Category: Moral Formation

The Armor of Light

4/16/2025

In the L3 (3rd/4th - 6th grade) Atrium, we are invited to consider our responsibility in caring for our Baptismal gifts each Lent. This five week serious of Scripture meditations begins by pondering the following two Scripture passages:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
"Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12).

Throughout the weeks of Lent we look at what Maxims will help us to "put on" that armor or care for the Baptismal gifts we have been privileged to receive. During our fourth session this year we also looked at the gift of Reconciliation as a sacrament of healing, a miracle like the one done by Jesus in Matthew 9:1-8. Or is there just one miracle in that Scripture passage? One group of children, this year, counted four miracles in those eight verses. Below you will see the prayer table and materials which we enjoyed together during our fourth Armor of Light meditation as well as some of the children's choices when invited to choose a Maxim, Scripture verse, and/or Act of Contrition to help guide their work of "putting on" their armor outside of the Atrium for that week.

Copying and illustrating a Maxim.

"Do good to those who hate you."

A Maxim, an Act of Contrition, and several additional Scriptures chosen by a child.

An Act of Contrition chosen and copied by a child to help guide their week.

The Mustard Seed and Maxims

3/19/2025

In L2 we also look for Maxims which might fit the Mustard Seed. Here are some of the children's ideas.

“Do good to those who hate you.”
- You should like those who hate you because it will help the Kingdom of Heaven grow.
“When you give alms do not blow a trumpet before you.”
- You shouldn’t blow a trumpet for yourself because you are very small, but you should blow it for God because He’s really great.
“Give to the one who asks of you and do not turn your back on the one who wants to borrow.”
- If you give something small like the Mustard Seed to God, He could make the Kingdom grow and make the world better because He can take something small and make it really great.
“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”
- The Mustard Seed seeks water and soil and sun and God.
“When you pray, go to your inner room and pray to your heavenly Father in secret.”
- The seed goes down in the dirt and that’s like the door closing and then it grows and grows.
“Be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
- The mustard seed is kind of like the heavenly Father and it grows just as it is supposed to grow.

In the Words of the Children...

4/3/2024

The Cenacle or Last Supper

Child (4) at the Cenacle “reading” the Scripture booklet. She says, “This is my Body,” and moves the paten to all apostles. Then she says, “This is my Blood,” and moves the chalice to all. After asking for the candles to be lit she says, “Thank you for the holy words. Thank you for the cross.”

The City of Jerusalem

While reviewing the City of Jerusalem with a kindergartener the adult said, “After the body of Jesus was laid in the tomb that was the end.” After a momentary pause the boy responded, “You are completely wrong!”

The Mystery of Life and Death

“The seed had to make space inside. It’s like when we are filled with sin and go to confession to get rid of the sin and make space inside for goodness.” (2nd grader)

The Found Coin

"The one coin that is lost is Jesus when he is laid in the tomb, and when he is found, he ascended to heaven and joins all the others and then it’s the saints and angels, rejoicing." (2nd grader)

The Ten Bridesmaids

“The lamps are all a little bit different but they’re like all lamps just like our souls are all a little different but they are all souls.” (4th grader)

The 2nd Year Retreat

4/27/2022

What a beautiful day of time away for our 2nd grade children! Last Friday the 2nd graders spent the entire day in the Atrium - except for their beautiful Agape meal followed by a bit of time outside - and it was a day filled with many blessings. After spending time pondering the gifts which have helped them to prepare for this day as well as for their continued journey with the Good Shepherd, each child decorated a cross filled with these gifts. While they also spent time with materials and enjoying silence, their work on their crosses took the majority of their morning as they captured this moment in their life of faith in words and images. It was, as always, such an honor and privilege to witness the focus and concentration of these children as they took to this work with such great reverence. Five of our eight second graders will be preparing to receive the Eucharist for the very first time in the next few weeks. Please keep them in your prayers!

Gathering items to the mat.

Such focus and concentration!

Enjoying the Agape Meal.

Taking time to work with materials.

Beginning the rough draft.

Adding final touches.

Being served by the 3rd years.

Copying the Our Father.

Beginning the Final Draft.

Mod podging the cross.

Enjoying time outside!

Weaving a Bible bookmark.

2nd Year Meditations Begin

3/9/2022

Each year at The Way of the Shepherd we take a moment at the beginning of Lent to ask God’s blessing on the 2nd Year children who will be taking extra time away to grow even closer to the Good Shepherd over the next few months. Some of these children are also preparing to meet Jesus in a new way as they prepare to receive His Body and Blood for the first time during the Easter Season. On Ash Wednesday as we began this special time of preparation, by inviting all of the 2nd Year children to come forward at the end of Mass, carrying a cross which will accompany them in their time of deeper reflection on God’s many gifts. These crosses, after being blessed, were hung in the Atrium where they will remain until Easter as a reminder to all who spend time in that space to support these children in prayer. On the day of the 2nd Year Retreat these crosses will be decorated with images and words by each child as they synthesize how they have been fed and strengthened in their relationship with God through this time.

Father invited the children to bow their heads as he prayed over them.

Such joy!

After the blessing of the children, Father blessed the crosses and children with holy water.

The crosses will now hang in the Atrium throughout Lent.

Work of the Child - Virtues

8/25/2021

Work of the Child - The Sower

7/21/2021

The Armor of Light

3/10/2021

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light..." (Ephesians 5:8).

Through our Baptism we have received the Risen Life and Light of Jesus Christ. But how do we live as children of light? How do we ensure that that light is being protected and cared for and shining forth as gift to others? During Lent the Level III (3rd - 6th grade) children have been taking time each week to ponder their individual branches on the True Vine, using the moral parables and maxims to assist in this examination, and praying for God's help and strength in living well in the Kingdom of God. The great gift of Reconciliation is an incredible aid to us along this journey, and part of our time has been spent pondering anew this beautiful Sacrament by which we can come to ask for forgiveness and healing, protection and strength. God is so very good.

Moral Parables

2/24/2021

The season of Lent is always a reminder to take time to ponder how we are responding to the many gifts in our lives. For the children (and for us as adults!), the moral parables provide an objective story to which we can respond easily in judgment. This person is living well in the Kingdom. This one is not living as he should. However, the parables also provide space to go deeper. Who am I in this parable? Where is God? What is the oil, the debt, the bread, the inn? What does it mean to be prepared or to knock? Who am I being asked to forgive or to help? Or who is trying to forgive me or help me and my task is to receive that gift? The children return to these materials throughout the year as they continue to ponder both layers, listening for how God is revealing Himself to them today through His Word.

The Ten Bridesmaids: Matthew 25:1-12.

The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:30-37.

The Debtors: Matthew 18:23-25.

The Insistent Friend: Luke 11:5-8.

Creativity in the Atrium

1/27/2021

Part of the beauty of the Montessori Method is the freedom the children have to return to materials which appeal to them and which stretch their knowledge and understanding. Dr. Montessori felt strongly that the child's freedom to choose was the cornerstone of education. In the Atrium there are certain key lessons which are essential to hearing the truth about God and about humanity, but each child begins to incarnate these truths in his or her own way. Over the years the children have responded to presentations through so many creative extensions and follow-ups. The three photographs below were all taken on the same day, illustrating three unique responses to presentations in the Atrium.

This 3rd grader took the idea of listening and responding to God as an opportunity to choose a formal prayer to write out...and then another...and another, beginning a timeline of prayers of the Church. In the process she began to compare the Nicene Creed and Apostles' Creed, noticing the differences.

This 5th grader went from researching and writing out the family tree of Abraham, which was an assigned follow-up, to asking about and researching the family tree of Jesus. This interest led her to compare Matthew's genealogy of Jesus with the one listed in Luke's Gospel.

This 3rd grader has a great love of illustrating Scripture. Having worked often with the City of Jerusalem in which the last days of Jesus' life on earth are explored, she was looking through some reference books, found a page on the Stations of the Cross, and began a timeline of the Stations.

<<Previous

The Armor of Light

The Mustard Seed and Maxims

In the Words of the Children...

The 2nd Year Retreat

2nd Year Meditations Begin

Work of the Child - Virtues

Work of the Child - The Sower

The Armor of Light

Moral Parables

Creativity in the Atrium

Carolyn Kohlhaas

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