As a prime role model for the children, the catechist needs to develop a strong relationship with God through prayer and active involvement with a faith
community.As a prime role model for the children, the catechist needs to develop a strong relationship with God through prayer and active involvement with a faith community.
To encourage a positive self-image, the catechist should take opportunities to interact individually with each child recognizing him/her as a unique gift of God.
Children relate readily to symbols and gestures. The catechist can provide religious experiences that involve praising, thanking and celebrating God through various prayer forms.
To develop the sense of belonging to and being responsible for God’s creation, the catechist is urged to encourage in the children an awareness of the needs and feelings of others and to see the entire world as a gift. Opportunities to share time, talent, and treasure help children sense being caretakers in God’s world.
To cultivate virtue in the children, a catechist needs to know and understand the moral virtues and how they work to balance the natural powers of reason, will, and the senses.
A catechist can guide the child in virtue by presenting situations in which a child learns that he/she has a mind (intellect) to know the good and a will to choose. Good actions help to form good habits (virtues).
Children need to hear Bible stories often and should be encouraged to tell the stories themselves. When reading a Bible story, parents may help their children to visualize the scene, to pick a word or phrase that stands out, and to see how this story can be related to their own life. For example, Jesus called His followers to spend time with Him, to help Him in His work to teach people the way to Heaven and to carry on when He ascended to Heaven. We are part of the family of God through our Baptism. However, we must choose to spend time with Jesus in prayer, to live by His Commandments and to help others come to know Him.
Children relate readily to symbols and gestures. Life situations in the family can provide religious experiences that involve praising, thanking and celebrating God through various prayer forms. To develop the sense of belonging to and being responsible for God’s creation, parents are to encourage in the children an awareness of the needs and feelings of others and to see the entire world as a gift. An essential aspect of living the Faith is to serve others, especially by helping those in need. Children find great joy in going with a parent to visit a sick or elderly person, to take food to a shut in, to drive someone to Sunday Mass etc.