2022-23 May #1: Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me”.
–John 10:14
Tiny Treasures
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Jesus is the Good Shepherd
Jesus gives us the parable of the Good Shepherd in the gospel of John. He tells us that He is the Good Shepherd because He knows us intimately, loves us, and protects us. He wants us to listen to His voice and follow Him. It’s important for us to put our trust in Him and follow Him so we have “life and have it to the full”.
In this parable, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep.
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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Catholic catechetical program for children ages 3-12. It is a reflective-based program of religious formation that helps a child to further develop their relationship with God in a developmentally appropriate way. It is rooted in Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy, and the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori. If you are interested in learning more about this program or would like to find an atrium for your child to attend near you, click HERE for more information.
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Four Little Ways Jesus Loves His Sheep (Us):
- Knows and calls His sheep by their names.
- When the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd, they follow Him.
- Protects and provides for His sheep.
- He protects them from things that will hurt them.
- He gives them food and drink to live.
- Looks for, finds and brings His lost sheep home.
- The shepherd knows His sheep so well that He knows when one is missing. He will go and search for the lost one.
- Gives His sheep everything; especially a way to be with Him in Heaven.
- Jesus guides His sheep on the right path.
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Talk with your littles about:
- Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Jesus wants what is best for us because it is hard to follow Him or we feel sad, but we must always be brave and trust that He wants only what is good for us.
- When we trust Jesus, we believe that He will take good care of us. It’s important to trust Him so we can follow Him to heaven someday.
- There are many people in our lives that take care of us. Take time to write a thank you card to the “shepherds” that Jesus has given to us.
Our Lady of Fatima:
On May 13, 1917, Mary appeared for the first time to three children: Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia. They were all under the age of 10. Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to Our Blessed Virgin Mother because of these apparitions that took place in Fatima, Portugal. The apparitions began when the children were in the field, tending to the family’s sheep when they saw a lady in white standing above a bush. The Virgin Mary told the children that world peace would occur if they spread the message of prayer.
She visited the children in the same location on the 13th of the month for the next six months. She revealed to the children three secrets. Click HERE to read about the secrets revealed by Our Lady. The children were told to make sacrifices to save sinners. Lucia told the villagers that Mary asked them to say the Rosary every day in order to keep world peace.
News of the apparitions spread throughout the village, some believing the children and some not. The Blessed Virgin Mary promised the children that one day a prophecy would occur that would show the village people that they were being truthful. These events culminated in the sixth and final apparition “Miracle of the Sun” which took place on October 13, 1917.
The area where the apparitions took place had rain for three days, but nearly 70,000 people were in attendance for the final apparition. According to various witness accounts, the rainy sky cleared up, and the ground that was wet from the rain became dry. The sun appeared “dancing around” and “zigzagging” in the sky within the broken clouds, giving it the name of the Miracle of the Sun. Some say that the dancing sun even appeared to fly closer to the earth and then jump back into its place quickly. Others also mentioned multicolored light and radiant colors all over the sky. They said the Miracle of the Sun lasted for at least 10 minutes. Many discovered their previously drenched clothing to be perfectly dry. The children were then finally believed by the people of Fatima.
The Miracle of the Sun was declared “worthy of belief” and of a supernatural character by Bishop Jose da Silva in 1930. Pope Pius XII approved the miracle in 1940. In 2017, Pope Francis went on to officially recognize the Miracle of the Sun and even canonized two of the children, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto, over 100 years after their death. Lucia, the cousin of Jacinta and Francisco Marto passed away in 2005 and is being considered for possible beatification.
The feast day of Our Lady of Fatima is May 13th, to commemorate the date of the first apparition in Fatima.
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Help the Good Shepherd count the sheep:
Follow the directions to complete the activity. Students should find 5 sheep in the sky among the clouds.
Social/Emotional Learning
Praying the Rosary with your Littles:
Our Lady asked the children of Fatima to pray the rosary every day, and to make sacrifices for sinners so that they could go to Heaven. As a family or class, try to give up something to sacrifice for sinners. This could be a toy, stickers, markers, or add a prayer to your daily ones.
In addition to making a sacrifice, pray the rosary with your littles. Start by praying one decade. You can also provide coloring sheets for the mysteries of the rosary for your littles to color while they’re praying, or a pop-it decade of the rosary for them to fidget with while praying.
During one of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, she gave the children a prayer to pray after each decade of the rosary. It is called:
The Fatima Prayer
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
Days to Watch for
- April 30: Good Shepherd Sunday (4th Sunday of Easter)
- May 13: Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
Extras
Our featured word for this booklet to indicate the page numbers is LOST. We chose this because the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep.
Books
The Sheep That No One Could Find by: Anthony DeStefano
Bestselling author Anthony DeStefano weaves the heart of the parable of the lost sheep into an exciting adventure story for children ages three and older. Amidst a flock of a hundred sheep, one small lamb is convinced that the world beyond his Good Shepherd’s pastures is worth exploring. While on his big adventure, the little sheep unexpectedly meets a very hungry wolf, a huge angry lion, and a mean lying snake that tries to convince him that his Good Shepherd is cruel and unforgiving. But just when he feels trapped and frightened, lost and alone, he hears a most wonderful sound.
Our Lady of Fatima by: Reverend Lawrence G. Lovasik S.V.D.
This book introduces Catholic children (ages 4-7) to the history of and the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. Among the features of this book are:
- an easily understandable synopsis of the Marian appearances at Fatima, Portugal in 1917
- an explanation of the legacy of the Marian appearances at Fatima
- three great prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
- vibrant full-color illustrations
- durably sewn paperback binding
My Mama’s Garden by: Mary Williams
Using a sweet rhyme and playful illustrations, My Mama’s Garden invites children to grow in their relationship with their Heavenly Mother. Created by author and illustrator, Mary Williams, My Mama’s Garden portrays a group of eight children as they venture through the ups and downs of growing up, all the while bringing their hearts to Mama Mary. Children and adults of all ages will delight in and treasure the gentle, loving message of this beautifully crafted book!
The Lord Is My Shepherd: A Psalm 23 Pop-Up Book by Agostino Traini
Readers will feel the comfort and assurance of God’s love and protection as they experience this delightful interpretation of Psalm 23 with their children. Scenes of a shepherd protecting and caring for his sheep will have children thinking about the ways that God loves and cares for them. Italian artist and paper designer Agostino Traini’s artful pop-ups bring this timeless text to life in a whole new way for all readers–whether they are reading the psalm for the first time or the thousandth.
Our Lady’s Wardrobe by Anthony DeStefano
This delightful rhyming book introduces Catholic children to the Blessed Virgin Mary in a fun and simple way—through her clothes! When Our Lady lived in Nazareth two thousand years ago, she was very poor and probably didn’t have many nice things to wear. But now that she’s in Heaven, she has an enormous mansion. And in that mansion, she has an incredibly beautiful wardrobe filled with a great variety of dresses, veils, slippers, sashes, robes, rings and crowns. Over the centuries, Our Lady has visited the people of Earth many times. On each of these occasions she has dressed very differently. Our Lady’s Wardrobe tells the story of some of her most famous apparitions, highlighting the clothes she wore and the things she did. By reading this book, children will not only learn about the Mother of God but will also learn the main purpose of her life—to love and serve her son, Jesus Christ, and to lead others to do the same.
Digital Resources
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And in case you need it again… here’s our Prayer Table Starter Guide.
