Itty bitty fishies in Her Hands

Nate, 3, wanted to pray for his sister's fish who died. The catechist said some words at the altar with him. Then Nate wanted to do work at the Prayer Table and pray for the fish. They set the Prayer Table and Nate was invited to pray. He burst out in song, "She's got the itty bitty fishies in Her hand."

He never died again

After the presentation of Jerusalem, a group of 5-year-olds were invited to sing. At first the children chose a song, but then they decided to write one. These are their lyrics:
Jesus is great.
Jesus died.
He rose from the dead.
He came back alive.
He's the only one who came back alive.
He never died again.

Heaven grows inside of us

When doing The Leaven and a clay extension work for meditation Darla, age 6, commented, "When we want to go to Parousia, the leaven will take us." She also connected that heaven grows inside of us like the flour and the yeast. And she said, "And heaven has someone new - my Uncle." She said it with a feeling of relief.

During a review of Good Shepherd presentation at the beginning of the new school year:
Q: "What do you already know about the Good Shepherd?"
Kate, age 6: A long time before Jesus was on the earth, the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. God and Moses did plagues on Pharoah and the Egyptians, and the worst one was the Death Angel. The Death Angel flew over the houses that had the blood of the lamb on the doorpost, but all the first born sons of the Egyptians died. Even Pharoah's own son. But when Jesus came to earth and lived out love, and died on the cross and rose up on Easter, the Death Angel lost his power forever."

No one can kill God

Fatima, age 6, was receiving the presentation on the City of Jerusalem. When her catechist moved the stone away from the entrance of the tomb and said, “He is risen,“ Fatima explained, “ ’Cause no one can kill God.”

God put a Band-Aid on Him?

The following story and theological reflection is taken from Catherine Maresca's book, DoubleClose: The Young Child's Knowledge of God.

Henry, age four, was working at the model altar with Rob, his catechist. When he lit the candles Rob announced, "Christ has died. Christ is risen." Henry's next remark focused on the death of Jesus. So Rob said again, "He rose from the dead." Henry was quiet and then asked, "God put a Band-aid on him?"

Theological Reflection
For the young child, a Band-aid is a sign of healing and comfort. Children with a small hurt of any kind often ask for a Band-aid, and then return happily to their activities, confident that their injury is now in good hands. With a more significant cut, children have begun to witness with wonder that under a Band-aid a cut becomes new skin in a few days.
Here Henry applies this amazing phenomenon to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Death, the ultimate injury, is transformed into the ultimate healing: new, risen life. This power of God's to transform death into life, sickness into health, sadness into joy, is present every day of our lives, not only at the time of our death. God's "Band-aid" can bless each life. Every injury can be brought to God for comfort, for healing and even for transformation into something new when confidently left in God's good hands. Where do you need God's "Band-aid?"

I Would Lay Down My Life for the Sheep

Katherine drew a picture of Jesus in a casket. The right thought bubble contains sheep. The second thought bubble says, "I love them."

“Jesus asked them to be nice and they put him on the cross.”

Caleb, age 4, was working with the Last Supper material in the atrium. He asked, “Why was Jesus on the cross?” I wondered why with him. Caleb replied, “Jesus asked them to be nice and they put him on the cross.”

Another day in the atrium, Caleb had traced the chasubles (vestment in one of five colors that reflect the season of the church year) and explained to me that the meditation time had been “nice”. He explained, “I talked to Jesus. He died.” I asked Caleb what happened after Jesus died, and he replied, “He rose!”

Caleb and Henry, both age 4, and Naomi, age 3, were discussing with me the sheep wool placed under the Peace Bowl in our Atrium. I asked what the wool reminded them about God. Naomi said it reminds us to be quiet so we can listen to God. Henry said it reminds us that the Good Shepherd watches the sheep and that Jesus died and that the sheep reminds us that we are good boys and girls. Caleb said that is reminds us that Jesus died, rose again, and will come back to earth.

A few months after my mother's death my daughter Felice, who was not quite three at the time, asked, "Mommy, where is Nonnnie?" I replied, "Where do you think she is?" We had often discussed Nonnie's presence now in heaven with Jesus. Felice most profoundly responded, "She is in heaven." She paused slightly then continued, "That means she is in the body of Christ, the Bread of heaven." There was another brief pause then she proclaimed, "And so am I."

"Oh, Lord, Shout for Joy!"

After presenting the Mustard Seed to 3 and 4 year old children, Betsy sang with them "Oh, Lord, Shout for Joy." The children added verses including, Early in the morning..., late in the afternoon..., When you wake up..., and finally a three year old sang, When you die...When you live...

Wow -- birth and death -- all at once in the same place

Walter, age seven, has been in the atrium for three years. When he received the City of Jerusalem presentation, we lit a small candle next to the empty tomb to symbolize the resurrection. Walter then went to do the baptism work for the umpteenth time. He was about halfway through lighting the small candles from the large paschal candle, when he paused, looked at the paschal candle and the smaller candles, and said, "Wow -- birth and death -- all at once in the same place."

I'm not afraid

Edward, age 4 has leukemia.
At the beginning of the Women at the Tomb presentation he said, "I'm dying."
Later while working a catechist said that the women were afraid. He leaned over and said, "I'm not afraid."

But Jesus didn't stay dead

Delia, age 3, was fascinated with the Last Supper (Cenacle) presentation and asked for it on perhaps six successive weeks. When it was presented to her each time, the figures of Jesus and the twelve were taken one by one from their box as they were brought into the upper room and put around the table. Delia, however, when working alone with the material, always carefully lined the figures up behind Jesus and moved them in and out of the room in this way. I finally realized that she was connecting them with the Good Shepherd story and have since watched her move the figures both in the Good Shepherd parable and Cenacle the same way. She had discovered a great theological truth.

One Sunday after several weeks of this, she was listening to the Eucharistic prayer in church. She asked, "Where is Jesus?" I wondered how best to respond. Last fall our beloved dog died. Delia has been trying to understand death.

Leaving church one Sunday during the weeks she was so involved with the Last Supper story, we passed a large crucifix, with the feet of a life-sized Jesus at her eye level. She approached it and felt the nails, carefully tracing each piece. "Are these real?" she asked. I replied that they were part of the statue, a picture of the real nails. Delia caressed the feet, kissed them, and paused for some time.

Then her mood brightened, she said, "But Jesus didn't stay dead." I asked her what happened. "He got up," she said, and skipped off for cookies and milk at coffee hour.

The Nails Do Not Hold Him

A simple cross was drawn with nails in it, but no Jesus. I asked where Jesus was and seven-year-old Kurt replied, "The Nails did not hold Him," followed by silence.

When we're born, it's like caterpillars

After watching everything being brought to the altar, we were sitting, enjoying the beauty of the prepared altar. The candles were lit and shining. Suddenly Blake, age six, said quietly, "When we're born, it's like caterpillars. While we live, we're building a cocoon. And when we die, we break out of the cocoon and FLY."

Jesus Died. Jesus Rose!

In our school community, which has the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd integrated into the classrooms, the children come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Once a year we gather in a nearby church for a special liturgy.

As we settled into our pews, one four-year-old boy pointed up to the crucified Jesus on the cross above the altar. He leaned over to a five-year-old boy and whispered, "Hey look! Jesus died!"

The second boy whispered back, "Yea. But He Rose."

God put a Band-Aid on Him?

The following is an excerpt from Catherine Maresca's book, DoubleClose: The Young Child's Knowledge of God. In Catherine's book, Part One explores the characteristics of young children, their potential for a rich relationship with God, and how young children know God and communicate that knowledge to observant adults. Part Two features responses of young children to the Bible or the liturgy, followed by a reflection that nurtures the reader's own relationship with God. This posting is from Part Two of the book. All names of children were changed, unless they are Catherine's own children.

We invite you to add your own reflections to this child's response, using the comments space below this post.
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Henry, age four, was working at the model altar with Rob, his catechist. When he lit the candles Rob announced, "Christ has died. Christ is risen." Henry's next remark focused on the death of Jesus. So Rob said again, "He rose from the dead." Henry was quiet and then asked, "God put a Band-aid on him?"

Theological Reflection
For the young child, a Band-aid is a sign of healing and comfort. Children with a small hurt of any kind often ask for a Band-aid, and then return happily to their activities, confident that their injury is now in good hands. With a more significant cut, children have begun to witness with wonder that under a Band-aid a cut becomes new skin in a few days.
Here Henry applies this amazing phenonmenon to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Death, the ultimate injury, is transformed into the ultimate healing: new, risen life. This power of God's to transform death into life, sickness into health, sadness into joy, is present every day of our lives, not only at the time of our death. God's "Band-aid" can bless each lif. Every injury can be brought to God for comfort, for healing and even for transformation into something new when confidently left in God's good hands. Where do you need God's "Band-aid?"