ext God our Creator ( )/Created in His Image ( )

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1 Sarah Lalik 4 th Grade slalik@stanastasia.org Session ext God our Creator ( )/Created in His Image ( ) Bible Verse: Genesis 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. General Objective: Students will learn God created everything Specific Learning Objectives: Students will read the creation story from Genesis Students will explain that creation is a gift from God and that we are called to give thanks for this gift Students will describe how we care for this gift Students will learn about St. Francis Information for Catechists taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 295 We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom. It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God's free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness: "For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Therefore the Psalmist exclaims: "O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all"; and "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made." 298 Since God could create everything out of nothing, he can also, through the Holy Spirit, give spiritual life to sinners by creating a pure heart in them, and bodily life to the dead through the Resurrection. God "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." And since God was able to make light shine in darkness by his Word, he can also give the light of faith to those who do not yet know him. 299 Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: "You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight." The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the "image of the invisible God", is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the "image of God" and called to a personal relationship with God. Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness - "And God saw that it was good... very good"- for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world.

2 300 God is infinitely greater than all his works: "You have set your glory above the heavens." Indeed, God's "greatness is unsearchable". But because he is the free and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost being: "In him we live and move and have our being." In the words of St. Augustine, God is "higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost self". 338 Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. The world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time begun All men are called to the same end: God himself. There is a certain resemblance between the unity of the divine persons and the fraternity that men are to establish among themselves in truth and love. 1 Love of neighbor is inseparable from love for God The human person needs to live in society. Society is not for him an extraneous addition but a requirement of his nature. Through the exchange with others, mutual service and dialogue with his brethren, man develops his potential; he thus responds to his vocation A society is a group of persons bound together organically by a principle of unity that goes beyond each one of them. As an assembly that is at once visible and spiritual, a society endures through time: it gathers up the past and prepares for the future. By means of society, each man is established as an heir and receives certain talents that enrich his identity and whose fruits he must develop. 3 He rightly owes loyalty to the communities of which he is part and respect to those in authority who have charge of the common good Each community is defined by its purpose and consequently obeys specific rules; but the human person... is and ought to be the principle, the subject and the end of all social institutions Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond more directly to the nature of man; they are necessary to him. To promote the participation of the greatest number in the life of a society, the creation of voluntary associations and institutions must be encouraged on both national and international levels, which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs. 5 This socialization also expresses the natural tendency for human beings to associate with one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, especially the sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights Socialization also presents dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative. The teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity, according to which a community of a higher order should not

3 interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good God has not willed to reserve to himself all exercise of power. He entrusts to every creature the functions it is capable of performing, according to the capacities of its own nature. This mode of governance ought to be followed in social life. The way God acts in governing the world, which bears witness to such great regard for human freedom, should inspire the wisdom of those who govern human communities. They should behave as ministers of divine providence The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to all forms of collectivism. It sets limits for state intervention. It aims at harmonizing the relationships between individuals and societies. It tends toward the establishment of true international order Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.

4 4 th Grade Session God our Creator ( )/Created in His Image ( ) Bible Verse: Genesis 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. General Objective: Students will learn God created everything Specific Learning Objectives: Students will read the creation story from Genesis Students will explain that creation is a gift from God and that we are called to give thanks for this gift Students will describe how we care for this gift Students will learn about St. Francis Materials in your class bucket: written Quiz for last week s verse, early arrival page (Love-Gifts from God to Us front and back), stamps/stickers for scripture memorization, Creation DVD, God s Wonderful Creation & Caring for the Earth 2-sided handout, Brother Francis play scripts, bookmarks CATECHIST PRAYER 4:40/6:40 (5 minutes) Meet with coordinator to pray for upcoming session INTRODUCTION/PRAYER 4:45/6:45 (15 minutes) Write Genesis 1:31 on the white board so that the students can look it up on their own. As the children arrive for class, welcome them warmly and individually. Different this week: Pass out fill-in-the-blank verse quizzes to have them complete - this verse was a little lengthy and rather than doing it verbally, a written one may work better. Last week s verse was: 2Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. After you check the quizzes, place a stamp or sticker in their Scripture Verse Book accordingly. Invite them to copy their Bible verse for this week into their Scripture Verse Book remind them of the Bible book index on the last page of their Bible if needed. Then they can complete their early arrival page as they wait for class to begin. It s ok if it doesn t get finished. It may go home with the students today.

5 Take attendance and attach it to the class list outside your door with a paperclip. Hand out any notes to go home this week including the Parent Newsletter. This will hopefully keep families informed of what was talked about in class as well as upcoming dates/events. There is an extra copy for you. Please quiet the students. Make it a special reflective start to your time together by beginning with The Sign of the Cross, and continue with the prayer that can be found at the beginning of the Bible, opposite the title page. Lesson Activity 5:00/7:00 (15 minutes) In the Beginning, God Have students open their Bibles to the very first book, Genesis. Ask if they remember what Genesis means. [it was in the dvd from last session the word Genesis means beginning] Ask what the very, very first story of the Bible is. [creation] What was there in the beginning? [looking at the first words of the Bible, there was God. And from God came all of creation] Read Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3, the story of creation Read the Did You Know insert on p.6 of the Bible. Lesson Activity 5:15/7:15 (10 minutes) Creation video clips Show the video clips about Creation from the DVD in your bucket. Lesson Activity 5:25/7:25 (10 min) God s Wonderful Creation/Caring for the Earth Hand out the copies of God s Wonderful Creation. Have volunteers read the paragraphs. Explain: Having a soul makes us human and makes us beings that are made in the image and likeness of God. It sets us apart from all other creation. Our soul is responsible for our conscience and our free will. That s our ability to choose good (or to not choose it, like Adam and Eve in the garden). Ask: What kinds of choices do you think God wants us to make regarding the earth? [Possible answer: God wants us to use our free will to choose to care for everything He has given us] Continue reading on the other side, Caring for the Earth. Give the students a moment to complete each of the boxes as you read it together.

6 Lesson Activity 5:35/7:35 (15 minutes) St. Francis Ask the students if they remember what a Saint is. Make sure they know that Saints are Holy people They put God first during their lives They are models for us we are called to act like Saints NOW They are in heaven now (a person cannot be officially declared a Saint by the Catholic Church until after they die) We can ask them to pray for us St. Francis of Assisi is known for his love for all of God s creation, and most known for his kindness to animals. His feast day is October 4 th, and often churches have a pet blessing in which you can bring your pet to church and have it blessed by a priest. Sometimes the prayer can go like this: O God of all creation, We are amazed at the beauty and variety of all of your creatures. They have been blessed by you and given a very special purpose in life. May we always care of them with kindness and respect. Help us to learn about loyalty and unselfish love from our pets. We ask you to bless all animals, especially (say the name of your pet/s). Amen Pass out the play scripts. Assign parts to volunteers and have them read the Brother Francis play.

7 A Play: Brother Francis Cast: Storyteller Brother Juniper Brother Bernard Brother Francis Brother Leo Birds (any number) Storyteller: Here is a story about Saint Francis of Assisi. One day long ago, Francis and some of his friends were walking along a road. Brother Bernard: Brother Francis, look at the field over there! It is filled with all kinds of birds. Storyteller: Francis walked to the field. The birds did not fly away. Instead, they gathered around him. Francis knelt down and began to preach to them. Brother Francis: My little ones, God made you and cares for you. You need not plant because he feeds you. God lets you build your nests in his trees. He gave you wings so that you can fly high in his sky. Your feathers keep you warm in winter. With your beautiful voices, you can praise God for his goodness! Storyteller: Francis stood up and blessed the birds with the Sign of the Cross. All the birds flew away, praising God with their songs. Brother Juniper: Brother Francis: Brother Francis, the birds seem to understand what you tell them. Yes, and they praise God for his goodness. God is good to us too. He loves and cares for us even more than for the birds. God has called us to be holy. He sent his Son, Jesus, to show us how to

8 know, love, and serve him. We can be happy forever with God in heaven. Brother Leo: All the Brothers: Brother Juniper: Let s praise God now for his goodness to us. Be praised, O God, for all your goodness! Bless us too, Brother Francis. Storyteller: Francis made the Sign of the Cross over his brothers. They walked on with joyful hearts.

9 Closing Prayer 5:50/7:50 (10 minutes) Draw attention to today s Bible verse Genesis 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. Yay creation! Go around the room and have the students share: If they could fill their back yard with one thing from God s creation, what would it be? Read p.6 of the Catholic Youth Bible, the In the Beginning insert Pass out the bookmarks and remind the students that THEY ARE GOD S GREATEST CREATION. EVERYTHING HE MADE IS GOOD, INCLUDING THEM Introduce the prayer with the Sign of the Cross: By the word of our Lord the heavens were made By the spirit of our Lord was life begun By the wisdom of our Lord his laws were laid By the love of our Lord was born his Son By the grace of our Lord mankind was saved By the power of our Lord the victory was won Amen I appreciate all that you are doing thank you! No class next week Happy All Saint s & All Soul s Day

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15 Scripture Verse Quiz 4 th grade Session 4/God our Creator/Created in His Image Name date Fill in the blanks to complete the Bible citation and verse, or as much as you remember, from Session 3/Old Testament and Hebrew Scripture. Do your best on the spelling. Bible Verse: 2Timothy : All is inspired by and is useful for, for reproof, for and for in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to may be proficient, equipped for every. Scripture Verse Quiz 4 th grade Session 4/God our Creator/Created in His Image Name date Fill in the blanks to complete the Bible citation and verse, or as much as you remember, from Session 3/Old Testament and Hebrew Scripture. Do your best on the spelling. Bible Verse: 2Timothy : All is inspired by and is useful for, for reproof, for and for in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to may be proficient, equipped for every.

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