Many of our 2nd year elementary children are beginning to prepare for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion at their home parishes. In the Atrium, we hope to complement these preparations through the work the children have already been exposed to and through the new presentations they are experiencing this year. The 2nd years have begun their "Missals" which they will work on throughout the year as they continue to be grounded in the most essential moments of the beautiful prayer of the Mass. In addition, the children have already begun to prepare for Reconciliation through a focus on the Maxims of Jesus and on many of his moral parables. This past week in the Atrium we spoke about the 10 Commandments (often emphasized in parish Faith Formation programs) and their relationship with Jesus’ Maxims and “Great Commandment” or, as we speak of it in the Atrium, “The Summary of the Law.” We looked the Summary of the Law (“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”) and then introduced the Ten Commandments, briefly, as the gift of the law God gave to the people before Jesus to help them live well. Reading through the Commandments we looked at how the first three relate to the Great Commandment of loving God and the last seven relate to the Second of loving your neighbor. The Summary of the Law and the Maxims of Jesus (short sayings, mainly from the Sermon on the Mount, which tell us how to live well) give us not only what NOT to do but what TO do! And what’s even better? Jesus gives us the strength to do them! He would never give us a “command” without also helping us to be able to do it. Please check out the Maxims we use in the Atrium which provide an excellent tool for examining our conscience – both for the children and for us as well!!
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Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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April 2024
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