In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, especially with the 3-6-year-old, we do not dwell on Jesus’ suffering and death. Instead we always link his death to his resurrection. Many of the works allow a time to recall that Jesus life was stronger than death and we remember that whenever we light candles, and most especially the Paschal candle in the Baptism Area. The light of the risen Christ is given to each one of us on the day we are Baptised.

There are, however, a few works that are particularly relevant to this Lenten season and in particular to the Paschal Narratives which we encounter during Holy Week. In the atrium of the youngest children, we recall the words of the Last Supper, where Jesus said, “This is my body, this is my blood”, in a work we call the Cenacle. The Cenacle is the name for the Upper Room where Jesus met with his disciples to celebrate the feast of the Passover. The children enjoy preparing the small table as the Apostles did on that day. They sit and consider the words of Jesus and the events that unfold after this time. We pause briefly to consider Jesus’ death on the cross. Then we move on to light candles to recall the resurrection. After all everyone dies, but only Jesus conquered death.

Another work in the atrium which allows us to consider the last days of Jesus is the City of Jerusalem. This is a model of what Jerusalem may have looked like during the time of Jesus. It is a walled city and the most prominent building is also walled, the Temple. This geography material allows the children to imagine the sort of place Jerusalem was., but its primary purpose is to recall the last days of Jesus. The children consider the places and events that occur in Jerusalem beginning with the Last Supper in the Cenacle and moving to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and was later arrested.

We recall that Jesus was taken to the house of Caiphas, the high priest. He was put on trial there. Next, we move to the place where Pilate, the Roman Governor lived, the Tower of Antonia. Those who arrested Jesus, told Pilate that Jesus said he was the King of the Jews. Pilot decided that Jesus should be sent to Herod, the Jewish king.

We continue the meditation; in the morning, he was taken to Herod’s palace. Herod did not have the power to do anything to Jesus, so he was sent back to Pilot. Jesus returned to the Tower of Antonia to be sentenced by Pilot. There he was condemned to die. He was given a cross and taken outside the walls to a hill called Calvary.

This is where he died. But that is not the end of the story.

His friends buried him in a cave, a tomb never used before, and a big stone was placed at the entrance. It was in a garden. This was still not the end.

It was the Sabbath day so they would not prepare his body, they needed to wait until the next day to do that.

Always looking forward we recount the events leading up to that first Easter morning.

The next day some women came back to prepare Jesus body for burial, they planned to anoint it with special oils and perfumes. Then wrap it in a special way, as was their custom. They were worried about how they would be able to move the stone away.

When they got there the stone had already been rolled away. An angel was there, and he said, “Jesus is not here, he is risen!”

At this point we again light a candle and proclaim, Jesus is the light that is stronger than death, a light that can never go out. He is not here. He is risen. The women ran to tell the others.

We too can think about our response to Jesus resurrection. Will we also run to tell others the good news?

We may conclude our preparation for the great feast of Easter with a celebration of the Liturgy of Light. This is taken from the prayers of the Easter Vigil and once again we use light to represent the Risen Jesus. A light that continues to spread as we allow it to shine out from each one of us to the whole world.

As we draw near the Great Feast of Easter, may you also receive this light anew and may it shine forth to all you encounter and draw people to him who came to make us completely one with himself.