Hi everyone,
What a blessing it is to spend an hour each Sunday with your children! Things are progressing nicely as we adjust to the routine and become comfortable with the "grace and courtesy" atmosphere in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium!
Last week, the children learned about the communion of saints, using little wood peg doll saints and our wooden liturgical calendar. This week, we will continue to reinforce the idea of saints, especially since it is All Saints Day on Sunday. Each child will have the opportunity to wear a paper "saints shield" and carry a battery operated candle as we do our "walking on the line" exercise and then process from our narthex into our atrium (prayer room). We're learning the song "Christ is Light," which we are beginning to sing as we process into our prayer room.
We are also moving into some of my favorite presentations of the year. For the next two weeks, we'll be learning Biblical geography. This week, we look at a globe, which helps us relate to where the Holy Land is versus where we live. We also talk about the fact that Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was a tiny place, and how amazing it is that God selected this tiny place to come into the world. (After all, God is king of the universe! He could have come into the world in a grand, large city. Instead, He chose a tiny village!) Then I'll show them a topographical map of Israel. This textural map allows the children to touch the mountains where Jesus walked, run their finger along the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, and learn about the "Sea of Salt" (Dead Sea.)
We identify three key cities in Israel:
1) Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would have a baby and name him Jesus
2) Bethlehem, where Jesus was born
3) Jerusalem, where Jesus died and rose
In addition to the topographical map, I show them paintings of these places during Jesus' time (since we obviously don't have photos from 2,015 years ago!) and present-day photos of these places. The goal is to help them realize that Jesus was a real person who walked on this earth, just like we do today. He's not a fictional character in books or the Bible.
Happy All Saints Day to you and your families!
Blessings,
What a blessing it is to spend an hour each Sunday with your children! Things are progressing nicely as we adjust to the routine and become comfortable with the "grace and courtesy" atmosphere in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium!
Last week, the children learned about the communion of saints, using little wood peg doll saints and our wooden liturgical calendar. This week, we will continue to reinforce the idea of saints, especially since it is All Saints Day on Sunday. Each child will have the opportunity to wear a paper "saints shield" and carry a battery operated candle as we do our "walking on the line" exercise and then process from our narthex into our atrium (prayer room). We're learning the song "Christ is Light," which we are beginning to sing as we process into our prayer room.
We are also moving into some of my favorite presentations of the year. For the next two weeks, we'll be learning Biblical geography. This week, we look at a globe, which helps us relate to where the Holy Land is versus where we live. We also talk about the fact that Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was a tiny place, and how amazing it is that God selected this tiny place to come into the world. (After all, God is king of the universe! He could have come into the world in a grand, large city. Instead, He chose a tiny village!) Then I'll show them a topographical map of Israel. This textural map allows the children to touch the mountains where Jesus walked, run their finger along the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, and learn about the "Sea of Salt" (Dead Sea.)
We identify three key cities in Israel:
1) Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would have a baby and name him Jesus
2) Bethlehem, where Jesus was born
3) Jerusalem, where Jesus died and rose
In addition to the topographical map, I show them paintings of these places during Jesus' time (since we obviously don't have photos from 2,015 years ago!) and present-day photos of these places. The goal is to help them realize that Jesus was a real person who walked on this earth, just like we do today. He's not a fictional character in books or the Bible.
Happy All Saints Day to you and your families!
Blessings,
Cheryl
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