Decorating Alleluias... "Setting aside" our Alleluias by burying them with sand. They will be stored under the Prayer Table in the Atrium until Easter has come!
The elementary children had a special Atrium session this past week as they explored some of the Old Testament prophecies which give "clues" to help the people recognize the Messiah. These prophecies are ones we look at each year in the Atrium and hear again and again during the liturgical celebrations of the Advent season. While much of the work in the Atrium is done individually, the elementary children have the developmental need to work in groups. Thus, their drawings of the prophecies took place in groups of two to four children. They decided what they were going to draw before they began and everyone agreed to the plan! Each child contributed to the illustration and helped to explain it when we gathered to match the prophecies with their depictions. One group took fifty minutes to begin to draw...and their illustration is the one posted above as a "synthesis." It took time for them to agree on how to show all they wanted to express, but the time spent in collaborating was well worth it!
The Bible is the most important book in the whole world because it contains God's Word for us. In it He tells us all that He wants us to know about Himself. What a gift to hold God's Words in our hands when we hold the Holy Bible! The Level I (Children's House) children had the opportunity to "enthrone" the Bible this past week, carrying it in a procession and then placing it in a place of honor on the Prayer Table. We listened to Jesus' words in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me does not walk in darkness but will have the light of life," and reflected on Jesus who is our Light. The elementary children also had an opportunity to reflect on the preciousness of the Holy Bible as they held in their hands Bibles in Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Amharic and Portuguese as well as several beautifully illuminated books of the Bible. God's Word is for all people! The 1st grade students then received their own, personal copy of the Holy Bible to use at school, both in their learning environments and in the Atrium. In the upcoming weeks they will begin learning to look up Scripture passages in the Bible and have the opportunity to "bookmark" their favorites!
The celebration of Pentecost always marks the end of the year in the Atrium. This year (for the first time ever for me) we were behind the liturgical calendar! Even though Pentecost Sunday was over a week ago, we have waited until this week to celebrate in the Atrium. It is so appropriate to head into summer having asked the Holy Spirit to stir up His gifts within us and to pray in a special way for the gift we feel will most help us to write well and live well. The youngest children recalled the many gifts of Baptism and then focused on the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. After hearing a brief definition of each gift, each child was invited to the prayer table to choose the one gift they most wanted "stirred up" in their heart. A candle with their name on it was then lit from that gift's candle. The 1st - 3rd and 4th - 6th years experienced these same moments, preceded, however, by a time of reading the Scriptural account of Pentecost and participating in a Synthesis Celebration. The children were asked where, throughout the History of the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit has been present and active, sharing his Gifts. Each group brought items from the Atrium to place in front of the prayer table which show the working of the Holy Spirit. The children ended their celebration with song, suggesting and requesting many of their favorites! The last material added to the mat was a sheep from the Good Shepherd parable. The child who suggested the sheep said that we, the sheep of the Good Shepherd, have received the Holy Spirit and listen to him. But it was challenging to decide if the sheep should be placed with those items from the time of Jesus or those of today. The decision? Both. Another sheep was added, one placed on each mat. What a beautiful way to end another year in the Atrium of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Sofia Cavalletti speaks about the Our Father...
"Among the teachings of Jesus, the Our Father has a privileged place in our catechesis since it is also included in the content of the 3-6 Atrium. This is keeping with our rule, 'give the greatest things to the youngest children.' Thus, after pondering the great parables of the Kingdom with the youngest children we pray with them, 'your kingdom come' both in words and in song, but no more than that." (Level III CGS DVD) Earlier this year we looked at the Synthesis of the Our Father done by the Level III or 9-12 year old children. The Our Father is also lifted up in the Level II or 6-9 year old Atrium. On the First Sacraments Retreat the children are invited to prepare their own copy. Here are several examples of this prayer which unites us all with Jesus as family, written and embellished by the children on retreat this year. The 2nd Year Retreat is a time for all of the 2nd year children to take a day away to continue to deepen their relationship with the Good Shepherd. For those preparing for their First Eucharist, this is a particularly significant day as they prepare to meet the Good Shepherd in a new way, in his Body and Blood. In addition to several special projects and time to work in the Atrium, the 2nd Years were treated to a delicious Agape Meal, prepared and served by the 3rd year children and their families. It is a gift to be part of the community of The Way of the Shepherd and of the Sheepfold of the Church!
The Triduum ends...and the Easter Season begins...with the Easter Vigil. The night before the greatest celebration of the year, the Church leads her members in the final time of waiting for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This single event transforms history and has the potential to change the future for each one of us. In the Atrium, we celebrate Easter by participating in The Liturgy of the Light, a gathering which parallels portions of the Easter Vigil. We begin in darkness and turn our attention to the Easter Candle and the symbols that are placed upon it. Lighting this candle, we process into the Atrium, filling the prayer table with flowers and Alleluia cards that were buried before Lent began. Then we hear the Exsultet, a hymn of praise to God, and readings which recall God's promise to send His Light into the world. As the Alleluia is sung before the Gospel reading of an account of the Resurrection, the children join in singing Alleluia for the first time in the Atrium in the Cycle of Easter. After the Gospel we hear and respond to the beliefs set forth in the Apostles Creed. And then the moment the children have been waiting for...the receiving of the light. That one Paschal Candle shares its light and we can both see and feel the spreading of the Light of Christ. What a gift it is to celebrate together the Light which is stronger than any darkness, the Light which will never be extinguished, the Light of the Risen Christ, available to all! and the Light begins to spread... ...until each child has a candle lit from the Paschal Candle.
As the children entered the Atrium on Wednesday and Thursday of this week they saw two changes to the environment. First, they noticed the crosses above the prayer table. These sixteen crosses will remind us to pray for the 2nd grade children (eight in our school and eight in our Community Atrium) as they begin a more intense preparation for receiving their First Communion or as they accompany their classmates who are making these preparations. Next, the children noticed the extra materials in front of the prayer table, which returning children identified quickly and excitedly as "Burying Alleluias" work!
In speaking about this practice of "giving up" saying and singing Alleluia during Lent, we talked about the beautiful, joyous meaning of this word: "Praise the Lord!" Because Lent is a season of quiet and listening, we give up this word but look forward to the day when we will sing many, many extra Alleluias as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. One 2nd grader described it this way: "If we say 'Alleluia!' during Lent it would be like celebrating that Jesus died. At Easter we sing 'Alleluia!' to celebrate because He is Risen!" The container holding our Alleluias will remain under our prayer table in the Atrium until our Easter celebration of the Liturgy of the Light. You can be sure that the children will check on their Alleluias often, making sure they are still under the prayer table as we await and prepare for this greatest feast of the liturgical year! |
Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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