images and expressions that are striking to and readily grasped by the children.

PRAYER TABLE
Prayer has a special importance in the life of children, both because of the great capacity they have shown in this realm and because, not yet participating fully at Mass, prayer is the principal way they nourish their baptismal life and prepare, at the same time, for active involvement in the Mass, the highest and most complete form of prayer. Education to prayer is fundamental to the catechesis of young children. The passage from one liturgical season to another is highlighted by changing the prayer cloth to the corresponding liturgical color; these changes are done by the children usually in a procession of celebration.

INFANCY NARRRATIVES
For the child's personal work on the infancy narratives, the material is composed of a series of miniature reconstructed scenes, one for each event. The figures are three-dimensional, and the historical character of these events permits and requires research into details, not indicated by the text, that make the scene more living. The material reconstruction of the infancy narrative series help the children who do not know how to read to recall the biblical content. The events presented are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Shepherds, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt. Usually only two presentations are given per year.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD
The Good Shepherd parable is received by the younger children primarily as the expression of God's protective love. This aspect is gradually integrated with other aspects as the child passes from childhood, through adolescence, to the age of maturity. The Eucharist is linked to the Good Shepherd parable, and presented as the "sacrament of the gift" of His presence in our life.

ATRIUM CATECHISTS & AIDES, 2011-12

(Back row, left to right)
Barbara Dubin, Sharon Swigart, Colleen Driscoll, Lisa Baynes
(Front row, left to right)
Kathleen Leick, Amelia Brigante, Michelle Medina

Fran Mick