Thursday, November 12, 2015

Preaching for Catechetical Sunday

This year I was asked to offer a reflection at our parish on catechetical Sunday about the spirituality of childhood.  It was wonderful to share some of the "pearls" of wisdom from the children in our Atria.  



In today’s reading from the Book of Numbers Moses cries out, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!  Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”  Today, I’m honored to be with you and to have a chance to speak to you about the prophets in our own midst, our children. 
For the past 5 years our parish has been part of a catechetical movement called the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Developed in Rome beginning in the 1950s by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi and their collaborators—the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd strives to create a space within the Church for the child and the adult to live the religious life together—one where the religious characteristics and gifts of the child predominate.
For over 50 years Sofia and Gianna observed children from ages 3 to 12.  They offered them rich spiritual food from the scripture and the Liturgy and noted the child’s responses to these themes.  And the response they noticed above all was joy.  Joy in the proclamation of the One who calls them by name.  Joy in the numerous and vast gifts of creation to which human beings are called to like guests at a banquet. 
            Sofia Cavalletti writes, “Young children seem to want to point out to us that their way of going to God is different.”  She mentions the book The Imitation of Christ that speaks of the “royal way of the holy cross, as the privileged path for going to God, whereas the child seems to wish to point out to us the royal way of holy joy.”
            Over the past five years, my fellow catechists and I have reveled in being with the children in the Atrium, the special space that is prepared for the children in which to work and pray.  And throughout these years we’ve heard again and again, our children proclaiming the way of holy joy to us.  I want to share some of their words with you today. 
            This past Lent I was meditating with a six year-old boy on the Maxims of Jesus—the wisdom sayings that Jesus gave us to help us know how to live a good life.  These Maxims aren’t easy.  Among them is the command, “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.”  After looking at all 12 Maxims he chose the one, “Love your enemies.”  “Oh,” I said, “Would you like to choose this one to work on particularly this next week?”  His reply, “No, I’d like to work on this one for like EVER.”
 Another time, I pulled out the story of the Annunciation for my 1st, 2nd & 3rd graders to meditate on.  They’d already heard it, some of them since they were 3, and so the challenge was to help them go back and find something new, something they had never thought of before in the passage.  I lit the candle and read aloud, from Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her to not be afraid, to announcing the news that she was soon to become pregnant with a son she was to call Jesus, to Mary’s questioning of the angel and then saying, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord.”  After the reading I asked questions to help us think about what we had heard: “Why do you think the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid?””  “Who is this baby who is going to be born?”  When we got to the end I thought of something I’d never asked them before:  “Here Mary says, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord.’  What do you think that might mean?”  The kids all gave me blank looks and then one girl, who was said, “maybe it means she knows that God created her . . . you know handmade.” 
Two years ago, in the Atrium with my 9 to 12 year-olds, I led a meditation on the great Plan of God, to bring all of creation to the full enjoyment of God.  Afterwards, one of my sixth graders who is an altar server asked me if we could go over to the church.  “Of course,” I said, “What would you like to do at the church?”  “I would like to carry the cross,” he replied, referencing the cross that is carried in procession at the beginning and the end of the Mass.  “Whenever I carry the cross,” he reflected, “something inside me wants to carry it more.” 
Our children indeed show us the way to holy joy.  Through their own insights they help us to see the words of the Gospel and the truths of our faith in a new light.  On behalf of the children, the families and the catechists I would like to tell you thank you for the many ways you have supported the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and our 7th/8th grade youth group.  Your prayers, talents and financial support have made it possible for us to train catechists, and build three beautiful atria at the Cathedral.  I would also like to offer you an invitation as well to consider if you are being called to enter more deeply into the spirituality of childhood, to immerse yourself in the Way of Holy Joy and to listen to for the voice of the Good Shepherd along with the children in our community.  We are looking for parishioners to partner with us in prayer, and to be trained as catechists and catechist aides.  Please contact me if you hear the Good Shepherd calling your name to be involved in this ministry. 
  May we pray together with Moses in thanksgiving, joy and longing, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!  Would that the Lord might bestow his Spirit on them all!” 
        


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