“Live as Children of the Light”    -  Year Program for children aged 7 to 8

THE THREE STAGES OF THE CATECHETICAL JOURNEY 

The journey follows the liturgical year. Since the Church’s feast-days do not always match the school calendar, the catechist will be careful to introduce the liturgical seasons when they begin. The sessions which deal with a major feast or liturgical season, are mentioned in the list below.

The sessions marked with a * on the downloads page are indispensable to the journey, while the others, according to the calendar and in case of absolute necessity, may be grouped together as suggested by the guidelines.

 

1 – Stage 1: welcoming the love of God

SESSIONS 1 TO 7: GOD’S REVELATION – MAN’S VOCATION

This first stage will draw from the wisdom literature of the bible: the book of Ben Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). (The book of Genesis will only be introduced with the 9-10 year olds. Only then can the children understand the meaning and function of symbolism). Using a few Scripture verses, the children will discover the first elements of revelation about God and man. The light shed on God will be the foundation of a biblical anthropology. This is the first encounter with Scripture, and the children will learn to draw from this new source. The catechists should not be surprised if they find omissions in the biblical text presented. Only one aspect of the text’s riches will be disclosed at a time for the children, and this one aspect will be further enlightened by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

During this first stage, catechists are invited to study the Scriptures together in order to become familiar with the pedagogy of God. They will discover the Scriptures in the light of the Holy Spirit, through the intelligence and the heart of the Church. We find present within the history of the Chosen People a true sense of God, of human life, of the human person’s relation to God, of sin and grace, of happiness and of the mystery of Salvation. All of these things show us a genuine pedagogy of God. This preparation for the Gospel Revelation is essential.

“Truly, to help a person to encounter God, which is the task of the catechist, means to emphasize above all the relationship that the person has with God so that he can make it his own and allow himself to be guided by God.” GDC 139

“Believing in God, the only One, and loving him with all our being has enormous consequences for our whole life. It means coming to know God’s greatness and majesty:(…) It means living in thanksgiving. (…) It means knowing the unity and true dignity of all men: everyone is made in the image and likeness of God. (…) It means making good use of created things. (…) It means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity.” CCC 222 to 227

Each year, thanks to the Word of God received in prayer and shared in the Church, children begin to discover:

• Who God is, and how much he loves them
• Who they are, and the wonder of each person created in the image of God, capable of a relationship with God and with others
• How they can have a “heart to heart” exchange with God in silent prayer
• How sin can destroy the relationship with God, but also how much more powerful than evil is the grace of God, and how it truly frees the person
• How radiant is the light of God, shining in the depth of every human being: the human conscience, which is the sure guide on the way to the happiness offered us by God.

Such theological anthropology (taking account of the life of faith, hope and love) takes root over many years. Learning how to live with God, Creator and Father, prepares the children to enter into the mystery of the Covenant between God and his People.

“The truth about creation is so important for all of human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to his People everything that is salutary to know on the subject.Beyond the natural knowledge that every man can have of the Creator, God progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation.(…) Thus the revelation of creation is inseparable from the revelation and forging of the covenant of the one God with his People.” CCC 287-288

SESSIONS 8 TO 11: THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD

We enter the history of salvation. The Children still find it difficult to place themselves in time, and so the emphasis will be most of all on the discovery of God made by our “ancestors in the faith” and on their personal responses. This approach draws out the children’s own story and places it within the history of salvation.

Children deepen their discovery of God. They discover how God acts in his justice and in his mercy. The experience of their elders in the faith helps their own faith to grow. These are witnesses to the One True and Living God, who assists them in their own journey towards Him. They encourage the children to respond ever more faithfully to God in faith, hope and love. They show the children how to draw strength and light through an inner listening of the Word in order to fulfil God’s plan of love for them.

The mystery of Salvation, which is being prepared at the heart of the history of the chosen people, is thus progressively disclosed to the children. The thirst for a Saviour awakens in their soul. Little by little, they seek to enter into an ever deeper and broader communion with Christ who alone can reveal to them the Love of the Father in its fullness.

 

2 – Stage 2: To live in communion with Jesus

This stage starts at the beginning of the Liturgical year.

We follow St Luke’s gospel, the gospel of the mercy of God. Luke the catechist will progressively lead the children into this great mystery. Our gaze will be fixed on Jesus “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). We will discover the mystery of the Resurrection with Mark. Luke’s account of the Resurrection, including the disciples of Emmaus, will be used the following year, oriented towards the Eucharist.

During this second stage, the catechists will use the pedagogy of Jesus. The Gospel is the source from which they are constantly invited to drink. Their purpose is to reach the depths of the love of Jesus, Son of God, to freely respond to his call and to walk in his footsteps.

“Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.”(…) What assiduous study of the word of God transmitted by the Church’s magisterium, what profound familiarity with Christ and with the Father, what a spirit of prayer, what detachment from self must a catechist have in order that he can say: “My teaching is not mine!” CT 6

Entering into the heart of Jesus, living the Gospel with Jesus, the Beloved Son of the Father:Such is the way to fulfilment, to life and to truth which becomes open to the children.

“Christ enables us to live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us.” CCC 521

“Catechesis operates through this identity of human experience between Jesus the Master and his disciple and teaches to think like him, to act like him, to love like him.  To live communion with Christ is to experience the new life of grace.”GDC 116

Each year, through his teaching and through his life revealed in the Gospel, Jesus, Master and Saviour, enlightens the hearts of the children. Little by little they will come to perceive:

• The infinite Love dwelling in his heart, as the beloved Son of the Father
• What is the human vocation
• How they are called to enter into communion with the Father: by letting the grace of Christ change their heart, by offering him an obedient response in faith, by entering into his prayer as Son.
• How the offering of self is a source of life for the whole Church.
• The centrality of mercy and forgiveness

SESSIONS 12 TO 16: ADVENT – CHRISTMAS – CHILDHOOD OF JESUS

 

The Children, along with the whole Church, desire the coming of the Saviour: “Come Child Jesus!” With Mary, Mother of Jesus, they learn to keep the Word of God in their hearts and to sing the wonders of his love.

 

 

 

SESSIONS 17 TO 21: ORDINARY TIME – PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS

 

The Children follow Jesus. It is He, Master and Saviour, who makes them able to live the Gospel and to experience the true joy of being a child of God.

 

 

SESSIONS 22 TO 27: LENT – EASTERTIDE – THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION

The Children participate with Jesus in the mystery of salvation. They receive his mercy. Sharing in the joy of the Church, they proclaim their faith in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

This experience of living with Jesus, which is a source of true and deep joy, awakens in the children a desire to deepen their communion with Him, and a thirst to receive his life given in the sacraments by sharing fully in the liturgical life of the Church. This experience awakens in them the desire to be like Jesus, and to live the Gospel more fully. Thus, with the whole Church, they ask Jesus and his Father to send them the Holy Spirit, who will “lead them to the complete truth” (Jn 16:13)

 

3 – Third Stage: to live as a child of the Church with the Holy Spirit

SESSIONS 28 TO 33: THE TIME OF THE CHURCH

We begin with the first chapters of the Acts of the Apostles as they describe the beginning of the Church’s life. The children will discover the work of the Spirit and the presence of the Risen Christ in his Church. They will progressively find their place in today’s Church.

During this third stage, catechists should be particularly attentive to the silent and discreet action of the Holy Spirit. This action is seen throughout the whole of the Church’s maternal pedagogy. From the Acts of the Apostles, through the history of the Church until now, catechists perceive the hidden work of the Holy Spirit. They are always aware that

“Neither catechesis nor evangelization is possible without the action of God working through his Spirit. (…) It is he who is “the interior teacher” of those who grow in the Lord.” GDC 288

“The Spirit is thus promised to the Church and to each Christian as a teacher within, who, in the secret of the conscience and the heart, makes one understand what one has heard but was not capable of grasping (…) Furthermore, the Spirit’s mission is also to transform the disciples into witnesses to Christ: “He will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses.” (…) it is the whole of one’s “being a Christian,” the whole of the Christian life, the new life of the children of God, that constitutes a life in accordance with the Spirit.” CT 72

Each year, the children will learn to know the Holy Spirit better and to live with Him. He is the Third Person who enlightens them, strengthens them and makes them able “to love as Jesus loves”, and so to become his witnesses. The Holy Spirit will reveal to them:

• His presence of Love, ever active in the depth of their hearts,
• The call to holiness which he is stirring in them,
• The treasure of the liturgical life and of the sacraments, which are sources of unity in the Church,
• The mission of charity which he entrusts to each one,
• The beauty of eternal life and of the Church’s family in heaven and on earth, and the joy of bearing witness to this beauty.

He, the Spirit of Love, draws them to live in tune with the beating heart of the Church.

Ascension

With Mary and the Church, the children call on the Holy Spirit, the Gift promised by Jesus: “Come, Holy Spirit! Love of the Father and the Son, come and live in us!”

Pentecost

The Holy Spirit pours out his Love. Through his gifts, he transforms and frees our hearts. The children remember the works of the Lord and praise the splendour of his loving plan.

Ordinary time after Pentecost

Through the gift of his grace, the Holy Spirit invites everyone to share in the life of God in their daily lives, to grow in holiness, to love as Jesus loves, and to love the Church. In the liturgy and through the sacraments, he gives us a share in his work of salvation. He calls each one of us to bear witness to the Gospel. The Spirit wants all people to enjoy the happiness of eternal Life. He awakens in the hearts of the children the desire to intercede with the whole Church in heaven and here on earth:

“Come Lord Jesus! Make us become true children of the Church, make us saints in our world!”

 

4 – Celebrations

These mark highpoints of the Catechetical Journey:

Beginning of the school year: welcoming celebration in the parish church

All Saints: Celebration with all the saints

Christmas: Celebration of the birth of Jesus

Easter: Celebration of the Passion and proclamation of the Resurrection

End of year: Celebration with Our Lady

 

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