By Pam Moore
Becoming a catechist in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a
“whole person” work, requiring head, hands, and heart. Studying
scripture and the sacraments, learning a Montessori approach to the
child, making materials (often learning to sew or use a saw in the
process), and cleaning and preparing the atria are all a part of the
formation.
For many adults, one of the most difficult yet most essential lessons
is learning how to "observe" the child. In "The Spirit of the
Catechesis: 32 Points of Reflection" Sofia Cavalletti makes her very
first point: "The catechist observes and studies the vital needs of the
child and the manifestation of those vital needs according to the
developmental stage of the child.
Taste and See: Savoring the Child's Wisdom is a major
contribution to helping catechists learn what it means to "observe" the
child: to see, listen to, trust, and savor the child's words and
activities for what they reveal to us about the religious life of the
child.
And they go further. Each essay springs from a child's response or
prayer, which stirred the author, a catechist with 20 years experience,
to ponder the deeper theological truths the child's words express. They
are living examples of the wisdom, hidden from the wise and clever, yet
made known the children. They remind us that it truly is the child who
will lead us.
Anyone--catechist, teacher, parent, friend--who is engaged with children will be inspired and guided by these essays.
Specifications: Paperback / 6" x 9" / 96 pages.
