level 4: grades 5 & 6 Feasts of the Christmas Season

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1 Background Notes for Teacher Reflection and Preparation STRAND VALUES AND PURPOSES ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS CHURCH: Body of Christ, Community of Disciples, Witness to Unity and Justice. Biblical and religious inquiry and literacy Particpating in the liturgical and Sacramental life of the faith community Making connections Students examine the Church s feasts and celebrations within the Christmas season. Strand Core Doctrinal Concepts Catechism Reference Jesus Christ 2. In his life, death and resurrection, Jesus reveals the saving love of God and gives hope to the world. 653, 654 Church 3. The Church honours Mary, Mother of God, who prays with us and for us. 971 Scripture 3. The Christian Scriptures teach us about Jesus and the early Christian communities. 121 Prayer 6. The celebration of the feasts of the Church s year is an opportunity for personal and liturgical prayer LINKING WITH OTHER RESOURCE BANKS Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Advent Christmas-The Message of Joy and Peace Advent Preparing the Way of the Lord The Birth of Jesus, the Messiah Jesus, Hope for the World 04

2 2 STUDENT CONTEXT Level Four children may be less spontaneous but are generally more self motivated and capable of absorbing considerable information. More sophisticated reasoning gives them greater understanding of consequences and a greater capacity for using talk to justify assertions and opinions. Values and judgements by peers, and self esteem are partly determined by mastery of tasks. Many students are unaware of the seasons within the Church s year and the feasts that are a part of the season. In Australia, perhaps because the long summer holidays are held over the Christmas Season, students are not aware of the feasts days that are held within the Christmas season, apart from Christmas Day. THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND FOR TEACHERS The Christmas novena begins on 17 December. At this point the Advent proclamation of the coming of the kingdom by John the Baptist and the prophets gives way to the Christmas story in which the Virgin Mary takes centre stage. These days serve to prepare more directly for the Lord s birth. This is the best time to hold carols services and to begin to sing Christmas carols in the liturgy. (Ordo 2005, p19) The season of Christmas begins with the Christmas Day Vigil and finishes with the celebration of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Just as Lent and Easter time cannot be understood apart from the Easter Triduum so too the seasons of Christmas and Advent must be understood together. In Australia, Christmas is a holy day of obligation, as is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The first three centuries of the Church s existence, the only annual feast celebrated by Christian communities was Easter. By the fourth century, a growing trend developed to celebrate historical events of Jesus life. The Easter Triduum had emerged from the original Easter vigil to include the commemoration of the death of Jesus on Good Friday and the celebration of the Lord s Super on Holy Thursday. This led the way to a celebration of Jesus birth. As no precise date of Jesus birth was known, two dates became associated with his birth, 25th December and 6th January. The Churches in the East celebrated Jesus birth on 6th January, while Rome celebrated on 25th December. Scholars agreed with the Rome celebration, as it allowed for the Christianisation of a pagan feast. In 274, the Roman Emperor Aurelian had established a feast to honour Syrian sun god, Emsea, the feast being called Unconquered Sun God. The celebration occurred on 25th December, the winter solstice. However, from as early as 336 the Christians of Rome celebrated their own feast on 25th December, the Birth of Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. The association of the birth of Christ with a pagan feast of a sun god may seem strange, considering it is a commandment not to worship any other god. Yet the New Testament and early Christian writers place great emphasis on the symbolism of Christ as Sun of Righteousness, for in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is an appropriate time to celebrate the coming of Christ the Light into the world. The prayers and readings for the three Masses for Christmas (midnight, dawn and during the day) focus on creating strong images all associated with light. Midnight Mass we pray: Father, you make this Holy Night radiant with the splendour of Jesus Christ our light. The single day solemnity spills over to an octave, which extends eight days after Christmas, till January 1st, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The readings and prayers of the Christmas Season clearly show that Christmas is a feast of our redemption and therefore it is intimately linked with Easter. The Paschal Mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus cannot be separated from the Mystery of Incarnation, the Jesus who became human to save us. The Holy Family is a recent feast, which originated from Canada, and spread throughout the world in the 19th century under the influence of Pope Leo XIII. The feast of the Epiphany, 6th January, is the original feast of Christ s birth in the East. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia meaning appearance or manifestation and like the choice of 25th December in Rome, the date of this feast seems to have been influenced by a pagan feast in Alexandria, the birthday of the god Aion (god of time and eternity). Soon the Epiphany also became associated with the events that marked the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, his Baptism and the miracle at Cana.

3 3 SCRIPTURE Luke 2:8-14, Luke 2:16-21 Nativity That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, Don t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay. Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God. They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised. But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant. As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said. Eight days later Jesus parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands. And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby. Luke 2:41-51 The Boy Jesus in the Temple Every year Jesus parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him. When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there. Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave. When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you! Jesus answered, Why did you have to look for me? Didn t you know that I would be in my Father s house? But they did not understand what he meant. Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened. Matthew 2:13-15 The escape to Egypt After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him. That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, I called my son out of Egypt. Matthew 2:19-23 Holy Family After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt. The angel said, Get up and take the child and his mother back to Israel. The people who wanted to kill him are now dead. Joseph got up and left with them for Israel. But when he heard that Herod s son Archelaus was now ruler of Judea, he was afraid to go there. Then in a dream he was told to go to Galilee, and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the Lord s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, He will be called a Nazarene. Mt 2:1-12 The Epiphany When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men [a] from the east came to Jerusalem and said, Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east [b] and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, Where will the Messiah be born? They told him, He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel. Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.

4 4 The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star. When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him. Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road. Mt 3:13-17 The Baptism of Jesus Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John kept objecting and said, I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me? Jesus answered, For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do. Then John agreed. So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven said, This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Planning a Learning Sequence Level Focus Jesus is the Son of God, who offers hope to the world. Overarching Goal Example: That students will reach an understanding that the Christmas season is a celebration and proclamation of Jesus, the light of the world. Focus Question Example: How can Christians be bearers of the light in the Christmas season? Understanding Goals The Church celebrates the Christmas season from the Vigil Mass until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (3rd Sunday after Christmas) The origins of the Christian celebration of Christmas are related to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Christmas is important in the Christian calendar, second to Easter. Central to the Christmas liturgies is the symbol of Jesus as the light of the world. Key feasts in the Christmas season are Christmas Day, the Feast of the Holy Family, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord. Christians see the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as a model of family life. Mary has a significant place in the liturgical life of the Church. Indicators of Learning Demonstrated when students; 1. Identify the five feasts of the season of Christmas - Christmas Day, the Feast of the Holy Family, the Feast of the Mother of God, the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. 2. Explain the significance of the symbol of Jesus as the light, and how this is reflected in the liturgical celebrations of the Christmas season. 3. Articulate some of the reasons for the timing of the Christmas season within the liturgical year. 4. Reflect on some of the ways that Christians can be bearers of light to the world. Suggested Assessment Tasks In pairs, students examine a variety of Christmas cards designs and sort them into groups to show those that focus on the birth of Jesus, Mary, the Holy Family, the visit of the Wise Men, and other non-specific designs. Label the first three groups according to the event depicted, the name of the feast and the date of the feast, in chronological order. Students present their views to the class on which designs are most appropriate to the celebration of Christmas. Students design a billboard to visually capture the key theme of a selected Christmas feast. Students sit quietly with a candle alight on their desk. After a time they complete a Y chart that describes what light looks like, sounds like, feels like. Respond to the question. What does it mean to say that Jesus is Light for the world? In a haiku poem, drawing on ideas from the Y chart.

5 5 Suggested Learning and Teaching Experiences Focussing Activities: Students name and list significant events that occur through the school year, for example, camp, sports carnival, Sacraments, captain s induction, and so forth. Place these events on flash cards and get the students to put them in chronological order. Students reflect on and collect important events that have occurred during their life. Include times of joy, sadness, anticipation etc. Learning Strategies: Make a liturgical calendar. On a strip of paper, divide into weeks of the year with the different liturgical seasons. Students then turn this strip of paper around, and make a circle transfer the information to a circular calendar. Explain to students the various colours associated with the seasons of the liturgical year. Students colour code the seasons, according to the vestments (chausible and stole) the priest wears at Mass during the season. Advent ~ purple Christmas ~ white Ordinary Time ~ green Lent ~ purple Easter ~ white Pentecost ~ white (red on the day of the Feast of Pentecost) Complete a KWL chart to review the students knowledge of the Christmas season. Students can add to the chart as they proceed through the unit Within the liturgical Season of Christmas, students label the feast days of Christmas, by dating and naming the feast in chronological order. For each of the Feast days, students read the scripture passage, discuss their understanding of the person related to the feast, the possible importance of the feast and why it may be chosen as a feast within the first Christmas Octave. The Holy Family: Draw outlines of the Holy Family. Inside each silhouette, write what each contributed to the family and how they are an example of family life. Matthew 2:13-15, Mary the Mother of Jesus: Use Braindrops (Teaching Strategies Resource Book.) to describe Mary as the Mother of God. Luke 2:16-21 Epiphany: Find the Fib. (Teaching Strategies Resource Book.) Matthew 2:1-12 The Baptism of the Lord: Matthew 3:13-17 In groups, students are assigned a particular feast day within the Season of Christmas. Students study the feast day, the scripture passages and any other appropriate research methods or materials, to find out more of the feast and the person involved. Students make a banner or poster, representing the feast in symbols, drawing and sayings or words. Students present the banner or poster to the class, informing the class about the importance of this particular feast, why it would be included in the Season of Christmas. Using a candle, ask student to respond to: Light is Students do a think-pair-share about the symbol of light. Students report back and discuss how and why the metaphor of light is used for the birth and coming of Christ. Explain and relate to the winter solstice and the history behind the celebration of Christmas during December. Using the prayers/readings from the five feasts, find examples of the metaphor of light that is used. Prepare a prayer card using a phrase found. These can be given as gifts during Christmas. Students create an inside outside circle, and discuss ways in which Jesus light has shone throughout the world, when he was alive and preaching and now, through the efforts of his followers. Use the prefaces of Christmas from the Missal. What do the prayers say about Jesus, the light for the world? Choose one other person in the class, reflect on ways you have witnessed them being bearers of Christ s light. Make a prayer card completing the sentence: you were a bearer of Christ s light when Present to people in a prayerful and reflective way. Prayer and Ritual Children prepare a proclamation about each of the main figures of the Seasons of Christmas. Gather children in a circle around coloured cloths on which symbols representing the feasts of the Christmas season can be placed. For example Mary: a plant in flower, Joseph: a carpenter s tool, Jesus: a manger or swaddling cloths, the Magi: gifts, John the Baptist The symbols should be held high as the proclamation is made, then placed ceremoniously on the cloths. A period of quiet reflection should follow. (Refer p 25 A Time of Jubilee, Barbara M Stead for format.)

6 Resources Highly Recommended Resources Archdiocese of Melbourne, (2003) To Know Worship and Love, 2 nd ed. Year 6, Ch19. Melbourne: James Goold House. Stead, B. (1994). A time of Jubilee: Using Luke s Gospel with children. Thornbury: Desbooks. The Sunday Missal or Ordo or liturgyhelp.com Community Resources School Chaplain. Teacher Resources Hari, A. & Singer, C. (1997). Alive in the Spirit today. Chelmsford: Matthew James Publishing. Hari, A. & Singer, C. (1993). Experience Jesus today. Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe. Ryan, M. & Elliott, M. (1999). Religion quick prints. Katoomba, NSW: Social Science Press. 6 Student Resources Daily, S. (1987). Graphics for Sunday: Illustrations for the Church s year. Cycles A, B and C. North Blackburn, Vic.: Collins Dove. Walsh, A. & Walsh, T. (1997). Graphics and prayers for feasts and seasons. Mulgrave: John Garratt Publishing. Literature Mattingley, C. (1984). Angel with a mouth-organ. Sydney: Hodder & Stoughton. Quattlebaum, M. & Ladwig, T. The shine man : A Christmas story. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing Company Wijingaard, J. (1991). The nativity. London: Walker Books. Music Mangan, M. & Hehir, P.(Composers). (1995). Follow the Christmas sta [Cassette recording]. In Follow the star. Albany Creek: Litmus Productions. Mangan, M. & Hehir, P. (Composers). (1995). Song of light [Cassette recording]. In Follow the star. Albany Creek: Litmus Productions. Mangan, M. & Hehir, P.(Composers). (1995). This little boy [Cassette recording]. In Follow the star. Albany Creek: Litmus Productions. Mangan, M. & Hehir, P. (Composers). (1995). Waiting for the child Cassette recording]. In Follow the star. Albany Creek: Litmus Productions. Mangan, M. & Hehir, P. (Composers). (1997). We are all saints [Cassette recording]. In Saints and celebrations. Albany Creek: Litmus Productions. Audio-visual/video Resources Peterfly, I. (Writer). (1986). Christmas: God s greatest gift [Video tape]. Oakleigh: Sacred Heart Parish. Marscom (Producer). (n.d.). Mary, mother of Jesus [Video tape]. Sydney: Producer. Miller, C. (Writer & Producer). (1986). Christmas around the world [Video tape]. Newport, Classroom Video. World Wide Web / Internet NRSV The Vatican: Includes a detailed index for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Treasures, New and Old.