The Good Shepherd and the Child

"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7    “The child’s development follows a path of successive stages of independence and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behavior towards him. We have to help the child to act, will, and think for himself. This is the art of serving the spirit. An art which can be practiced to perfect...

“Let the children come to me and hinder them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God” Matthew 19:14    "A creature can be led astray by something that is in itself quite small. It is something that creeps in unnoticed under the guise of love and assistance but which is actually due to blindness of an adult whose unconscious egoism can have a truly diabolical influence upon a child. And yet children...

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    "Every useless help is an obstacle to the child's development." Maria Montessori    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Podcasts by Series   Level One Book Study   Level Two Book Study     Cecilia joins us on the podcast again to help us explore how to foster Independence in th...

“For you are a people sacred to the Lord, your God, who has chosen you from al the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.” Deuteronomy 14:2      Characteristic #31 “Every atrium avails itself of the help of a priest who is attentive to the children, particularly to their religious capacities, celebrates Eucharist and sacrament of reconciliation with them, and works in...

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-5    "Every useless help is an obstacle to the child's development." Maria Montessori    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Pilar joins us back on the podcast to explore way that adults unintentionally can become obstacles in a child’s development, what this does...

“A tranquil mind gives life to the body” Proverbs 14:30a NAB    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Sister Maria Teresita and Claire Paglia join us back on the podcast to continue to explore tools to help us in the atrium and in our lives establish freedom and discipline.  We explore the Montessori concept of Normalization so that we can be further equip to have true freedom and responsib...

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ” John 21:15    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Mary Mirrione joins us on the podcast to ponder the scripture from John 21 with Peter and Jesus. We sit with this scripture in light of t...

"I can do anything through Him that strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Cathy Johanni joins us back on the podcast to share her experience, wisdom and strategies about what you can try when you feel like you are failing.  Cathy Johanni lives in Columbus, Ohio where she has enjoyed accompanying children on their spiritual journeys for more than two deca...

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Fr Joseph shares with us about how he got involved in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and a few of the parallels he sees between CGS and Ignatian Spirituality.  Fr. Joseph Hill, SJ was born in Phoenix, AZ, raised in a Catholic family with his three brothers. At nine years o...

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Jo joins us on the podcast to ponder Lent as gift which is a different way of looking at Lent for most of us.  Through the lens of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd she helps us look at Lent with new eyes.   J...

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Mary Heinrich joins us on the podcast to discuss how we live into the Lent season in the atrium and how that can be extended into the spiritual life of the domestic church in the home.  Mary Heinrich is the Memb...

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Today we continue season 5 of the podcast with our series on Freedom and Responsibility.  Pilar and Anna help us dive into what freedom and responsibility look like for the second plane child, the 6 to 12 year old and how our wo...

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Today we continue season 5 of the podcast with our series on Freedom and Responsibility.  Cecilia and Claire help us dive into what freedom and responsibility look like for the first plane child, the 0-6 year old.   Cecilia Drabbant holds an...

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Today we begin SEASON FIVE of the podcast!  We are excited to kick off season five with a series on Freedom and Responsibility with Sister Maria Terestia Rodkey talking to us about what this means and how we as adults can live into it better...

"Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,  for the LORD speaks:  Sons have I raised and reared,  but they have rebelled against me.  An ox knows its owner,  and an ass,* its master’s manger;  But Israel does not know,  my people has not understood.” Isaiah 1:2-3      Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     "The events of Christ’s infancy appear rather difficult due t...

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Advent for Families   Episode 104- Incarnation and Annunciation   History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: From Creation to Parousia     Mindy and Claudia help us live into the seasons of Advent and Christmas by explorin...

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Advent for Families     Mindy and Claudia help us live into the seasons of Advent and Christmas by exploring what Sofia Cavalletti taught us about Sacred History, most especially Incarnation.     Mindy Longwell has be...

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE     Gertrud Mueller Nelson joins us on the podcast to lift up many possibilities for families on how to live into the season of Advent in your homes, your domestic churches. ...

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE     Mary Heinrich joins us on the podcast to discuss how we live into the Advent season in the atrium and how that can be extended into the spiritual life of the domestic chu...

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" Romans 12:10    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE     Ann Garrido tells us all about her book Redeeming Administration and how it shows us how administration tasks, that is a part of all ministry work, can have spiritual virtues that help shape...

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" Romans 12:10    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE     Jennifer Bell dives into the work of the Thinking Environment that has been thought provoking for our work in CGS with adults and even in some cases with children.     Jennifer Bell is an Int...

“For you are a people sacred to the Lord, your God, who has chosen you from al the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.” Deuteronomy 14:2     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE     Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE   Fr Kevin Douglas is a diocesan priest in Scotland who is formed in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. He s...

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life”     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    CGSUSA Parent Pages   Today we have Anna Hurdle and Cathy Johanni on the podcast to continue this exploration of the second plane child as we begin this ne...

" But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect " 1 Peter 3:15     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Anna Hurdle and Lynne Worthington come back on the podcast to continue helping us prepare to welcome the level two and three child to the beg...

"Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with foes at the gate." Psalm 127: 3-5    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE !    Last year, we started the atrium year with an episode on Welcoming the Chil...