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THE GOOD SHEPHERD
JESUS PROTECTS
The Church is, accordingly, a sheepfold, the sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ. It is also the flock of which God himself foretold that he would be the shepherd, and whose sheep, even though
governed by human shepherds, are unfailingly nourished and led by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and Prince of Shepherds, who gave his life for his sheep (CCC 754, from Lumen Gentium 6).
I will let them graze in safety in the mountain meadows and the valleys and in all the green pastures of the land of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that wander off,
bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick (Ezekiel 34:14-‐16 GNT). Goal of this Session: To connect how a shepherd would act as the gate of the sheep pen to protect their sheep from harm and how Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our gate to Heaven. Scriptural References in this Session:
• John 10:1-‐10; the shepherd at the gate Good Shepherd Trail Mileposts to Keep in Mind:
• Qualities of a good shepherd • Our shepherds • Psalm 23 • Home altar
Highs and Lows: An Examen, or examination of consciousness, is a prayerful method of “checking in” on how well we are living out our Christian faith on a daily basis. Developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola more than four hundred years ago, the Examen invites us to reflect on how God has been present in our day and how we have responded to that presence in our thoughts, feelings, and actions. With the help of the Holy Spirit, a daily examination can draw us ever closer to God. A simple way to prepare children for a lengthier, more involved Examen and get them in the habit of recognizing God’s presence in their lives is with Highs and Lows.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
At the beginning of every session, give each child a turn to share the high point(s) and the low point(s) of their week. It may be helpful to go first as an example, use a talking stick or a small toy or stuffed animal to make sure only one person is talking at a time, or do this activity in a circle where everyone is at the same level, including you, and you can see every child’s face. Opening Prayer: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised. Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me. You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim. I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live (Psalm 23 GNT).
A good shepherd loves their sheep and knows how to take care of them. They lay down at the gate to protect their sheep from thieves and wolves when they’re sleeping and lead them to green grass and fresh water when they’re awake. Jesus, we love you. You are our Good Shepherd and we thank you for watching out for us and leading us where we need to go. Amen. Fun Activity: Marshmallow, Donut Hole, and Pretzel Stick Sheep
Source: https://doodlekins.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-‐easiest-‐easter-‐lamb-‐youll-‐ever-‐make.html
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Shopping list Donut holes (1 per child, preferably powdered) Pretzel sticks (2 1/2 per child) Marshmallows (standard-‐sized, 1 1/2 per child) Pass out 1 1/2 marshmallows for the sheep’s head and ears. Roll the half of a marshmallow and attach it to the top of the standard-‐sized marshmallow (see photo above). You can draw a face or eyes at this step if you would like. Next, pass out a donut hole and 3 pretzel sticks to each child and instruct them to break 2 of those pretzel sticks into 4 half pieces. These will be the sheep’s legs. Push and twist the 4 half pieces, rough end in, into one side of the donut hole, which will be the sheep’s body. Break the remaining pretzel stick in half. Insert the rough end into the sheep’s head and the smooth end into the sheep’s body. You can eat the other half. Everyone in your class should now have a finished sheep! Keep these for today’s teaching. Teaching:
• Make a rectangle or square with a small opening out of pretzel sticks, popsicle sticks, or
pens and pencils. This will be your sheep pen or sheepfold (it has two names, fancy). • Gather all the donut hole sheep in the sheep pen. You may want to put a Post-‐It note,
index card, or napkin with the child’s name under the sheep so you don’t get the sheep confused for each other.
• Using your pointer finger and middle finger, make a little walking man on your palm. This is the shepherd of your flock. What should we name him/her?
• It’s nighttime and our shepherd is trying to get all of our sheep to go to sleep, but the sheep are scared that a wolf is going to come eat them or a thief is going to steal them in the middle of the night. Oh no! What are some ways a shepherd protects their sheep? What can our shepherd do to make the sheep feel safe?
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
• The shepherd is going to sleep right here. (Make your little walking man lay down at the
opening of the sheep pen.) Our shepherd is going to be the gate. He/she is going to guard the sheep pen all night, so that the sheep don’t sleepwalk or wander away from the flock, where they’re not safe and could hurt themselves, and so that bad guys like thieves or wolves don’t sneak in. Now the sheep can go to sleep and not have to worry about anything, and in the morning the shepherd will wake them up and lead them out of the sheep pen to the pasture to run and eat and drink and play in the fields.
• Read John 10:1-‐10. What is the only way in and out of the sheep pen? (The gate) Who would not use the gate? (Thieves and robbers) Who acts as the gate for the sheep? (The shepherd, Jesus also says that he is the gate in verse 7) What could this mean?
• Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd, he is our gate and our only way to Heaven! • Watch this 5-‐minute video and let your kids eat their marshmallow, donut hole, and
pretzel stick sheep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oemNkZo750o • What are 3 things you remember from the video? What stood out to you? • Re-‐read John 10:7-‐10. Emphasize “I have come in order that you might have life – life in its
all fullness.” Because the sheep feel safe and protected, they are able to live life freely and fully. What are 2 ways we can live life more fully because Jesus protects us?
Hands-‐On Activity: Memory Verse with Hand Motions Do this very slowly as a repeat-‐after-‐me activity. Repeat several times, then stop and see if anyone can do the hand motions on their own while you help them say the words.
• The Lord is my shepherd – point up with right hand • I have everything I need – gesture arms outwards in a big circle in front of you • He lets me rest in fields of green grass – put your hands together and pretend to sleep • And leads me to quiet pools of fresh water – make waves with right hand • He gives me new strength – flex both muscles • He guides me in the right paths – walk in place • As he has promised – put right hand up in a pinky promise • Even if I go through the deepest darkness – cover eyes with right hand • I will not be afraid, Lord – shake head no • For you are with me – use both hands to point up (at “you”), then to yourself (at “me”) • Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me – pretend to hold a staff with your right hand • You prepare a banquet for me – pretend to hold a plate or bowl with your left hand and to
eat food with your right hand • Where all my enemies can see me – use both hands to make binoculars over your eyes • You welcome me as an honored guest – hands on hips superhero pose • And fill my cup to the brim – cup both hands together in front of you
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
• I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life – use both hands to make a
heart shape in front of you, then use your right pointer finger to tap your left wrist twice • And your house will be my home as long as I live – make a roof over your head • Psalm 23 – hold up 2 fingers with your right hand, then 3 fingers
Break Game: Sheep Tag Sheep Tag is a variation of your classic game of tag, so you will need a decent amount of space to run and play. Once you find and designate a good playing area, ask if anyone wants to be “it.” This person will be the wolf, and everyone else will be sheep. The wolf stays in one place and can stretch out their arms and legs to tag the sheep. The wolf can also call out “Sheep crossing” and the sheep must cross from one end of the playing area to the other. The objective for the wolf is to tag all of the sheep. When a sheep is tagged by the wolf, they lay down on their back with their legs and arms in the air and call out “baa.” Noise should be kept to the sheep on the ground only. You may want to play more than one round. As a catechist, you can take on the role of shepherd after the first round, which means you can protect one sheep at a time from being tagged or gently roll one sheep at a time back on their feet so they can rejoin the game. Tying it Together
• We made sheep out of marshmallows and donut holes today, and we learned that a good shepherd loves their sheep and would lay down at the gate of the sheep pen to protect their sheep from bad guys, like thieves and wolves, as they slept. They would actually become the gate and block the only way in or out, kind of like a security guard for the sheep! This way they could see where all the sheep were and were able to keep them all safe. John 10:1-‐2 says that “the man who goes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep” and anyone “who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” The sheep knew that their shepherd was the only way to get where they needed to go and they wouldn’t leave with thieves.
• Then in John 10:7-‐10, Jesus says that he is the gate for the sheep and that “those who come in by me will be saved.” Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our gate to Heaven, and he came so that we would have a full life. Jesus protects us and that makes us free!
• We don’t have to be scared or worried, because even when we go through the deepest darkness, God is with us and his shepherd’s rod and staff protect us (Psalm 23).
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Prayer & Petitions: Faith is a living friendship with God that, like any other friendship, requires both talking and listening to remain healthy. Another word for this communication with God is prayer. As you invite the children to enter into prayer, remember that you are both a model and a participant. At the end of every session, open with spontaneous prayer (if you are unused to this practice, begin with the Sign of the Cross and a simple “Thank you, God, for...”), then give children a turn to share who or what they would like to pray for. You may get prayer intentions that sound silly to you; do not laugh. Remain prayerful. Speak slowly, deliberately, and reverently. If possible, move the children to a special prayer space in the room during this time. In this space, place two or more of the following: a Bible, a small bowl of holy water, a crucifix, a religious image or statue, a Rosary, prayer cards, saint medals, a plant or flower, or a candle. Try to mention this week’s theme, Jesus Protects, when you pray out loud!
Most of you catechists in the Faith Journeys program are working with 3rd-‐5th graders. Here are some things to keep in mind when teaching 8 to 11-‐year-‐olds:
• They want to be busy doing productive things. They enjoy projects. They learn best by touching and doing and seeing visual aids. Plan your lessons to include lots of activities.
• They like to show their skills and abilities and want to feel like a valued member of the group. Delegate tasks to them when possible. Trust them to get the job done.
• They are becoming spiritually sensitive and are beginning to see their need for God. Plan your content to address this need.
• They want to see how God is real and how he relates to everyday life. They want to hear how God is working in others’ lives, and share what he’s doing in their own too.
• They easily feel inferior if they are put down or if they feel incapable. Use encouraging words as you coach them. Choose classroom activities that are age-‐appropriate.
• They are able to sit still longer but are still inclined to wiggle. Trust that they are listening even if they are not sitting still.
• They memorize more easily. Age 9 is often called the Golden Age of Memory. These are the perfect years to ramp up the memory work.