The Good Shepherd and the Child
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” -Psalm 111:2
“…the attitude and posture needed by the adult in our work should rather be one of humble observer. In the child, there exists a hidden, but profoundly religious nature, which the child desires to live out. For a child to reveal this true nature the adult needs to be prepared for the task of helping this revelation to occur. We need to recognize that our primary call is to be a humble and attentive observer of life.” (“The Religious Experience with the Child Three to Six,” Journals of the Catechesis of the good Shepherd, 1984-1997, 1995 Newsletter, 258-262)
Lynne Worthington joins us on the podcast again to explore the art of observation, a deep-rooted attribute of what we do in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. That through observation we can “discover the true nature of the child” (Montessori) and we can “begin to see the religious potential of the child” (Cavalletti) and then through observing the child we can “listen deeply to God” (Rojcewicz). She speaks about the basic characteristics and attitudes of an observer (learn to be SILENT, to OBSERVE, to put on the mantle of HUMILITY, to be STILL, and to LISTEN). We discuss the differences between observing in a Montessori classroom and a CGS atrium as well as the differences between observing the different atrium levels.
Lynne speaks into how important Observation is in this work which is shown in our very first Point of Reflection for The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:
Lynne Worthington worked for 30 years as a catechist for children and adults at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC. She also served as the coordinator for CGS in Immaculata School and for the parish. Since 1991 she has taken part in National Formation courses for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, earning certificates as a catechist for all three levels, ages 3-12 years old. She has participated in numerous formation leadership workshops and is recognized as a formation leader by the National Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She holds an MA degree in Pastoral Studies from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.
Lynne now lives in Ball Ground, GA and volunteers in Atria in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. She and her husband, Bill, have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Chapter 9: “Ways of Accompaniment,” Like Leaven: Accompanying Children on Their Spiritual Journey by Patricia Coulter
Taste and See: Savoring the Child’s Wisdom by Pam Moore
“Observation as Prayer” by Rebekah Rojcewicz, 2021 Journal of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd -
“Action and Contemplation” by Sofia Cavalletti, 1998-2002 Journals of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Vol. 2
“The Religious Experience with the Child Three to Six” by Gianna Gobbi, 1984- 1997 Journals of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Vol. 1
Another podcast episode with Lynne Worthington: “Episode 17 – Ch. 3 of Joyful Journey Practical Suggestions with Lynne Worthington”
Podcast episode with Pam Moore about the book Taste and See
Podcast episodes to go with the Montessori principles discussed in this episode:
http://montessoriguid.org
Observation in the Montessori Classroom, Montessori Print Shop
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- oneofhisheep
114. Characteristic #27 with Francesca Cocchini and Marty O’Bryan
113. Nurturing the Whole Child with Rebekah Rojcewicz
112. Pedagogy of the Child and God- Fr Mongillo with Claudia Margarita Schmitt
111. About Justice, A Meditation by Fr Mongillo with Ann Garrido
110. Learning to Love- Father Dalmazio Mongillo and Patricia Coulter
109. The CGS Heritage- Father Dalmazio Mongillo, To Enjoy a Person with Sue Jett
108. Phenomenology with Dr. Donald Wallenfang
107. The Metaphysical Child with Dr. Donald Wallenfang
106. Rebroadcasted- Montessori’s Epiphany with Sherry Mock
105. Welcoming the Christ Child as a Sacred Act with Mary Mirrione
104. Incarnation and the Annunciation with Sofia Cavalletti
103. Friendship of Catechists with Mary Heinrich
102. Theological Reflection with Autumn Domingue
101. The Transitioning Child with Diane Olsen
100. Art as Prayer Response with Marty O’Bryan
99. Oxytocin with Ruth Ehrhardt and Mary Mirrione
98. Welcoming the Children with Gianna Gobbi and Mary Mirrione
97. The International Consiglio with Rebekah Rojcewicz
96. MAPS-CGS Degree
95. CGS Characteristics #21 and 25 with Lynne Worthington and Marty O’Bryan
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Kingdom Power Fellowship Podcast
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)