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Religious Education Sessions during Easter Season
April and May 2023
Middle School Ministry – The 7th and 8th grade students have been focusing on sacraments in April. We looked at the meaning of Confirmation and created various Baptismal symbols. Both Marriage and Holy Orders were highlighted in a broader conversation on vocations and God’s call in our lives.
Below are some of the reflections from the students:
- I learned that I have a purpose in this world that God will lead me to and that will help me feel fulfilled.
- I learned what a good marriage looks like.
- I was surprised that there are so many different roles in the church and what they do.
- That everyone has purpose, a calling. Vocations are a deep call and step to joining God.
Students were asked to interview two people regarding their vocation and how they knew their calling.
On Wednesday, May 3, the students talked about Eucharist and how to prepare for the Middle School Ministry Mass on Wednesday, May 10 at 7 pm in McDonough Hall.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – The atriums of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd resumed in April, following the great feast of Easter. The presentations continued the celebration and the joy that Easter brings.
In Level 1 and Level 2 this joy was reflected in the presentation, The Empty Tomb. The women who went to the tomb of Jesus on Easter morning were bewildered and then euphoric when an angel told them that their beloved Teacher had been raised from the dead. The next presentation in Level 1 was on Baptism, introducing the concrete elements of the sacrament: the white garment, the paschal candle, the word, water and oils. The Gesture of Peace, during which we share Christ’s peace with others in the Eucharist, was the last presentation of the month.
Level 2 celebrated Easter with The Liturgy of Light, and a blessing of the paschal candle, the symbol of Christ’s resurrected light in our world. Each atrium has its own beautiful paschal candle. The last session in April was The Eucharistic Presence of the Good Shepherd. This presentation threads Jesus’ words in the parable of the Good Shepherd with the heart of our Mass, the Eucharistic celebration – a celebration for all people, of all times.
Level 3 also celebrated Easter with The Liturgy of Light. This was followed by The Story of Bread, in which the children meditated on the Bread of Heaven, the Body of Christ, which nourishes us, body and soul. The month ended with the contemplation of the sacrament of Baptism, and an examination of the complete order of the sacrament.
Atrium sessions end the first week of May. The last atrium session presentation for all levels will be a Synthesis of the Year. This is an opportunity for the children to identify and ponder with the group, a work or material that was especially meaningful to them this year.
The CGS year officially ends with an all-atrium Pentecost Celebration on Wednesday, May 10, at 4 pm in the St. Giles Church Courtyard (weather permitting). All atrium children, of all 3 levels, and their parents/caregivers, are invited. We will celebrate both the end of the year, and the birthday of the Church. This celebration is a fitting end to a year of grace with the children in the sacred spaces of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atriums.
