#119-123: Distinguishing Characteristics of CGS

What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd style of faith formation?

Over the next few bulletins we would like to share with you 21 distinguishing characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) as they have emerged after more than fifty years of research and work with children of different countries, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. We offer the following points of reflection as an invitation to dialogue or simply to ponder and delve deeper, as a community, into this good work with our children….

1. 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 observes and studies the vital needs of the child and the manifestations of those vital needs according to the developmental stage of the child. The catechists live with the child a shared religious experience according to the teaching of the gospel: “Except you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 18:3) The catechist attends to the conditions which are necessary for this life to be experienced and to flourish.

2. With this aim in mind, 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.

3. The atrium is a community in which children and adults live together a religious experience which facilitates participation in the wider community of the family, the church and other social spheres. The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation and prayer. The atrium is a place in which the only Teacher is Christ; both children and adults place themselves in a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the mystery of the liturgical celebration.

4. The transmission of the Christian message in the atrium has a celebrative character. The catechist is not a teacher, remembering that the only Teacher is Christ himself. The catechist renounces every form of control (such as quizzes, texts, exams, etc.) in the spirit of poverty before an experience whose fruits are not her/his own.

5. The themes presented in the atrium are those to which the children have responded with depth and joy. These themes are taken from the Bible and the liturgy (prayers and sacraments) as the fundamental sources for creating and sustaining Christian life at every developmental stage and, in particular, for illuminating and nourishing the child in his/her most vital religious needs.

See next week’s bulletin for #6-10 or visit www.cgsusa.org. The first draft of these points was done May, 1993; Latest done October, 1996.) 

6. The Word is proclaimed in the most objective manner possible, so that the words of the adult do not impede the communication between God who speaks and God’s child who listens. The only aim of the words of the adult is to discreetly serve the listening to God’s Word, in accordance with Jesus’ own statement in the gospel: “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me.” (John 7:16)

7. The catechist of the Good Shepherd does not incorporate into the catechesis themes other
than those which emerge from the essentiality and specificity of the vital needs of the children and our work with them.

8. The atrium gatherings should last at least two hours, of which a small part is often dedicated to the catechist’s presentation, and the majority of the time is reserved for the personal work of the child.

9. In harmony with the universal church, the life in the atrium follows the liturgical year;
therefore, moments which are particularly intense are those of Christmas/Epiphany and Easter/Pentecost.

10. Eucharist is central to the life of the atrium at every level, according to the various
denominations of the Christian church in which the atrium is located.

11. A material is placed at the disposal of the children. The children’s personal work with the material aids their meditation on and absorption of the theme presented. In settings where it is not possible to have an atrium yet, another valid instrument for announcing the Christian message consists in the workbooks and catechists’ guidebooks: “I Am the Good Shepherd”. The voice of the Good Shepherd can reach the child through different instruments, but regardless of the particular instrument, the voice of the Shepherd resounds in the depths of the heart.

12. The material must be attractive but “sober” and must strictly adhere to the theme being presented. In making the material, the catechist refrains from adding superficial embellishments which would distract the child from the essentials of the theme being presented. In other words, the material must be simple, essential and “poor” in order to allow the richness of the themes content to shine through. This same guideline applies to the atrium environment itself. 

13.  The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd can be realized in any social or cultural setting.

14. The materials prepared by catechists for the atrium are faithful to the experimental models of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The designs of these models are the result of a long, collaborative work of observation and experimentation and have been developed according to the needs of the child at each developmental stage.

15. The material makes it possible for the catechist to assume his/her proper “post” as “the useless servant.” (Luke 17:10) This expression indicates that the catechist has a task to perform, a role to fulfill, whose results, however, go much farther from what he/she does, because the only Teacher is Christ.

16. The catechists work together in a spirit of unity and harmony, in tune with God’s plan for communion in the history of salvation and in keeping with the themes of unity so strongly expressed in the parables of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1ff) and the True Vine. (John 15: 1ff) They generously offer their talents and experience for the good of all.

17. The attitude of the adult has to be marked by humility before the capacities of the child, establishing a right rapport with the child, that is to say, respecting the personality of the child, and waiting for the child to reveal himself/herself.

18. The tasks of the catechist include: to go deeper into the Christian message through the knowledge of the biblical and liturgical sources and of ongoing living tradition of the church, including the theological, social and ecumenical movements which enliven the church today; preparing and maintaining order in the atrium so that it fosters concentration, silence and contemplation in both the child and adult; preparing the materials oneself as much as possible while collaborating with others in areas that are beyond one’s abilities.

19. The reasons why the catechist is requested to make the materials with his/her own hands are: to absorb the content more deeply; to combat hurry, consumerism and even excessive “efficiency”; to pace oneself more to the rhythm of the child and thus also - or so we believe - to the working of the Holy Spirit; to try to reach the integration of hand, mind and heart.

20. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is also concerned with helping adults open their eyes to the hidden riches of the child, especially to the child’s spiritual wealth, so that adults will be drawn to learn from the child and to serve him/her. The guiding principles in this endeavor are: The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd does not seek success. It does not set about to be important or to impress others (Isaiah 10:33-11:10). It is faithful to the spirit of the mustard seed (Matthew 13: 31). It stands in solidarity with the least in the church.

21. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd especially honors the spiritual values of childhood and wishes to nurture the formation of a consciousness which is oriented to the construction of the history of salvation in justice and solidarity.

NOTE: Some edits to these points where necessary to fit our bulletin space. The first draft of these points was done by the Rome Association, May, 1993. Latest revision was done by the International Council, October, 1996 and can be viewed in their entirety at www.cgsusa.org.

#118 - True Ecumenism

Are Catholics and Protestants really that different?

My husband and I went to go see Colin Hay in concert last weekend. He is best known as the crooked-eyed lead singer of the band “Men at Work” popular back in the 80’s. Since that time, slow but steady, he has established quite a lovely solo career. Much of his success stems from his brilliant live performances - which are a mix of song and marvelous storytelling – featuring just him, his guitar and some modest lighting. He spoke with great wisdom and a joyous levity on many topics, from fame to drugs, family to loneliness. One anecdote he shared has really stuck with me.

He said when he was growing up, he was a Protestant. He said he knew he was a Protestant because he wore a blue blazer to school. The Catholics wore burgundy blazers to school. Walking to school was quite terrifying because, apparently, as he understood it as a child, the different color blazers meant that the boys had to fight each other to and from school each day. He said “that was really all I knew about the difference between being a Protestant and being a Catholic. Same God, different blazers.”

Everyone laughed, but seriously. Maybe we all need to take a step back for a slightly wider view, no? Don’t get me wrong. I love my Catholic family. I’m not denying there are some very significant differences in what some of our Protestant brothers and sisters believe about Who God is and how to interpret our shared sacred scriptures - and what we Catholics believe and profess. Big, important differences, that I don’t think we can or should gloss over, but….come on!

Can’t we? Don’t we really stand together in awe of the God who created this amazing 13 billion year old universe? Can’t we practice a bit of epistemological humility and admit that even if we were to combine all the knowledge from every Christian ever in existence, past and present, we still know next to nothing about the Author of love, babies and supernovas? I don’t know about you, but I have learned great and wonderful things from people wearing a different blazer than me. Truth from wherever it comes is truth. I’m thankful to Colin Hay for sharing his truth with such artistry.

Below are some words from Pope Francis on the topic of Ecumenism excerpted from a Vatican Radio report by Philippa Hitchen:

“Christian unity is an essential requirement of our faith, a journey of personal and community conversion to the will of Christ...Unity, is a gift from God and our task is to welcome that gift and make it visible to others. Rather than just a goal to be achieved, we should see the search for unity as a journey that we undertake together with patience, determination, effort and commitment, knowing that all of us are sinners for whom God has infinite mercy…when we work, pray and serve the needy together, we are already united. When theological, liturgical, spiritual and canonical differences are genuinely rooted in the apostolic tradition, they are not a threat, but rather a treasure for the unity of the Church. Trying to suppress such differences, he warned, as happened in the past, goes against the Holy Spirit who enriches different Christians with a variety of gifts.

No one should deny their own faith history, Pope Francis said, and no-one should tolerate the practice of proselytism which he called ‘a poison for the ecumenical journey’. True ecumenism, the Pope concluded, is when we focus not on our own reasons and regulations, but rather on the Word of God which requires us to listen, to receive and to witness to the world.”

Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com

#117 - Chronic Busyness

What do you think Jesus would prescribe for our chronic “busyness” so prevalent in our culture today?

I don’t know about you, but when autumn arrives, my chest hurts. I look at my calendar and think “when am I going to squeeze in a shower?” I think many of us recognize how different our culture is from even 30 years ago. I miss being unplugged and unreachable, how about you? Anybody else answering emails at 2AM? I instruct my teenager to unplug and I know that is a key part of being a good parent these days, but if I’m honest with myself I also see how ridiculously hypocritical it is of me to demand of her.

In talking with other people, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in feeling like we never have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do; to be truly present to those we love (evident too by the submission of this “not-so-crazy” question). The ticking clock has the urgency and alarm that reminds us of some late-night thriller movie. Getting a decent meal on the table every night, shuttling the kids to and from school and “sportsball” (what the nerdy folks in Portland call ALL sporting-like activities according to my cousin who lives there) in relatively clean clothes, meeting work deadlines, keeping our car insurance current, cleaning the gutters…and then we hear the Pope passionately urging us to thoughtfully contemplate our environment and the billions of people on this planet that have it waaaay worse than we could ever even imagine. I feel like such a whiner, missing God’s cues no matter how hard I try, because I know in the deepest part of my being I must do something when 2-year old refugees are dying to escape war. There is little doubt that the pace of our life sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is most important.

I’m not sure what Jesus would “prescribe” for our culture but we can and do observe that during his earthly ministry, Jesus himself escaped the busyness of the crowds occasionally to pray, renew His strength and focus. Mark 6:31 reads “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Jesus knew the importance of stopping, eating and finding our calm in order to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the roar of our lives. But I don’t think this stopping and paying attention comes naturally to us these days. The pace of our lives is simply not conducive to spiritual knowing.

Romans 2:12 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” So, with that, though I don’t want to add yet another thing to your “to-do” list, I do want to invite you to reserve four Thursday evenings this Lent in your calendar now (Feb. 22 – Mar. 15, soup supper & childcare provided) to stop and “renew our minds” together as a community. To spirituality nourish ourselves so that we may hear the will of God more clearly and hone our ability to ruthlessly prioritize!

Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.

#116 - Purpose of "Works"

What is the purpose of the “works” in the atria?
All the atria materials – officially called “works” - are linked closely with our Scriptures. These include maps of Jerusalem and Palestine, Christian and liturgical symbols, and figures and materials for biblical presentations.

Tina Lillig, the National Director of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, writes “You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children. Think on this - if an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way.

In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it-placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist…by encouraging young children to reflect deeply on the meaning of scriptureal passages, they are able to work with the materials for long periods of time, often stunning their teachers with their insights…Older children who [can] read often copy parables from the Bible, [place in sequence] written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God.”

Personally, I can related with scripture scholar Andrea Molinari, who wrote this when she became involved with CGS:

“In my own years of theological training and church ministry, I had come to experience a profound spiritual tiredness - the kind that is born of repeated disappointment in the way things are in the Church today. I had become sickened by the factionalism, the lack of love, the political infighting and blatant hypocrisy… It was in this state that I first encountered CGS. As I studied Sofia's book and visited the atrium, I began to realize that I was being healed on the inside. Seeing the wonder in the children's eyes at hearing the parables of Jesus for the very first time and witnessing the way that their little hearts were so open to God touched me profoundly. It was as if something deep within me stirred again, something that I thought had died long ago. I began to remember why I came to study theology in the first place - not for prestige, accolades and degrees imparted by humanity but because of a search for a closer relationship with God. The deep faith and spirituality that saturates this program is a powerful reminder that the Holy Spirit is still intimately involved with our Church. It is hope for the future.”

Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.

#115 - What is a Charism?

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” – Frederick Buechner

As we fill out our volunteer sheets today, perhaps we can pray and ponder a bit on our calling and charisms.

What is a charism? Charism is the Greek word used in the New Testament for “gratuitous gift.” A charism is an ability, skill, or talent given by and through the activity of the Holy Spirit working in the life of each individual believer that enable him/her to be powerful channels of God’s love and transforming presence in the world. Charisms are not learned or inherited from our parents, but are given especially to each of us by the Holy Spirit. According to both the New Testament (Eph 4) and our own Catholic Tradition (CCC, 951), we are all given charisms to share. Charisms are always focused outward for the good of the community and are inspired and directed by God. Collectively, the spiritual gifts possessed by the members of a parish enable that parish as the body of Christ to perform the mission and ministry to which it has been called by God.

Are my charisms related to my “mission” in life? Every believer has a “mission” or vocation in life, a work of love for which each individual was created (Eph 4:7-16). Charisms are both tools given to us to accomplish our mission and important clues as to what that mission in life might be. All of us are called to follow Christ, by being Jesus’ compassionate and transforming presence in the world: the on-going incarnation.

If I have a charism, why don’t I know it? Charisms need to be discovered and developed just like our natural gifts.…Charisms must be discerned by taking action…we must experiment, that is, prayerfully try a specific activity and see what God does as a result.” - Sherry Weddell

What are some ways to authentically identify a charism?

· An unmistakable inner experience of peace, energy and joy when you’re using your gift.

· Unusually effective and successful results in what you’re trying to accomplish.

· Other people’s direct or indirect recognition of the gift’s presence in you.

Adapted from https://siena.org/charisms-faq

Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.

#114 - Why are all Atrium works handmade?

Why are all the “works” in our atria handmade by our catechists?

Gianna Gobbi, co-creator of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method of faith formation, wrote that the materials (or “works”) in the atrium are “...indications of the hidden reality of God. They are concrete helps to know the language, times and places of the mystery of God. It is important that, as much as possible, the catechist makes his or her own catechetical materials. Making the materials by hand is an essential way of entering more deeply into the theme we will present to the children. It helps us to slow down and to pace ourselves more to the rhythm of the child, as well as to be more attentive to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, material-making is an invaluable opportunity for us as adults to experience the integration of hand, mind and heart.”

Not unlike our celebration of the sacraments, in which use simple, everyday items such as bread, wine, oil, & water to help us ponder the mystery of God in our ordinary living – so too the materials in the atrium help the child to enter more deeply into the mystery and truth of God’s presence. Like our liturgy (our Mass), the CGS method “recognizes that our relationship with God is established through sensible objects, respecting a fundamental human exigency.” People sometimes make fun of our Catholic “smells & bells” but there is a deep wisdom to our “sensory dense” way of communicating divine truths; so too in our atrium. Each atrium "work" becomes a conversation with God. Sophia Cavalletti, the other co-creator with Gobbi of CGS, states it this way: "All works in the atrium are either a passage to prayer or prayer itself."

Sincere gratitude to all our parishioners who contributed in the building the works featured in Atrium II!

#113 - Atrium Stories

Can I still enroll in the formal Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Catechist training? Does it meet our Archdiocesan catechist “certification” requirements?

YES and YES! Catechist Training for Level I began on Sept. 16, however Sr. Nancy Ayotte, IHM who runs the class said if we have any more interested parishioners that she would get them up to speed. Classes are held one Saturday a month from now until June.

The “retreat-like” training is not only engaging and a great help to our efforts here at CTR, but it is some of the best ADULT formation our team has every encountered AND is recognized by our Archdiocese as valid training for “official” certification. CGS’s focus on the “essentials” of our faith and unique, Montessori style presentation truly help both the catechist and the child break open the deep and beautiful mysteries of our faith. Visit www.cgsusa.org to register or for more info.

A couple quick CGS stories from the past couple weeks to share....

Last night I taught our first Monday evening session in our newly opened Atrium II. The class is a mixture of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade children. At the end of the session, one of the 5th grade boys in the class said "Wow, that felt like 5 minutes not 2 hours!" and another two boys nodded in agreement and said they couldn't wait to hear the geography lesson at our next session and get their hands on our maps and pin flags! (Yeah God!)

Also, so funny! We had a real "no-nonsense" Mom of 5 who came from a neighboring parish to volunteer as a catechist (which is already quite curious). When we asked her to introduce herself and say a little bit about what brought her here to volunteer she said "Well, I was talking with the mother of a friend of one of my children at school, kvetching that the schedule for faith formation at my parish is so difficult with 5 kids and she recommended I look into the classes here at CTR. After hearing a little bit about the program, I turned to my 4th grader and said 'Well, looks like you are going to CTR for faith formation this year' and my kid made this long, tired groaning noise, like she was definitely NOT looking forward to faith formation. But then her little friend (from CTR) quickly chimed in and encouraged her saying "No! You are going to love it! It is really fun at Christ the Redeemer in the atrium!" The volunteer went on to say that all 5 of her children looked at this joy-filled child and then at each other with utter disbelief, like "What did she just say?!?!” shaking their heads like “There must be something wrong with this kid..." The no-nonsense Mom ended her story by saying "So, I had to come and see what the heck was going on here!!"

Parents of preschoolers, if I had one wish it would be that I had taken this training when my children were little (and all the women on our staff have said the same). The more our staff and catechists learn about and grow with CGS, the more we find it to be a truly miraculous (and I don't throw that word around lightly) method of formation. In my humble opinion, it is the hope of the church.

Visit www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com to review past articles or send your question/comment to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.