Following God's Pedagogy Quotes

“Joey was not yet three years old when he came to an atrium in which I assisted. Initially, he was so unsure of the environment that his mother had to stand at the door until he engaged in a work, and even then, there was no guarantee that he would stay. Every now and again, he would glance toward the door to make sure she was there. I was asked to show him how to make a silence in the atrium.63 The purpose of this presentation is to aid the child’s prayer by helping him calm the mind and body. Joey’s response to the moment of silence was nothing short of mystical. As he opened his eyes, I beheld a very deep serenity, as if he had found that place of Divine Indwelling within his soul. Quietly, I asked him if he would like to make a silence again. He smiled, nodding ever so slowly. This young child who could hardly be away from his mother’s knee; whose language was still in formation, could rest in the Presence of God and speak God’s language of silence.”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis

“A greater understanding of the needs of the child in the psychic sphere can aid us in understanding and respecting the needs of the child in the religious sphere. To know, at least to some degree, the true nature of the child means to help the child in ways that will allow him or her to develop as an integrated or “whole” person, one who is in right relationship with self, with God, and with others.8”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis

“the child has a particular way of receiving the Gospel that is in accordance with her very nature, and we must be willing to recognize and appreciate that way.”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis

“[C]atechesis with children is the “joyful contemplation” of the action of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the children whom the Spirit loves; as such, it is the respectful attentiveness to the ways that nourish their growth, so that the dialogue between the Spirit and the bride [the child] not be disturbed.48”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis

“Of all the catechetical approaches I’ve seen, none provide God with as much opportunity to work as the CGS approach affords. The material content of the CGS is God’s Word and the Church’s liturgy. The proclamation of this content is limited to only what is essential, providing time and silence for the child to converse with God. Even the posture taken by the catechist while giving a presentation — often sitting next to the child, instead of across from the child or standing above the child — communicates that it is God who is teaching and that both catechist and child are invited to listen to his voice.”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis

“The child has his own hungers and thirsts for God that have not historically been recognized, much less appreciated. In a profound gesture of humility, the scholar of theology (Cavalletti) and the master educator (Gobbi) chose to follow the child rather than impose preconceived ideas of what a child should think, say, or feel about God. Fifty years before the 2020 Directory drew attention to the fact, these women recognized that children “have the capacity to pose meaningful questions relative to creation, to God’s identity, to the reason for good and evil, and are capable of rejoicing before the mystery of life and love” (DC, 236).”
― Sister Mary Michael Fox, Following God's Pedagogy: Principles for Children's Catechesis