Nativity

Orphelia drew this picture at age five, saying,
"This is Jesus and this is his light. And this is Mary and she's very happy. And this is Joseph and the shepherd with his stick. And this is the angel."

The Annunciation

The Annunciation as retold by Hannah, age 5:
Mary lived in a house. She was poor.
One day, an angel came and said to Mary, "Hail Mary, the Lord is with you."
Mary thought, "Ohhhhh!"
"Mary, do not be afraid of me," said the angel. "You are pregnant."
Jesus was in Mary's tummy.

I think God was in Mary's heart.

A 6-9-Year-Old's Drawing of the Annunciation

Alexander, a six-year-old, said this upon entering Advent, the time of preparation for Christmas, "Advent...it's like we're birds preparing our nests."

This work of art is an example of a child's synthesis of several themes offered over a period of years in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It shows that she is not compartmentalizing the materials but allowing them to inform one another.

It is a synthesis of the historical Biblical passage of the nativity (central image), the liturgical sign of the Advent Wreath, the parable of the Good Shepherd, the Maxim to love one another, and a snippet from the creed "true God to true God (sic)" and a prayer of thanks. Our reflection here is to consider each part in relation to the others.

In the context of the Nativity what do we learn about how Jesus loved us, the season of Advent, the image of the Good Shepherd, the creed, and our thanksgiving? How is our prayer of thanks informed by how Jesus loved us, the Nativity, the Good Shepherd, Advent, or the Creed? This work of art is indeed a guide for a rich meditation.

"We're Eternal"

Aidan, 6, said during a reflection on the Wolf and Hireling, "The Good Shepherd's not afraid to stand in front of the wolf. He's eternal. And we're eternal, too. Not in this life; in a whole brand new life after this one."

Look! Jesus is everywhere here!

A catechist told the story of a 3-year-old's first day in the Atrium.
Rosanne practically danced outside of the Atrium, in the courtyard. It was finally her turn to come to the Atrium! She had been coming with her mother, watching her older brother Devin enter the atrium, for three years. Finally, she would hear her own name called! Rosanne was the first to offer to model a "quiet walk", to whisper her name using "quiet talking", and was very eager to name the items she saw on the prayer table. When I asked what she saw, she said, "I see Jesus, holding a lamb." How amazing to me that children intuitively know Jesus is our Good Shepherd. And as we walked through the environment, quietly taking in all that we could with just our eyes, she stopped before some artwork of the Good Shepherd, which hung on the walls near our Mass area. "Look! Jesus is everywhere here!" Another year is underway.