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The Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd |
| God and Child with the Adult An interpersonal relationship is always a mystery, all the more so when that relationship is between God and the child. We believe that there is a deep bond between God and the child which produces in the child the desire to draw near God. The catechists' role is to prepare the environment and to make presentations that "call forth" the child's response rather than "pour in" information. They listen with the child and together ask, "God, who are you? How do you love us?" The adult is a co-wonderer with the child as they together enjoy meditating on the questions generated by the Scriptures with the prepared environment as a developmental aid. For the Young Child (Ages 3-6) Materials on the life of Christ and his teachings help make the Selected parables serve as keys to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of God and to nurture the child's natural sense of wonder. How beautiful and precious is the kingdom of God! How small it begins! How slowly it grows! How magnificent it becomes!
The liturgical colors and calendar situate the child in the church year expressing the Pascal Mystery - Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. A prayer corner reflects the liturgical cycle with appropriate colors, prayers, songs, banners, and readings to enhance the rituals and celebrations of the seasons. |
mystery of God concrete for the child. The geography materials
establish Jesus as a real person in time and space and Israel as the
land through which God realized salvation for all. Infancy
narratives announce the Incarnation with the words of Scripture, moving
from the Annunciation, to the Birth of Christ, to the Flight into
Egypt. The model of Jerusalem and of the empty tomb are the
starting point for the Paschal narratives which the child lives in a
special way in celebrating the Liturgy of the Light.
Through the arranging of the chalice, paten, altar cloth, candles,
and crucifix, the child becomes familiar with the articles of the
Mass. The child lives his relationship with God in a particular
way in the liturgy. The 3-6 year-old child enters the mystery of
the Mass through the most important gestures including the preparation
of the chalice, the epiclesis and offering, and the gesture of
peace. From these gestures the Mass emerges as the Sacrament of
the Gift. The child becomes acquainted with the historical
character of the liturgy through the events of the Last Supper, Christ's
death, and, His resurrection.
