The "Silence Activity" was developed by Maria Montessori after witnessing the response of children, ages three to six, to a baby. Dr. Montessori said, "The silence of the little creature struck me, and I wanted the children to share my feeling. 'See,' I said, 'it isn't making a sound.' And, jokingly, I added, 'Look how still it keeps... None of you could keep as still as that.'" (The Secret of Childhood). Immediately, however, the children took on the challenge and began to sit still, even to controlling their breathing, intensely engaged in "making silence." There are many ways the Silence Activity can be offered in both the Montessori Children's House environment and in the Atrium. A whole group of children might be invited to still their bodies and make silence, listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd. Alternatively, an individual might be introduced to a material that he or she could use any time there is a desire to still one's body and listen. In the material below, available in the Atrium for an individual, there are a few pictures that can be used as a visual to aid their listening as well as a sand timer to give them a sense of how long they are listening. The child may choose any timer and any image but just one of each as he or she listens for God's voice. This stilling of the body and mind, focusing on a beautiful religious image and listening for God's voice, helps the child to engage in prayer while also laying a foundation for future prayer.
What a beautiful gift to celebrate Christmas with the children in the Atrium and to enjoy His beautiful Light, a Light for each of us to receive and to share with all those we meet. This year the second grade children looked at many of the Infancy Narratives and pondered what they heard about Jesus by focusing on smallness and greatness. Here are a few fruits of our conversation:
The Annunciation:
What a gift that the great God would come in such a humble, tiny way, and, at the same time, take humble, tiny people and make them so very, very great. Catechist: "What could we thank God for today?"
- "That He is inside us." (4yo) - "That He is the Light of the World." (4yo) - "For His Body and His Blood." (5yo) - "For life." (4yo) - "That He is in our hearts." (4yo) A gesture is a movement of the body that has meaning. In the Sacraments the priest prays both with his words and his gestures. We, too, are invited to pray through the movements of our body both during the liturgy and in our own personal prayer. One of the most common gestures which we pray is the Sign of the Cross. In teaching this gesture to young children, we often focus on which hand we use, the order in which we move that hand, and the words we pray. However, in the Atrium we begin with the sign itself, the sign of the cross. Pointing first to a cross or crucifix near the prayer table (or, if in the Church, the crucifix in the sanctuary area) we speak about the cross as Jesus’ sign, the sign of His death and resurrection. Then we speak about what a gesture is, giving a few examples like “come here” or “shhhh.” Next, we invite the children to watch and we slowly, carefully, in a solemn but exaggerated way, trace a cross on our body. Inviting the children to notice the gesture we ponder with them why we might make Jesus’ sign on our body. After inviting the children to pray this gesture with us so that we might think more about what we are praying, we invite them to continue enjoying this gesture and to look for His sign in the Atrium, at home, and at Church. In each moment of praying the Sign of the Cross with the little ones I am renewed in my desire to always pray this beautiful gesture with great reverence and intentionality. What a gift that His sign is our sign, too. The cross makes its way into many of the children’s drawings, showing their attunement to the deep connection of Jesus’ sign with our faith.
Level 1:
Catechist: " 'Shalom' means 'peace.' What is peace?"
Level 2: Catechist, after celebrating Communal Prayer with "peace" as the theme: "What is Jesus' peace like?"
As we finish up this summer of Prayer Art, it is good to return to the youngest of children. In this drawing we see the essentiality of the child who chose to use one color to draw the chalice and paten on the altar with the priest beside it. The Eucharist, Jesus truly present, remaining with us as a testament to His incomprehensible love, is at the heart of our faith. Truly, God is so good.
As part of an "end of the year" card, I received the following image from a Level 3 child who is finishing her seventh and final year in the Atrium. She chose to write out portions of Psalm 23 and of John 15, showing they are passages from the Holy Bible. Her illustration focuses on the still waters which are surrounded by green pastures, an image of the peaceful environment which the Good Shepherd prepares for His sheep.
Psalm 23 is a favorite Scripture in the Atrium from the time it is first introduced in Lent of the 3yo's first year in the Atrium. This copy of Psalm 23 was written and illustrated by a 3rd grader. There are a number of elements of the drawing which are noteworthy. You see the green border which indicates that Psalms are part of the Liturgy of the Word as well as the bright yellow sun shining down on the scene. The vine branches (laden with much fruit) weave around the words of the Psalm, indicating a connection to the True Vine. The mountains seem to be beyond the fence of the sheepfold which speaks to the reality of the dark valley and yet the protection offered by the Shepherd.
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Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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March 2024
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