It’s Elementary, Dear Watson…  July 2008

By Kelley Renz

Breathe… Keeping up with older kids is harder than keeping up with their younger companions in many ways. There’s the more advanced brain, so to speak. There’s the larger bodies. There’s the more advanced vocabulary. There’s puberty. All combined? God have mercy on elementary school teachers and catechists!

Use our idea of a rest corner from Teaching Catholic Kids, reprinted here:

Use p. 69 in Beth McNamara and Gina Wright McKeever’s Welcoming the Little Ones to create a “rest corner” for yourself. Look over the suggestions for Options and Materials and think of your favorite books, favorite pillows (or go buy one that attracts you!), favorite chair, favorite songs, games, crosswords – or that movie that you’ve promised yourself you would watch! And change the last line of the prayer at the bottom of the page to this: “Help me to remember that the classroom and my home are holy places where your renewing love is shared. Amen.”

Once you have this spot created, make it sacred during this summer. Sit down daily with St. Paul. Consider his passion for Judaism and how these “Christians” were threatening that sacred faith, even more dangerously than the Romans. Consider his thoughts and feelings when Jesus blinded and spoke to him. What fear went through him as he was led blind to Ananias? Ask St. Paul to lead you these next few weeks. Ask him:

Did you initially believe this “voice” you heard?

Did it scare you? Were you afraid of what Jesus was going to do with you?

Did you fight with the realization that Jesus was the Son of God?
How did you handle your persecution of Christians after your conversion?

How did you come to know Jesus so well?

Lead me to know him…

God bless your journey.

Kelley Renz is a catechist and author of God Listens to Our Children (OSV).