Thank you for the treasure

Danielle, 5, and another child were receiving the presentation on the Parable of the Hidden Treasure. Following the reading and meditation questions, I invited the girls to pray. Charlotte's prayer was, " Thank you God for the treasure you buried . . . (pause) . . . when Jesus died."

Kelly, 5, made a booklet during the atrium session based on the Hidden Treasure. Each page was illustrated with a person at the bottom except the page on which he wrote, "He sold all he had and then joy came to him." This page had a happy sheep drawn on the bottom.

My treasure is God

After presenting the Hidden Treasure to a small group of children I asked them what would be their treasure? They told me jewels, gold, bracelets, and rings. One child, Javier, rose up and walked a little distance then turned and told me, "Don't you know what my treasure is? It's in the clouds." I asked him what could that be. He answered, "Don't you know that my treasure is God?"

Reflecting on the Hidden Treasure, I asked, "What is treasure?" Children mentioned favorite toys or stuffed animals. Alexa, age 7, responded, "God's love."

Reflecting on the Hidden Treasure, I asked, “What is treasure?” Children mentioned favorite toys or stuffed animals. Kyle, age 6, explained that treasure is something to share with everyone else.

God was just trying to get his attention

A catechist presented the Kingdom Parable of the Hidden treasure to a group of five 5-year-olds.

During the meditation on the parable, and the discussion following the solemn reading, Lillian raised her hand to be called on. Then, slowly and thoughtfully, with her eyes looking upward, she said, "I was thinking about that treasure. Maybe God sent angels to bury that treasure in the field. But the treasure's not the thing--the field is the thing. And when the man saw the treasure, he knew how valuable the whole kingdom would be. God was just trying to get his attention with the treasure."

After the presentation on the Kingdom of God and the Hidden Treasure, I wondered what the treasure could be. Harrison, age 4, responded, “Pearls.”

What could the treasure be?

The catechist was giving a lesson centered on Jesus' parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a treasure hidden in a field (Mt. 13:44)." Noting that Jesus didn't say what was in that treasure, the catechist posed the question: "I wonder what the treasure could be?" The group of 3-6 year-old children answered in turn: "Gold...A bright shining light...the Word...Yep, the book the Shepherd wrote...The Lord...I know it's Jesus...the Cross...A mustard seed...God's hat!"

A Hidden Treasure

(Ed. Note: So much of the child's understanding of God remains unspoken. Big revelations may come to them, but the outward signs of these new understandings might be small. We have to remain attentive and observant to get a glimpse of what the child might be contemplating about who God is.

Below is a story from our database about one small sign a catechist found in her atrium, which points to a lovely synthesis a child created. The materials described here are small so a child can use them to meditate on the Biblical passages they represent. In this case, a child took part of the material from one text and integrated it into another - enriching our understanding of both.)

When a catechist in a 6-9 atrium came into the atrium on Monday morning, she found that a child has left out the Last Supper material.

When she took a closer look, she saw that the child had gathered the disciples around the table, and placed on the table a "treasure box" (a material we sometimes use when presenting the parable of the Hidden Treasure). When she opened the box, the catechist discovered the child had placed the tiny paten and bread inside.

Trying to get his attention

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to present the Kingdom Parable of the Hidden treasure to a group of five 5-year-olds.

During the meditation on the parable, and the discussion following the solemn reading, Lydia raised her hand to be called on. Then, slowly and thoughtfully, with her eyes looking upward, she said, "I was thinking about that treasure. Maybe God sent angels to bury that treasure in the field. But the treasure's not the thing--the field is the thing. And when the man saw the treasure, he knew how valuable the whole kingdom would be. God was just trying to get his attention with the treasure."

A Hidden Treasure

(Ed. Note: So much of the child's understanding of God remains unspoken. Big revelations may come to them, but the outward signs of these new understandings might be small. We have to remain attentive and observant to get a glimpse of what the child might be contemplating about who God is.

Below is a story from our database about one small sign a catechist found in her atrium, which points to a lovely synthesis a child created. The materials described here are small so a child can use them to meditate on the Biblical passages they represent. In this case, a child took part of the material from one text and integrated it into another - enriching our understanding of both.)

When a catechist in a 6-9 atrium came into the atrium on Monday morning, she found that a child has left out the Last Supper material.

When she took a closer look, she saw that the child had gathered the disciples around the table, and placed on the table a "treasure box" (a material we sometimes use when presenting the parable of the Hidden Treasure). When she opened the box, the catechist discovered the child had placed the tiny paten and bread inside.