Level I (Children's House): The Annunciation "The holy Spirit will come upon you." (Luke 1:35a) Do you remember this material from the Atrium? The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would have a baby! The Holy Spirit came to Mary and even when the angel left, the Holy Spirit remained with her. How could we praise God for the Holy Spirit? Is there a song that we could sing? What words could we say? | Level II/III (Elementary): Pentecost "Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit." (Acts 2:2-4a) What signs showed the apostles that the Holy Spirit was with them? How is the Holy Spirit with you today? What Gifts does the Holy Spirit bring with Him when He comes (Isaiah 11:2-3a)? How could you help your family to celebrate Pentecost? Which Gift would you pray to have stirred up within you? |
As we reach the end of this most unusual school year, it is my greatest prayer that in all moments you continue to rely on God's goodness and love. May the Gifts of the Holy Spirit be stirred up within you this day so that you might face whatever may come with hope and with peace, trusting always in the One who has overcome the world (Jn 16:33). Level I (Children's House) at the Prayer Table: “What could we ‘Praise the Lord’ for today?”
Level II (1st and 2nd grade) at the Prayer Table: "What could we thank God for today?"
There are so many gifts surrounding us in creation. In the Church, we celebrate Baptism as the particular way in which Jesus shares the gift of His Risen Light and Life with each of us.
Having pondered a number of parables about the Kingdom of God over the years, several kindergarten children responded to an invitation to draw what they picture when they think about the Kingdom.
Jesus told parables and performed miracles to help give us "a taste" of the Kingdom of God. Today we continue to ponder and experience the Kingdom through His Word in the Bible and through His actions in the Sacraments.
The mystery of the Kingdom of God is one of the greatest mysteries of our faith. It was such an important part of what Jesus wanted to communicate during His time on earth that there are over forty parables about the Kingdom in the Gospels. When St. Pope John Paul II gave the Church the Luminous Mysteries he summed up the majority of Jesus' ministry in "The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God."
From the first year in the Atrium the children are offered materials which help them to ponder this greatest of mysteries. Their ease in "hearing through" the parables is often surprising. The Precious Pearl: - "The pearl had Jesus inside it! He jumped for joy!" (4 year old) - "He closed the door so nobody could see. It was the specialest pearl he ever found." (4 year old) The Hidden Treasure: - "The treasure is the cross because it's from Jesus and God." (5 year old) - "The Kingdom is hearts of holiness that Jesus takes and shares with others so others can have holiness." (5 year old) - "The treasure was the sheep. The Good Shepherd found them and they were his treasure." (4 year old) The Yeast: - "There's so many of us and the flour is lots of flour but there's one little scoop of yeast and it's Jesus. Well, Jesus is so big so then maybe we could be the yeast." (5 year old) - "In heaven we will be mixed up with Jesus. That's already true because His light is in us!" (5 year old) The Old Testament prophecies provide many clear and beautiful images which help us to think about Jesus and the moment we call Redemption as well as Parousia, the moment that is yet to come. The image of Light, in particular, assists us all in picturing Jesus, who says, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12).
In speaking about the unity of the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "Christians...read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen" (§120). In the Atrium this truth is lifted up from the first moments of Level II through a focus on God's Word which contains the one history of the Kingdom of God. By the time the child is in the Level III Atrium he has had six years in which to become intimately familiar with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep. This deep knowledge of Christ allows the child to look back to the Old Testament and read its ancient words in light of the moment of Redemption and the coming of the Word Himself. "Typology" is a way of studying the Bible in which a passage from the Old Testament is looked at as a "type" of the New Testament and a "foretaste" of the time of Redemption in which we live today. The Level III Atrium contains five Typology studies: Creation, Sin, The Flood, Abraham, and Exodus. As the children work their way through these typology studies they become more and more facile at seeing the links between the Old Testament and the New, easily recognizing the unified way that God has always worked and continues to work in creation and in their own lives.
In the readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter we hear again the beautiful Psalm 23 which begins, "The Lord is my shepherd." The Gospel from John brings this psalm into a new light through Jesus' telling of the parable of the Good Shepherd. In the Atrium, this parable is a central theme, even for the youngest child.
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Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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