♬"We wait in joy,
we wait in joy,
we wait in joy,
like flowers wait the sun.
We wait in joy,
we wait in joy,
we wait in joy and the Spirit,
O Lord, your kingdom come!"♬
We are learning at long last what it means to be people of faith who wait in hope. As we wait for our bishops, politicians, and public health officials to let us know the guidelines for gatherings in our dioceses, we wonder what we will be able to offer to the children and how we can connect with families.
The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has a wealth of Resources for both families and catechists. Some catechists have found that to direct families to the Parent Pages can be simply overwhelming for them. If atrium gatherings do not resume in your area, it may be more helpful to pick out one or two Parent Pages to send to families, and have an optional follow-up Zoom meeting. Many parents feel inadequate to share the faith with their children because they know they do not have all the answers. They need to be empowered by the knowledge that answers are not required; the True Teacher is the Holy Spirit. We can give parents the liberation of those blessed words, "I wonder..." We can encourage families to pray together, and reassure them that although the reality of praying together may not always look pretty, it is good.
Since the guidelines for gathering may fluctuate throughout the year and will not look the same in every region of the country, CGSUSA is providing catechists with "Monthly Resources." If we consider the catechist as a coach who encourages his/her team of families (“that was a good play!”; “keep it up!”; “well done!”), these Monthly Resources are like a coach's playbook from which to choose how to proceed with catechesis. Each month there will be suggestions and guidelines including: a Celebration for Families; new Parent Pages; Catechist Notes, prayer/reflections/extensions for children of each level, etc. Mary Mirrione, National Director of CGSUSA, advises that they are currently working on the content. Resources currently on the website will remain but may be rearranged as they go forward. It is possible that the new Monthly Resources may require a CGSUSA membership ($50 American).
If you have not had a chance yet to listen to CGSUSA's Good Shepherd and the Child podcast, you can check it out here. It does not require a membership and is good listening for both catechists and parents.
In the coming months living a "shared a religious experience" will look different than it has in the past. Atriums may remain closed with materials waiting on shelves. We may pine a little for the time when children once again have their hands on the materials. It is good, though, for all of us, parents and catechists, to remember that the material is not the essential—the essential is the Word of God who remains with us as we wait.
Praise from all Creatures, Laughers and List-makers
Praise be to you, O Lord,
who spins shining stars across the wondrous heavens
and stretches out the seas,
who lifts the dawn into place
and sets boundaries for night,
who awes the earth with storms
and gentles it with green,
who gives everything a season
and breathes life and love into the dust of me
Praise be to you.
Praise in all things,
for all things:
the soft slant of sunlight,
the sweat of battle,
a song in the wilderness,
the evening breeze,
the deep breath,
the tended wound,
mercy, quietness, a friend;
for the miracles of the daily,
the mysteries of the eternal.
Praise be to you.
Praise from all creatures,
laughers and list-makers,
wonders and worriers,
poets and plodders and prophets,
the wrinkled, the newborn,
the whale and the worm,
from all,
and from me.
Praise,
praise be to you
for amazing grace.
Ted Loder
from Guerrillas of Grace