The Shepherd s Voice

The Shepherd s Voice Let the little children come to Me and do not stop them. Newsletter #1 - April 1, 2007 Good Shepherd s Voice!! His voice in the Scriptures the parents brought the children to Jesus, and the disciples wanted to send them away. Jesus reprimanded them: Let the little children come to Me and do not stop them. Of such is the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes a little child such as this for my sake and the sake of the Gospel welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but Him who sent Me. Unless you turn and become like little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God. At the same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you Father, because you have revealed these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. A word from Mother Isabel, R.A., Montessori educator Mid-20 th Century, Ravenhill, Philadelphia, PA Montessori says that the child during its early infancy- indeed while still a baby in arms- absorbs impressions from the environment. It reminds one of the way blotting paper absorbs ink, or a sensitive film the impression of light. If there is religion in the environment he absorbs that also. Dr. Montessori told us how, at Naples, she used to observe the peasant women who came to the church carrying their babies in their arms, and she watched them praying. The child was there, quite quiet and without understanding, but he felt the atmosphere of silence and of prayer. During the ceremonies, the baby heard religious music, while the beauty of the paintings, the colors, and the gold of the decorations, entered into him. Montessori said that everything that penetrates into the soul of the child at this early age makes a profound impression on him. She often thought that when children were deprived, while quite tiny, of this atmosphere, of this family life through which they learned religion by breathing it in, as it were, their faith might be less vivid and less deep later on. This makes us realize the importance of family prayers, of holy pictures and crucifixes on the walls of the home, of holy water, and of sacraments A priest who lived in the mountains of Wales, in a place where there are few Catholics once told a meeting of teachers that he had reconciled to God numbers of these souls on their deathbed, all brought back to the Church by the impression and the knowledge given to them in their first seven years. From The Child in the Church, by Maria Montessori and Ed.by E.M. Standing, p. 111-112, in an essay by Mother Isabel titled Catechism for the Young. Rereleased by The Madonna and Child Atrium, www.atriumsupplies.com, Available through the Catholic Shop in VA and Norristown, PA. For Parents, Catechists, and Pastors A word from Dr. Sofia Cavalletti - Rome, 1983 In the absence of a faith environment where the child may live, of which he feels himself a part, and in which he feels himself almost held, we risk cultivating hothouse flowers in the atrium, which are incapable of enduring the severity of the external climate. On the other hand, without a place where the child can

come in touch with the religious reality in a way and at a pace suitable to children, there is the danger the child will pass by great things without ever being able to grasp, interiorize, and make these realities his own. The initiation of a child into Christian life is not a work that can be fulfilled by the catechist alone, nor by the parents alone. It is the whole Christian community that proclaims Christ, and the child must enter into contact with the entire Christian community. The catechist, valuable as it is, must be sustained and confirmed by a community that lives what the catechist proclaims. From The Religious Potential of the Child I by Sofia Cavalletti. Adapted from a parent handout from St. Mary s in Phoenixville The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Principles of the Atrium in the Home Everything in its place Teach them Quiet is relaxing peace-filled Less is more. Everything has its own place. The child sees each step of a process- often without words. The child learns to do it by themselves. The child chooses. We whisper. We use as few words as possible. There are not enough materials for each child to use at the same time. We share. With child, design their room or special area with an interesting place for each of their things. Include a very special place for a statue, a prayer book or Bible, a holy picture, a journal to write or draw their prayers. Show a child step by step without words how to do something. Show, then speak. Speak, and then show. Don t do both at the same time One of the principles of the Atrium is that the children experience the Atrium as theirs that they are the caretakers of the beauty and the order that is the Atrium. This care and respect for the physical environment enhances the child s ownership of his or her own actions and helps to develop a healthy self-concept. As each child takes on responsibility for the good of this little community of the Good Shepherd, he or she can also take care in the community of his or her family. Simple tasks such as dusting, sweeping or mopping with child-size brooms and mops, watering plants, keeping and putting things in order, doing task around the celebration of the family dinner meal: all of this can build a child s confidence and joy in the work of daily living and, as Mother Theresa said, to pray work. The joy is doubled and tripled when the child gets to work when mommy or daddy are working at the same time: to make the home a place of beauty and order and simplicity, with humor and kindness. Newsletter #1-4/1/2007 Page 2

Cgsvoice-phila Wonderful Story, 2007 St. Genevieve, Flourtown For me, the most amazing part of this work is being in the mystery of the love of God for the child and the child s love for God. It is as if the joy and light of baptism which is the life we share in Jesus, pervades us all. The children seem to me like the magi of our contemporary world, little yet ancient and wise people who are stirred with wonder to know that Jesus is present. Ours is a joyful journey in the light of God (the star!) Their response, their silence, their work, their prayer, their questions, their desire, and especially their joy gives witness to the truth I speak of them. I never want to miss CCD, one little girl said last week. As a catechist, I ponder, with Mary, the wonder of the children s coming, of their recognition of the Lord, and of the fullness of their response. When I teach the gesture of genuflection, I teach that it is a gesture of the magi who prostrated themselves in the presence of the child Jesus: we, too, bend our knee to make ourselves small before the great God. I invite them, and answer the invitation myself, to bow the knee and the heart before the Lord present in the tabernacle. Our atrium at St. Genevieve s Parish is singularly blessed in that the children need to enter the atrium through the church and pass by the baptismal font, with the oils and Scriptures and Paschal candle. On leaving, we pass by the altar and tabernacle before rejoining the parents. In this sensitive period of their lives, the lessons of grace and courtesy form them in respect and awe: for God, for the Eucharistic Presence, for each other, and for the time in the atrium. We learn these lessons in practical ways, with movements and few words. For me, it is a joy to learn with them these great lessons. --Betsy, atrium catechist, St. Genevieve Parish, Flourtown Epiphany, 2007 Cgsvoice-phila News Book Recommendation Jesus s words in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. A new book by Brother Joseph Schmidt, FSC, is one that speaks of the life and way of St. Therese of Lisieux. She is a Doctor of the Church, sometimes called the Doctor of Spiritual Childhood, and has much to teach us about the dynamic of innamoramento, that is, of falling in love with Jesus. That first movement of being loved, of falling in love, is the foundation for our response: a life of virtue and holiness, of loving God and neighbor. Schmidt s very readable book, Everything is Grace, the Life and Way of Therese of Lisieux, can help us as we seek to turn and become like little children of our loving Father. Everything is Grace The Life and Way of Therese of Lisieux Joseph F. Schmidt, FSC Available from The Word Among Us, 9639 Doctor Perry Road, Ijamsville, MD 21754 www.wordamongus.org ISBN:978-1-59325-095-9 Cgsvoice-phila News in Action Newsletter #1-4/1/2007 Page 3

Over the last several years, we have had the blessing of retreats with children in the summer, and days of recollection during the year. We have called these Growing in Communion retreats, and Advent or Lenten Growing in Communion Days of Recollection, meeting at the site of St. Vincent s Seminary and St. Catherine s Assembly Room, adjacent to the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal in Germantown. Father Sheldon, CM, was the first director of the house to welcome us into that most beautiful indoor and outdoor space. Father Paul Murphy, CM, was our retreat companion, leading us and participating in prayer, in songs, at Mass, and in our visits to the sick and infirm priests at the Infirmary there. Our retreats with Father Paul included a visit to St. Vincent s Oak Tree, grown from a sapling brought years ago from St. Vincent s hometown in France and now thriving in the yard next to Mary s Central Shrine. Father Paul, whose first job was at an ice cream shop, always brought us to the community ice cream room for a hand-scooped cone. Outdoor time playing soccer, quiet walks in the garden, handwork such as sewing and calligraphy, Mass and confession, a restful rosary by the turtle pond, lunch - we have many wonderful memories of our times together with Father Paul. The family style retreats were open to children who had begun to receive Communion and their ages have ranged from 8 to 16. Father Paul also assisted us in our first catechist certification retreat at the same place last March. He has been called to St. Joseph Parish in Emmitsburg, and we are very happy for those people! May God continue to bless Father Paul, our dear friend. CGS Catholic Formation Catechist Certification Retreat March 24, 2007 This year we rejoice in the blessing of our second catechist certification retreat. Monsignor Francis X. Schmidt has kindly agreed to join us that day and will celebrate Mass and hear confessions. The retreat will again take place in the Assembly Room of St. Catherine s Infirmary in Germantown. Monsignor Schmidt is a long time friend of the young in the Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Some of us who began our ministry in the church with his support in the OYYA are now grandparents and some are even catechists in this CGS! Monsignor will be celebrating his 50 th anniversary as a priest Newsletter #1-4/1/2007 Page 4

this May and hopes to gather a lot of support then to build a village of houses in Jamaica with a Food for the Poor Project. Maybe there could be an atrium in the village?!! We look forward to this retreat, which falls on the anniversary of the death of Archbishop Romero. A picture of the Archbishop in procession with the First Communion children and their parents, through the streets of San Salvador just days before his death, will grace our certification retreat this year. Most wonderfully, the retreat happens on the weekend of the feast of the Annunciation. If you cannot join us on the retreat, please join us in prayer. An Oldie but Goodie Story: Learning to cross our t s I was on a bus a few years ago with a school trip from Kensington to Germantown. The children were all first graders, mostly Hispanic, in a public school. One of the children, looking out of the bus window, said: I always see t s I don t know why... I looked out to see what she was seeing. It took a few moments for me to realize that she was talking about crosses. Crosses do look like the letter t. There are many signs in our world of the presence of God. The little child is herself a sign of God s love. The child is the greatest external grace ever to be given to a family, (Maria Montessori). Every child is such a gift. Who will help the children to read the signs? Who will support the parents to receive such graces, which bring us to our knees in one way or another? Who wants to enter into the mystery of the love of God and the child? Who will read the meaning of the letter t to the child, and help them to learn to read it, too? Lent, Psalm 23 During Lent, the prayer table cloth is changed to purple. The Alleluia prayer card is buried, perhaps beneath that cloth. The cycle of the Good Shepherd stories and the prayer Psalm 23 are presented. This year, on the first Wednesday of Lent, the children at St. Genevieve s atrium heard the first Good Shepherd Gospel in the cycle. At the end of the reflection, the catechist asked the children, Do you think the sheep of Jesus are ordinary sheep?. Who could be the sheep that the Good Shepherd loves so much?.after some time of wondering, there was one child with a big smile and light in his eyes he thought he might be one of the sheep. The second week, the children gathered for meditation and prayer on Psalm 23. They began by recalling what they remembered about the Good Shepherd from the week before. They were presented with a picture of sheep on a hillside in the Land of Israel, and heard of a boy named David who was the shepherd for his family s sheep on a hill near Bethlehem, many years ago. David had made this prayer that we learn now The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall need. The candle was lit, and prayer card was read. The children repeated the prayer. The catechist said, the prayer can also be said this way: The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want. I wonder.what does this mean The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want? One little child said.it means we won t keep wanting things. Another little child said: Could you say it again? The catechist repeated the verse. The child said, I m thinking I know (30 seconds) It means that if I don t get what I want at Christmas, I will still get the biggest present the Lord. (big smile) Newsletter #1-4/1/2007 Page 5

I wonder who are the sheep Jesus loves so much? Now there are seven children with big smiles and light in their eyes Us. Me. Everybody. (Next week we will hear the story of the Lost Sheep. Perhaps more children will realize who those sheep are!) Next week would be St. Patrick s Day, so the catechist added St. Patrick was taken by pirates from his family and his home and brought to Ireland when he was a boy. He sat on the hills watching the sheep because that was the job he was given, and the words of this prayer came to him.he had learned it when he was little. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Even though his mom and dad were not there to love him and take care of him, was the Lord there? Yes Let us pray. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. In thanksgiving for Bob Ellis A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 12 at St. Dorothy s in Drexel Hill for Bob Ellis, husband of Eileen. The theme of the Mass was hands. We only knew Bob for a very short time, since his wife Eileen enrolled in the Phoenixville course last January. Bob came to the session when we were all making our topographical maps out of Rigid Wrap. He was so hand-y. And so enthusiastic about making things for Eileen! When he went with Eileen to observe at the Living Bridges atrium in the spring, Barbara was presenting the Epiclesis. (More hands!) The presentation affected Bob so deeply he talked about it with great enthusiasm with his pastor, Father Murphy. We dedicate the hands on our website deco to Bob and to Al and Jack, three husbands whose hands have really blessed the work of their catechist wives. We dedicate the hands to all who make things for our atria, and for the children s hands, too. And most especially, we entrust Bob into the hands of the Mother of the Great Amen as she presents him in celebration of the offering of his life through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Bob, join us prayer for Eileen, your children and grandchildren, and for us whose hands continue to write the pages of our own Amen to God. Newsletter #1-4/1/2007 Page 6