The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd provides a sacred space for Christian faith formation of children aged 3 to 12 years. It is like a retreat centre for children, providing a place where they can form a personal relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. As well as formation and faith enrichment for adults, we also provide sacramental retreats. The Catechesis is grounded in scripture, and liturgy guided by the understanding of the child discovered by Maria Montessori. Children and adults hear the Gospel through the use of sensory-rich materials. It is a place of community and worship, a place to be with and enjoy God, listen to the Word, and to pray.
Find out more about the work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and our approach to faith formation of children and adults in this evening. Supper is included in the evening.
We are excited to share with everyone that we are soon to have a new, more spacious space to share the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with children and adults.
After lengthy negotiations with the Archdiocese of Perth we have finally managed to secure a long term lease on a premises in Scarborough. This has been out of use for some time and requires some major renovations to suit our needs. However, once completed we will be able to offer Catechesis for children from 0-12+, and have a good space for running formation and retreats, as well as a beautiful chapel space.
Our plan is to have the renovations completed by the end of 2022 so that we can move over the Summer break into our new space.
With our new space there will be new challenges such as fundraising to cover costs involved with the bigger space. As always we continue to work hard and pray hard and trust in Jesus the Good Shepherd to guide us and send us the help we need to continue to offer this precious work.
We invite all of our supporters and friends to continue to travel with us on this wonderful adventure in listening to God with children.
As we are all over the world being asked to go into exile from our normal day to day business. We are asked to only have contact with those in our households, our families. We are asked to look at what is essential and do that, buy that. What a great opportunity God has provided us with in the Lent of 2020. Just as Jesus was called into the desert before the major part of his life’s’ work commenced, we are called to go into a different desert also, a desert of suffering and pain (for some physical others spiritual and others emotional). Many have been asked to stay away from things we hold very dear such as Mass.
God has been speaking
to me about all of this in some songs.
I recall a song I learned many years ago by a group called The Dameans, “Pause a While”
Pause a while, pause a while In the humdrum of the city and behind a cloister wall In the early morning and when shadows start to fall See creation bending to the maker of it all And all we have to do is pause a while
We were made to build the earth and share it with each other All of us together at the work of Christ our brother
Tho’ the troubles of the world may tempt you to despair
Look around just
one more time and you’ll see Christ is there
Ev’ry tree
in ev’ry valley, ev’ry running brook
Bear the mark of
Love’s design for those who learn to look
The spirit
promised long ago moves just where he will;
In this high-speed,
neon world, somehow he’s moving still
Barriers of
ev’ry kind, must shatter into dust;
Nothing done is
nothing won where we can’t dare to trust
I noticed as these lyrics floated in my mind that God was calling on his people all over the world to Pause Awhile, to stop and listen to just be still. As we pause, all of creation is being renewed, life is returning to places we have neglected or damaged by our busy lifestyles. The smog is lifting in some places, wildlife is returning to city areas. https://twitter.com/ikaveri/status/1239660248207589383
With our children in the atrium, we finished a little early with the Liturgy of Light. We recalled Jesus sharing his light with us all and asking us to share it also with others. The light will grow so bright, that the sun will be dimmed. All of the darkness will be chased away. We sang some songs that reminded me of God’s plan to bring his life and light to all people, everywhere.
Christ Be Our Light (Bernadette Farrell)
Longing for light, we wait in darkness
Longing for truth, we turn to You.
Make us Your own, Your holy people
Light for the world to see.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow’r to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Shine Jesus Shine (Graham Kendrick)
Lord the
light of Your love is shining
In the
midst of the darkness shining
Jesus Light
of the world shine upon us
Set us free
by the truth You now bring us
Shine on me,
shine on me
Shine Jesus
shine, Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze
Spirit blaze, Set our hearts on fire
Flow river
flow, Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth
Your word Lord and let there be light
Lord I come to Your awesome presence From the shadows into Your radiance By the blood I may enter Your brightness Search me try me consume all my darkness Shine on me, shine on me
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness So our faces display Your likeness Ever changing from glory to glory Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story Shine on me, shine on me
Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord (Donald Fishel) Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to
the risen Lord,
Alleluia,
alleluia, give praise to His name.
Jesus is Lord of all the
earth.
He is the King of creation.
Spread the good news o’er all
the earth.
Jesus has died and has risen.
We have been crucified with
Christ.
Now we shall live forever.
God has proclaimed the just
reward:
Life for all men, alleluia!
As I sang and
pondered these words, I was amazed at how clear the message for me was. “Do
not worry, my light is stronger than the darkness, my life is stronger than
death.”
Pause a while and soak in his light so that when the time comes you will rise radiant in his splendor to shine and fill the earth. It is the desert before the ministry. The darkness that is overcome by the light.
This pause, now, becomes
a time of great hope and renewal for all of creation. I am filled with joy and
hope.
An Introduction to the Environment of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Inviting a visitor to “come
and see” has often been the best way to “explain” what the Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd is. When invited in, an adult will become quiet and wonder at all
the different materials they can see. One material may catch their eye, something
familiar, the altar table, the Cenacle. Just like the children who first walk
through the doors, the adult longs to look with their hands, to open boxes and
see what treasures are contained within. Perhaps, less like the child, they
hesitate in case they are not allowed to explore further. Left alone, they may
take things off the shelf and pick up the contents for closer inspection. They
may get their phones out and take a few photos.
The first encounter in
an atrium is one of wonder and perhaps awe. If parents walk in with a child,
they like to share their knowledge of what they see, moving into teaching them
the names or concepts the adult relates to in the work. Little children first
seem to like to touch, to feel what has been prepared for them. They long to
know, “Who made this?” They know it is a space for them because everything is
just the right height and size for their smaller bodies. In the Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd it is the environment that becomes the teacher. The young children
learn more from interacting in their environment than through direct
instruction. That is why it is so important that the catechist prepares the
environment to entice the children to draw nearer to God and to form a loving
relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
If our goal is to help
children enjoy a relationship with God, we must consider carefully the question,
“What kind of environment will respect and cultivate their needs and capacities
at their level of development, especially in terms of their spiritual
development?”
The atrium therefore is not a classroom “not a place of religious instruction, but of religious life” (Sofia Cavalletti, Religious Potential of the Child). It does not replace the Church but instead prepares them to become full participants in the life of the Church. This work cannot be the work of the catechist or the atrium alone. As Sofia says “The initiation of a child into the 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 whole Christian community. The catechist’s work… must be sustained and confirmed by a community that lives what the catechist proclaims.” Ideally the atrium should hold a place within a parish community.
The Atrium is a place
of Prayer and Worship, a place of quiet and peace, a place of retreat. A place
where quite spontaneously, work and study become meditation, contemplation and
prayer.
We invite you to come
and see the space we have prepared for the children. You will find the details
on our website. https://www.cgswa.org.au/events/
In the Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd, especially with the 3-6-year-old, we do not dwell on Jesus’ suffering
and death. Instead we always link his death to his resurrection. Many of the works
allow a time to recall that Jesus life was stronger than death and we remember
that whenever we light candles, and most especially the Paschal candle in the
Baptism Area. The light of the risen Christ is given to each one of us on the
day we are Baptised.
There are, however, a few
works that are particularly relevant to this Lenten season and in particular to
the Paschal Narratives which we encounter during Holy Week. In the atrium of
the youngest children, we recall the words of the Last Supper, where Jesus said,
“This is my body, this is my blood”, in a work we call the Cenacle. The Cenacle
is the name for the Upper Room where Jesus met with his disciples to celebrate
the feast of the Passover. The children enjoy preparing the small table as the
Apostles did on that day. They sit and consider the words of Jesus and the
events that unfold after this time. We pause briefly to consider Jesus’ death
on the cross. Then we move on to light candles to recall the resurrection.
After all everyone dies, but only Jesus conquered death.
Another work in the atrium
which allows us to consider the last days of Jesus is the City of Jerusalem. This
is a model of what Jerusalem may have looked like during the time of Jesus. It
is a walled city and the most prominent building is also walled, the Temple. This
geography material allows the children to imagine the sort of place Jerusalem
was., but its primary purpose is to recall the last days of Jesus. The children
consider the places and events that occur in Jerusalem beginning with the Last Supper
in the Cenacle and moving to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and
was later arrested.
We recall that Jesus was
taken to the house of Caiphas, the high priest. He was put on trial there. Next,
we move to the place where Pilate, the Roman Governor lived, the Tower of
Antonia. Those who arrested Jesus, told Pilate that Jesus said he was the King
of the Jews. Pilot decided that Jesus should be sent to Herod, the Jewish king.
We continue the meditation; in
the morning, he was taken to Herod’s palace. Herod did not have the power to do
anything to Jesus, so he was sent back to Pilot. Jesus returned to the Tower of
Antonia to be sentenced by Pilot. There he was condemned to die. He was given a
cross and taken outside the walls to a hill called Calvary.
This is where he died. But
that is not the end of the story.
His friends buried him in a
cave, a tomb never used before, and a big stone was placed at the entrance. It
was in a garden. This was still not the end.
It was the Sabbath day so
they would not prepare his body, they needed to wait until the next day to do
that.
Always looking forward we recount
the events leading up to that first Easter morning.
The next day some women came
back to prepare Jesus body for burial, they planned to anoint it with special
oils and perfumes. Then wrap it in a special way, as was their custom. They
were worried about how they would be able to move the stone away.
When they got there the stone
had already been rolled away. An angel was there, and he said, “Jesus is not
here, he is risen!”
At this point we again light a
candle and proclaim, Jesus is the light that is stronger than death, a light
that can never go out. He is not here. He is risen. The women ran to tell the
others.
We too can think about our
response to Jesus resurrection. Will we also run to tell others the good news?
We may conclude our
preparation for the great feast of Easter with a celebration of the Liturgy of
Light. This is taken from the prayers of the Easter Vigil and once again we use
light to represent the Risen Jesus. A light that continues to spread as we
allow it to shine out from each one of us to the whole world.
As we draw near the Great
Feast of Easter, may you also receive this light anew and may it shine forth to
all you encounter and draw people to him who came to make us completely one
with himself.
Since the child, particularly the religious life of the child, is central to the interest and commitment of the catechist of the Good Shepherd, the catechist embraces Maria Montessori’s vision of the human being and thus the attitude of the adult regarding the child; and prepares an environment called the atrium, which aids the development of the religious life.
What is Maria Montessori’s vision of the human
person?
“Everyone accepts the fact that the adult is supposed to play a role in forming the child, but who knew that the child is supposed to be forming the adult, just as much.” Maria Montessori
Maria
Montessori saw as one of her greatest discoveries was the planes of human
development. This is when she recognized that the human person underwent a
profound change as they entered different stages of their life. Though this
understanding it is possible to see why some expectations of children are
unreasonable at some ages but very necessary at others.
When you look at the planes,
you can see the horizontal line of life, which indicates the age of the child.
The lines that form the triangles show how the child moves towards a greater
sensitivity to the needs of their age and then away from that intensity as they
move toward the next plane. Montessori observed that development is intense at
the beginning of a plane, peaks, and then tapers down to the next plane, in
preparation for the beginning of a new stage of development.
For
the first plane of development the
goal is self-construction or to build a self.
The
goal of the second plane of
development is building the social self and how to be in society. No longer
does the child need just the immediate family. Now the child is ready to
explore the larger society and learn how to be with others and with other
families.
The
goal of the third plane of
development is the birth of the adult self. It is another creative period, the
creation of what is most valuable in their adult personality.
The
goal of the fourth plane of
development is the vocation, recognizing and giving back to society.
Within
each plane there are specific sensitivities given that facilitate the
achievement of the goal. The last characteristics of that each plane builds on
the previous plane before it. So a plane that was not fully completed carries
into the next plane. Life goes forward not backward. So as adults assisting
children, we want to help children achieve the fullness of each plane of
development.
The
first plane of development is the most important phase in the life of the human
person. Sofia Cavalletti called it the Golden Age of Relationship, the period
of falling in love with God.
Two Conditions for any
Human Development
Montessori
said that there were two conditions necessary for any human development to
occur.
First, the child’s intimate, positive, loving relationship
with the people and things in his/her environment. It’s so important for this
first plane of development. The child being brought into this complete,
unconditional, totally accepting and loving relationship.
The second element is freedom.
All
humans have certain tendencies or behavior patterns that drive the fulfillment
of the fundamental needs. No matter the location, culture, or ethnicity, all
humans throughout history have followed the same natural laws that lead to
actions and interactions with the environment and each other.
All
humans are driven:
To Explore- to know
To Orient – to find one’s place in the world where one feels
loved and wanted
To Order – to put things in their place, physically and
mentally
To Observe and to Abstract
To Work
To strive toward Self-Perfection
To Exactness
To Communicate – to express one’s self, to be understood,
which leads to sharing, cooperation, and preservation of our knowledge, skills
and achievements
To have Self-Control
What then should the attitude of the adult be
regarding the child?
When it comes to the time for more
formal learning the environment most children are placed in is a school of one
sort or another. In a traditional school classroom the primary relationship is
thought to be between the teacher and the child. In the Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd, we believe that God is the teacher, he works through the environment
and the materials to help the child to form a personal relationship with him.
The role of the adult is that of a guide or servant, waiting for the time to
give a new presentation to allow the child to go deeper into their prayer with
the Holy Spirit.
The Catechist is not the teacher.
The Catechists role is to prepare the environment, to provide the child with
materials that will help the child to draw near to God.
As adults, we seek to serve the child
in this regard. To enable them to come into God’s presence and spend time with him by themselves.
It is not unusual that in this
environment, the children can become so absorbed in their work that
the adult can step aside and wait until they are needed.
What is the prepared environment, the atrium, and
how does it aid the child’s religious life?
Montessori noted that the environment itself is a teacher;
the children learn much more from interaction with their environment than they
do from the direct instruction of their teacher.
If our aim is to help children to
enjoy their relationship with God, we must ask, “What kind of environment can we create that will respect
and cultivate the child’s needs and capacities at this level
of their development, especially in terms of their spiritual development?”
We want to create a space where it is
okay to be small. Where a child can function independently, enjoy freedom of
movement, freedom to repeat works over and over on one’s own without interruption etc.
The Atrium environment is not a classroom. Cavalletti says, “It is not a place of religious instruction, but of
religious life.”
The Atrium does not replace the church. It is to initiate
the child into the life of the church and needs to be the work of the whole
church. Cavalletti says, “The initiation of a child into the
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 whole Christian
community. The catechist’s work must be sustained and
confirmed by a community that lives what the catechist proclaims.”
“Everything
in the Atrium is either a passage to prayer or prayer itself”
The Atrium is a place of Prayer and
Worship,
a place of quiet and peace, a place of retreat. A place where quite
spontaneously, work and study become meditation, contemplation and prayer.
It is more like a church than a
classroom. It is not so much a place of instruction, as Holy Ground, where
Christ can be encountered in word or action at any moment.
