SUBJECT: Good Shepherd
TITLE:
The Good Shepherd
AGE:
3+
SOURCES:
- John 10: 3b-5, 10b-11, 14-16
- The Religious Potential of the Child, Ch. 3
- Ezekiel 34
- The Good Shepherd and the Child, p. 40-53
- Materials Manual, p. 107-113
LITURGICAL TIME: Lent or as soon as the children have reached a place of inner stillness to be able to truly listen and
receive the message
- 3’s: Lent of 1st year
in atrium (You move from the short prophesies to the Advent narratives and the parables, stretching the amount of time that
the children sit and listen to a presentation.)
- New 4’s: hopefully before Advent
- Present to three or four children. It
is possible with six children, but it is recommended that you keep the group smaller.
DOCTRINAL CONTENT:
- Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
- Jesus loves each one of us.
- Jesus knows us very deeply.
- Jesus will always care for us/protect us.
- Jesus lays down his life for us.
- The sheep belong to the Good Shepherd, recognize his voice, and follow him.
- One day all will be united in the same sheepfold.
- The love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the source, model and reason
for the Good Shepherd’s love for us.
DIRECT AIM:
- To introduce Jesus as the Good Shepherd and to assist in fostering a relationship
of love with the Good Shepherd.
INDIRECT AIMS:
- To prepare for the announcement of the paschal mystery.
- To prepare for future Good Shepherd presentations.
- To increase a sense of belonging and being called—a model for Christian community.
- To offer an image of the Parousia.
- To offer the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and we as sheep.
- To foster a deeper understanding of Eucharist as Jesus’ meal.
- To offer a bridge or link between the historical Jesus and the liturgical Jesus.
MATERIALS:
- Sheepfold painted green with a fence that can be opened and closed. Fence can be made from stone, which would be culturally/historically accurate, but you still need a gate
that can be opened and closed.
- Shepherd
- 10 sheep: all figures are flat/2-dimensional since this is a parable
- Candle, matches, snuffer and tray for spent matches
- A dedicated table in the relative center of the room.
It can be low and the children sit on the floor or it can be a higher table at which the children use chairs.
- Blue scripture booklet. (You will also
need a space for the Found Sheep scripture booklet.)
- A box lined with green felt or a basket for the sheep and shepherd. The box at the St. Patrick-St. Anthony atrium has a clasp. It
could also be a lined drawer in which you keep the material.
- Tracing packet in a blue folder.
PRESENTATION TO THE CHILDREN:
Introduction
We’ve
been coming to the atrium for a long time. In so many of the things we’ve
seen and done, we’ve come to know Jesus and to learn about him, and to love him.
And yet, there is still so much to know.
When
Jesus walked on earth, people wanted to be near him. They followed him. They were very attracted by what he said. They
wondered to themselves, “Who is he?” because Jesus looked like everybody
else, but he spoke in such a special way. People were very curious about him.
Once,
when Jesus wanted to tell them who he was, he began by saying “I am the Good Shepherd.”
We can
think about the job of a shepherd.
A shepherd
takes care of sheep, making sure that they have everything they need--food, water. A
shepherd keeps the sheep safe.
The Good
Shepherd knows all his sheep by their names. Even though he has many, many sheep,
he still knows each one by its name.
The sheep
begin to recognize his voice and to listen to him. A bond is created between
the shepherd who knows them by their name and the sheep who listen to his voice. He
guides them to good pastures. He walks ahead of them, to protect and defend them
if there is any danger. They follow him because they know his voice.
Jesus
said I am the good shepherd. We can listen to his words from the Bible and see
what else he said.
Solemn Reading of the Scripture:
Light
the candle.
“The
Good Shepherd” John 10:3-5, 11-16
The Good
Shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When
he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
But they
will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.
I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
I am
the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
I am
the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and
I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have
other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also.
They
too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (meditative
pause)
Meditation:
So what
do we hear? What are some of the things we heard about?
Discuss with the children and respond to their responses.
This response is often just a repeating of the words the children give.
A long
time ago there would be one sheepfold where the sheep would stay to be safe. In
the morning, the shepherd would come and call the sheep and they would follow him.
Jesus
said that they knew his voice and would follow him.
Jesus
said that sheep know him and he know them. Just as the father knows Jesus and
Jesus know the Father.
How much
does Jesus love his sheep?
They
are so protected and cared for!
Alternate longer reflection if children are able to sit longer from The Good Shepherd
and the Child): (MaryLynne suggests from experience, to save this till after the reading with
the materials – you don’t want to lose the children before they get to see the reading with the materials –
or you could use one of these ideas now and more later)
The Good
Shepherd knows every one of his sheep by name. Gradually the sheep come to recognize
his voice, and they listen to it.
The Good
Shepherd leads his sheep out of the sheepfold and he guides them. He walks ahead
of his sheep to defend them from every danger.
The Good
Shepherd’s love for his sheep is so great that it is like the love that binds together the Father and the Son (in the
secret life of the Trinity, verses 14-15).
The Good
Shepherd gives himself to his sheep in many ways (this does not related only to the moment of death but also to the continuous
self-giving of the shepherd’s love). He care for, protects, and defend
the flock that belongs to him.
The Good
Shepherd’s voice is so powerful that it will reach all the sheep, even those that are not yet a part of his flock, until
at last there will be only one flock and one shepherd.
Scripture Reading with Materials:
(Gesture
to the sheepfold.) We can think of this as our sheepfold. It has a gate that opens and closes. (Take out the box/basket
that holds the figures.)
This
is the Good Shepherd. (Place the Good Shepherd in the sheepfold.)
And the
sheep. (Place sheep in the sheepfold one at a time.)
Let’s
listen to this again. (Read the scripture.)
“…calls
his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Move the shepherd in front
of the gate, propping it open. Move the sheep out of the sheepfold, one at a
time.)
“When
he has brought out...know his voice.” (Move to the other side of the table. Have the sheep follow the shepherd, one at a time.)
“But
they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice...one
shepherd.” (Move the shepherd to hold the gate open. Move the sheep through the gate, one at a time. Move the shepherd
inside the gate. Close the gate.)
How much
these sheep are cared for! The good shepherd knows each of them by name and he
loves them.
I wonder
who these sheep are….
They
must be so precious to the shepherd….
He gives
his own life for them…
He knows
each by its name….
Later when the children are working with the materials you can reflect on this further from
The Good Shepherd and the Child:
Do you
think these are the same type of sheep as we see in the fields….?
Do you
think so…?
I am
not so sure….
They
are so precious to the shepherd…
Maybe
they are something or someone more important….?
If the children proclaim that they are the sheep, you can further guide their reflections to help
it go deeper into their heart and personalize the parable’s message from The Good Shepherd and the Child:
So you
think that we are the sheep…?
We are
so many, yet he know each of us by our name…?
Then
we are so loved….?
We are
cared for in that way….!
Welcoming and Inviting a Response:
There’s a song we can sing. Sing the refrain
from “Like a Shepherd”
“Like
a Shepherd” by Bob Dufford
Like
a shepherd he feeds his flock and gathers the lambs in his arms,
holding
them carefully close to his heart,
leading
them home.
Restoration of the Material:
(Extinguish
the candle.) This is your work now. You
can use it anytime you want.
(Bring
out the box/basket for the figures. Invite the children to help return the materials
to the box.)
CHILDREN’S WORK WITH THE MATERIAL:
- Working with the materials.
- Using the tracing packet.
- Original art.
- Copying the scripture (older children).
- Hearing the scripture (younger children).
RESPONSE OF THE CHILDREN:
