Sunday ADVENTures

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Thanksgiving Prayer Service

Following the cross in the opening procession

On the day before Thanksgiving, after weeks of preparation in the Atrium, the 3 Levels of CGS at the Cathedral led the parish in a Thanksgiving Prayer Service.  This year, along with songs and prayers the children decided to perform two plays.

Each Atrium had something to offer:

• Level 1 Sunday:  Thank You Lord (song) 
• Level 2 Sunday:  Lord of the Dance (song) 
• Level 3 Sunday:  Lord of the Dance (signs)
• Level 1 Sunday:  Thank You Lord (song) 
• Level 2 Monday:  10 Lepers Play 
• Level 3 Wednesday:  Parousia Play 

10 Lepers Play 

The play about the lepers was taken from the gospel reading for Thanksgiving Day where Jesus heals 10 lepers, but only one returns giving thanks.

The Parousia play was written by the children in the Wednesday Level 3 Atrium and performed with the help of children from all the sessions.  They decided to frame it around the question, "Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?"  The play is set in a church during Thanksgiving Mass, but as the first strains of the opening song begins, there's a ruckus in the back of the church as a handful of youngsters begin to ask among themselves, "Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?"  The adults they ask are unable to answer until a young child comes forward to tell them, "I know, why we celebrate Thanksgiving:  to give thanks to God that he created us."

"But why did he create us?" the children persist.  Again, the adults are puzzled, but the young child says, "Because he needed someone to celebrate the Mystery of Creation, Redemption and Parousia with."

Using the quotes from the Bible about the Parousia in the Level 3 Atrium, the children conclude the play by reminding us of our great hope--the time when "the Lord will be our light forever."

Lord of the Dance with signs 

There was a lot to be thankful for that night, and always.

To Fall in Love

On Wednesdays we have begun a morning Level 1 Atrium session for home school and pre-school children.  I love Wednesday mornings, because it is also my time to be in the Level 1 Atrium.  On Sundays I get to be with Level 3, on Mondays in Level 2, and so now my life as a catechist is complete with Wednesdays in Level 1.  The pace to this class, possibly because of the excellent catechist/child ratio (1/2) is peaceful and calm.  I leave our Wednesday morning 2-hour sessions as grounded and refreshed as I do after a Centering Prayer session and these mornings remind me why I love this work.

Today, one of the children called me over to the Good Shepherd parable table and asked me to read “The Found Sheep” for her while she moved the 2 dimensional figures of the sheep and the Good Shepherd.  I waited while she hid one sheep behind a blue scripture booklet propped on the table and then set the other snow white sheep figures in the sheepfold with the Good Shepherd standing guard by the gate.  When she was ready we lit a candle and I began to read the words from Luke’s Gospel:  “What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one ‘til he found it?  And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders . . .”  I read slowly, pausing as the child moved the Good Shepherd towards the hidden sheep.  At the last phrase “would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders,” she picked up the sheep and held it up to the Good Shepherd, and under her breath said with delighted certainty, “Yeah, he would!” 

I continued on with the parable, watching as the child carefully, and with her own deep joy, carried the lost sheep back to the sheepfold on the shepherd’s shoulders. 

This little girl's response to this parable, which she has heard many, many times, reminded me of an Italian word I heard many times in my Level 1 CGS training:  “Innamoramento.”  Having lived in Italy for a few months in my early 20s I love to say this word with plenty of Italian flare.  It seems to be one of those words that sounds like it means.  Sofia Cavalletti (one of the founders of CGS) described it this way:

“I think that ‘innamoramento’ is the basis of religious life, and also of moral life because moral life and religious life are not two different things.  If we help the child to establish a relationship with God in enjoyment, in ‘innamoramento’, then we have also done the best moral formation of the child.  You all know how much psychology now stresses the importance of love in every field of human life.  I think that a global ‘innamoramento’ is possible for everybody before six.  It may happen, of course, for anyone at any moment of our lives, but before six it’s possible and it’s easy for everybody.  It comes out quite naturally from the depths of their soul.  They really fall in love quite naturally.  There are many things to be done after six but there is one thing to be done before six—and it is to help the children to fall in love.”

As Pedro Arupe, the Jesuit priest wrote, “Nothing is more practical than . . . falling in love with God.”  In our children's encounters with the Good Shepherd through scripture, the sacraments, and their own rich lived experience of God’s love, they come to know the God who seeks the lost and who joyfully brings them home.  May we all so completely, fall in love with God.  

Candlemas

            Saturday, February 2^nd is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  At the 9:30am Mass there will be a blessing of candles.  This day celebrates when Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple 40 days after his birth to make an offering for the Purification of Mary.  At the Temple, they meet Simeon, a man who has been “awaiting the consolation of Israel,” for the Holy Spirit had revealed to him “that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.”  Upon seeing the child with his parents, Simeon takes Jesus into his arms and says, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  The children are familiar with this passage in the Bible from reading and reflecting on it in all 3 Atria. 

            In the Middle Ages this feast became known as Candlemas.  The words of Simeon, “a light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” reminds us of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John:  “I am the light” (Jn 8:12).  It is customary on this day to bring candles that you will light throughout the year in your home, to the church to be blessed.  I invite you and your family to join us for this occasion.  I will have a basket of candles which will be used in each of our Atria to be blessed and would love to have children who will hold the baskets from the different Atria.  I also encourage you to bring your own candles to be blessed.  The Mass begins at 9:30am.  Please let me know if your child would be interested in serving at this Mass, or would like to help hold the baskets of candles for the Atria. 

Peace,

Katy