The Leaven and the Kingdom of God Parables

At the end of the school year I save one of the children's favorite materials to work with in the Parable of the Leaven usually around Pentecost.

After reading the parable I do a little experiment making the recipe of 3 Tbsp of flour, 1 tsp yeast and 2 Tbsp of warm water in one glass bowl.  You stir the mixture until it clumps and all liquid is gone, then you make a ball out of it.  The wooden cutting board is so you can knead the dough.

In the other small glass bowl I do the recipe again but without the yeast.  I pass each one around to see if the children notice the difference in smell.  Then I cover the two bowls with a white cloth and say to them that we will check on them at the end of class to see if the yeast helps it to rise.  As you can see in the photo below, there is a significant difference.

Notice it triples in size.  Of course, the Scripture message is that we can't see our faith growing inside us but it does as we grow in grace through prayer, receiving the sacraments, and growing in love with God and serving others with love.

 A thermos filled with hot water is necessary for this work.  I used the kitchen electric pot, cooled it down, and poured it into the small metal pitcher for the children to handle.  I let two children work on this at the same time and so each had a plastic tablespoon, plastic teaspoon and a small spatula for stirring.   I usually have 15 children in each class and this makes it go more quickly.  It takes the entire class, for them to finish.  Our classes are 1-1/2 hrs. long.  Usually the presentations take 20-30 minutes and then they have the remainder of the class to do their work.  Often two children like to sit and watch the others while they wait their turn.  Every child wants to do this work.

I used clear plastic cups for the children to keep their dough to take home and bake.  I usually go through nine packets of yeast for each class and keep them refrigerated.  I generally buy the fast-acting yeast.  I also bring in an extra canister of whole wheat flour (as shown above in the materials) as we easily go through two of those small glass canisters for each class.  I haven't tried to bake one of these but the children do and some have been successful they tell me.  I think this year I'll experiment baking it so I can give them instructions for success.  They love to taste their yeast and are so proud and excited to try it.

(left photo) The Kingdom of God Parables are kept on two bookcases.  Here you see "The Mustard Seed" on the top shelf.  The seeds from Israel are kept in the wooden box.  The second shelf has "The Pearl of Great Price" and the bottom shelf is where "The Leaven" is kept.

In the above photo "The Kingdom of God and the Seed" is on the first shelf.  There are tracing packets for all the Bible stories of the Kingdom shared by both Levels.  "The Sower" is the second shelf and on the bottom is "The Mystery of Life and Death" or "The Grain of Wheat".  These Bible stories are very deep and thought provoking and bring out all sorts of interesting discussions.  They force me to study a lot before presenting them, especially "The Mystery of Life and Death."   When you only do the presentations once a year, you do forget things and really need to study your album page and make notes on changes.  None of my album pages are the same as they were when I started this work 15 years ago.  It is also with this work that we plant seeds with the children for the last three or four days at the end of the year.  They love this work and I cover the floor with clear plastic trash bags (shown above).

  I always save "The Grain of Wheat"  and "The Leaven" at the end of the year for the last three or four classes in case some were absent and, of course, everyone wants to do them that day.  It's a nice way to end the year.

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, a Level II material.  The wooden doors represent the Temple of Jerusalem and I painted the doors golden as they were the doors leading to the Holy of Holies, the Arc of the Covenant.  No one but the priests could enter this sacred place and so the Pharisee stands and prays close to the door while the humble Tax Collector stays far away.
It is an interesting scripture on humility and how we should pray and think of ourselves.

If I haven't already mentioned it, Level I in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is for 3 to 6 years olds.  Level II is for 6 to 9 year olds.  Sophia Cavelletti is the founder of this beautiful program.  She passed away in her eighties last year.  She studied Maria Montessori, who was a doctor and gave up that profession to study how children learn and at what ages and stages they understand and have knowledge.  Sophia Cavelletti was a Biblical Scholar and a scientist who studied children for twenty years as to how they learned the Bible based on Montessori's studies.  She found that three year olds, for example, loved the Good Shepherd because they wanted to feel safe.  She was also a writer for Vatican II.  So I am always confident when presenting these Bible Stories that the children will have understanding of what Jesus was saying and will really enjoy them.  In fact, they are so attentive and can hardly wait to get to work on their own with these materials.

It is wonderful to see one child reading the Scripture while another child works with the materials.  They get it.

The Good Samaritan (The Sacrament Retreat)

The Good Samaritan, a moral parable in Level II, is one of the children's favorites.  It really creates a lot of discussion and thought for them.  The small box with the door represents the Inn.  My husband made the Inn and road.  I did the painting and decorated it with the rocks.  I would suggest getting the lightest weight wood you can use.  This is heavy.  I keep it on the bottom shelf but usually help the child put in on a rug or desk. The figures were purchased and I painted them.  

One of my favorite parts of doing these materials is finding the right box to keep them in.  I know
the children enjoy looking inside them and getting out the figures.  I usually find them in Thrift Shops or second hand stores.  That was a favorite pastime when I first started.  I usually cover the inside of the box with material.  Often the boxes are in pretty used condition and so I sometimes have to sand and stain them.  This one had a lovely old painting on the top.  I can't help but wonder where these old boxes have been.

The Sacrament Retreat (The Good Samaritan Presentation)

Two thousand years ago it was normal for people to walk miles to get to their destination.  They didn't have money for horses.  Soldiers had horses but ordinary people might have a donkey to ride or carry things for them.  People in Egypt and other parts of the world rode camels like the three Magi, but for the most part people were very poor and had little.  It was not unusual for them to walk during the night and knock on someone's door asking for food and lodging.  Even Jesus and his apostles did this.  Jesus told his Apostles that if someone invites you into their home, accept their hospitality.  That's how they traveled.  Now this is a model of the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho that was commonly traveled.  It was a desert road and a mountainous area with many big rocks that robbers could hide behind.  It was well known to be very dangerous where robbers left people for dead.  It was on this dark road that a man was robbed and left wounded on the side of the road.  (I show the man on the road and the robbers).

(Then I remove the robbers and talk about the Jewish priest who was walking down that road.)  He passes the injured man and doesn't help him.  Next, a Levite, (who I explain is like a Deacon) passes the injured man also, and he doesn't help him either.  I tell the children how the Jewish people were in slavery by the Egyptians for hundreds of years and when they were freed they had to make up all these laws and rules to live by as they'd never been free before.  Some of their rules weren't easy and some were difficult.  One was that you couldn't do anything on the Sabbath, even if it meant helping someone.  In fact, that is one of the reasons Jesus died on the cross.  He broke their Sabbath law and performed miracles.  (Now I move the priest and Levite off the road to the bottom of the road).

Next, the Samaritan and his Donkey come down that road but see the man and he is moved with compassion.  I then tell the children how the Jews had no respect for Samaritans as they were part Jew but did not worship their God of Abraham and those that did practiced their faith differently.
They would never speak to them.  (Now I light the candle and read the Scripture.)

Afterward I ask them what they heard.  "Do you think the Samaritan would have helped the Levite and the Priest?"  Then I give out the Maxim plaques, one to each child and ask them to tell me if their Maxim applies to this story.  Happily most times they are absolutely right.  They get it.  But even if they aren't it gives me a chance to go over that Maxim and explain how it doesn't apply and what it means.  I do this after each Parable and in that way we are reviewing the Maxims as well as the Parables.  All of the Maxims address behavior toward others and how to pray.

Now go to the "Insistent Friend" link for that presentation explained.

Flight into Egypt

 The Flight into Egypt is challenging but a lot of fun to make.  This is my daughter's work which she made for an atrium in Georgia while  staying with me.  She is an artist unlike myself.  It never ceases to amaze me how everyone's sculptures look so much different.  Also every sculpture an individual creates looks exactly the same.  It's like a person's signature.  Try as I will, I can't make my figures look any different, perhaps a little improved, but that's the best I can do.

Flight into Egypt is a Level II (6 to 9 year old) work.  The work also includes 3 panels with pictures showing Jerusalem, journey through the desert, and Egypt along with sign showing both directions.

    

 

 

 

 

Below are the materials that my husband and I made.  He did the three panels and the wooden sign.  I did the staining and painting, the figures and Scripture booklets.  I downloaded the photos and enjoyed choosing from all the images and reading about these places.  You really enter into the Scripture while doing these materials.
 

The Found Coin, a moral parable in Level II

The Found Coin

The three room building and figures were purchased unfinished and I painted them, stained, and decorated the inside of the building.  This parable is given in conjunction with The Found Sheep and very beautiful.

I bought a handicraft kit at Walmart which contained sequence and used a soft gold wire to make a necklace.  I then put one on another gold wire to represent the lost coin.  I made a small black pouch to keep them in so they don't get lost.








I glued down the little stools, tables,
basket, cup and bowl.  Only the basket where I put the lost coin is not glued down.  This is optional but it means a much bigger box.  Also, the older children read the Scripture and want to set up the coins and figures.  I think its distracting to fiddle around with all the furniture.  My husband made the tables and benches.

It said in the scripture that it was an earthen floor, so I spread some dirt in the paint and swept the
excess out.

This is the box where the materials are kept.

The Real Presence of the Good Shepherd, American and International - Level II

The Real Presence figures (2 sets) were cut out by my talented husband.   In addition were two sets of International figures.  These were purchased.  Two sets for two atriums.

Getting all the little pieces such as the chalices, patens, loaves of bread, altars, altar cloths for all four sets takes a while to do.  That plus painting and labeling boxes where they will be kept and a couple of sheepfolds really adds to the time spent.  If you don't stick with it until it is done, it gets too unorganized for storing and remembering where it is, for that matter.  

I am really excited to get all of this out of the house today and into the atrium.   This will complete the goals I made for myself this year.  Now I can enjoy my family this summer.

I really love the multicultural city where I live.  I realized in painting these that I had to represent almost as many different cultures as I did in the international set, so it was a challenge.

Speaking of different cultures, I had an interesting experience when putting these materials into the atria.  A young and obviously homeless man was laying asleep on one of the three benches that my husband had built in front

of the atria.  My approach startled him and he sat up immediately.  I asked him if he were homeless.  He didn't speak a word of English.  However, with some body language and a few Spanish words of my own I found out he was from Honduras and was 21 years old. He looked a lot younger.  I gave him a couple dollars, all I had, and asked him if he wanted me to help him.  He said, "yes."  I thought I'd call the Neighborhood Alliance which I thought housed people temporarily in need and fed them.

He was an illegal and that raised a question in my mind whether I am legally allowed to help him.  However, as a Christian, I am certainly going to as it is my moral responsibility.  But now I am curious as to how far we can go to help an illegal immigrant.  I need to look into that issue.

Father Marco appeared and said he was helping him but I couldn't get too much information from him, so I simply said to Father, "If you need anything, please call me."

The Insistent Friend/The Ten Bridesmaids - Level II

The Insistent Friend (The Sacrament Retreat presentation)

  As we begin our discussion, I first ask, "Do you know what Insistent means?"  It's the same as being persistent.  You are being persistent when you keep asking your mother over and over for something you want.  "Mom, I want to go to the movies, please?"  She may say you are being a pest. That's what persistent means.  Well, God wants us to be persistent in our prayer always.  He doesn't mind but he might take time to answer and we have to be patient.  So keep this in mind as we listen to the story.

The background information I review with the children once again on how the people traveled at night back 2,000 years ago and so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a person to knock on your door to ask for food or shelter.   So this traveler knocks on the door but the man invites him in but has no food.  He goes to his neighbor's house to ask him for food and the man says his family is sleeping and doesn't want to be disturbed.  (Now I light the candle and read the Scripture.)

"Who knows the story of the Good Shepherd?"  My children always do because I refer to this story all year by asking, "Who is Jesus in this story?"  "Who are the Sheep?"  "What is the Sheepfold?"  It's the first Bible Story I read so I can have this advantage to explain parables.  I refresh their memory and it helps the others to understand.  I tell them that I'm going to ask the same question for this story and there are no wrong answers because every time you read a Bible Story something new is learned  that you never thought of before.  That is the beauty of the Bible.  No wonder these stories are so wonderful after thousands of years.  So when I ask, "Who is Jesus in this story?" I never know what they are going to say.  This year most thought it was the stranger.  So when they choose him, I show them a picture I have of Jesus knocking on the door.   I tell them that this shows Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts wanting us to love Him and pray to Him.  So that could very well be Jesus, I tell them.  Then another child says it's the man who opens the door and goes to the neighbor to ask him for food.  Then I tell them about something only Catholics do, which is "Intercessory Prayer."  That is when we pray to Mary or the Saints to go to Jesus and ask Him for help.  So this gives an opportunity to discuss prayer at length.  Finally someone chooses the neighbor who didn't want to be disturbed and seemed annoyed.   Well, I tell them that this is truly Jesus in the story because Jesus tells us in His parable that "Truly I tell you, that if the person doesn't answer him because of their friendship, he will certainly answer because of his persistence."  So the lesson here is that God will eventually answer your prayers if you just keep praying.  Never give up He's telling us.

Now I ask them who has the Maxim which applies to this story?  There are two maxims which apply perfectly and they are: "Ask and you will receive; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened unto you."  The second Maxim which applies is: "When you pray, go to your inner room, shut the door, and pray to your Father in Secret."  However, if any other children volunteer their Maxim I still accept it and explain it so that they understand the meaning.

The Materials:  My husband made the buildings on all of these parables and I stained them, also painting the figures and I made the Scripture booklets.  He made a decision on his own to open the door to the outside when it is actually supposed be like the door on the left, however now I can't use the rug in that room as the door won't open with the rug in the way.   So we may have to change that later.  The small rugs are actually small pouches from Indonesia which I cut in half.  The parable speaks to being "insistent" in prayer.  It also addresses "intercessory prayer" - praying for others or through others, such as the Blessed Mother and the saints.  I am always in awe along with the children at these messages coming directly from Jesus, himself, in such a personal way.

The Ten Bridesmaids, or "The Wise and Foolish Virgins."   The manual suggested painting an oil lamp on the top of the box.  I suppose this is to distinguish it from The Wedding Feast.  I also followed directions on what colors to use.  The same wedding banquet hall is used for both parables.  

I tell the children how the bridegroom would be walking most of the night to come to the wedding and it was the tradition that the bridesmaids would wait for him at night until he got there.  They feel asleep and half of them had their oil lamps go out and had to go to the store to get more oil.  But when got back the Bridegroom barred the door and only the bridesmaids that planned ahead with their extra oil pouches got into the wedding feast.

This parable is beautiful and hence makes it very clear that we need to be prepared and alert for His coming.  Don't wait until the last minute it teaches.  When my class heard this parable, one boy started squirming in his seat and his face was contorted in misery.  I asked him what was wrong.  He said, "Oh no, I do this all the time.  I always wait until the last minute for everything!"  So funny how these Bible stories really do speak to the children.