SPIRIT PARISH EDITION. Grade 5 Sample Session 4

Transcription

1 SPIRIT of TRUTH PARISH EDITION Grade 5 Sample Session 4 Included here is one sample session from the 5th grade Spirit of Truth, Parish Edition catechist s guide, followed by the corresponding pages from the 5th grade student workbook. Order the full Grade 5 books at SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org/SpiritofTruth

2 SESSION 4 Exploring the Sacraments What students will learn: The sacrificial lamb was a sign of the Passover that saved the Israelites from the Angel of Death. Human beings can know God through signs and symbols. Grace is the free and undeserved gift of God s life in us that we must receive in faith and thanksgiving and use to honor and serve God. The Sacraments are signs of grace that give us God s divine life. What students will do: Look at sacred art. Come up with a list of things that are real but invisible. Brainstorm important symbols and traditions in their own lives. Take notes for a Sacrament overview. Compare the lamb in the Passover story with Jesus, The Lamb of God. 1

3 Session at a Glance Workbook pages your students will complete: The Sacrificial Lamb (page 37) The Sacrificial Lamb Discussion Questions (page 38) An Overview of the Seven Sacraments (page 41) The Passover Story (page 42) Reasons to Sacrifice (page 39) Other materials you will need: Drawing paper and markers/colored pencils Vocabulary your students will learn: Grace: The free and undeserved gift of God s life within us. The Sacraments are efficacious signs of God s grace. Sacrament: A sign of God s grace that gives the grace that it signifies. Jesus instituted the seven Sacraments and entrusted them to the Church to dispense divine life. Passover: The central even of the Exodus. By sacrificing a lamb, the Isrealite homes would be passed over by the plague of death. Mystery: Derived from the Greek word mysterion, it is interchangeable with the Greek word sacramentum, from which we derive the word Sacrament. Both mean the same thing: a visible sign of God s grace. Prayer for this session: Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 2 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

4 Session Plan Choose from a warm-up and activities. Warm-Up A. Begin with the prayer for this session. B. Have students turn to the image of The Sacrificial Lamb (page 37). Give students several minutes to quietly view the art before you say or ask anything. C. Once several minutes have passed, ask your students the following questions: What do you first notice about this work of art? What do you like about this work of art? How does this painting make you feel? What kind of animal is in this picture? A lamb. This painting is called The Sacrificial Lamb and was painted by a woman named Josefa de Ayala in the seventeenth century. What do you think is going to happen to the lamb? D. Put students in small groups and have them turn to The Sacrificial Lamb Discussion Questions (page 38). Have them discuss the questions with each other. During this time, focus on keeping students intent on the artwork and the discussion questions, letting their conversations go in unexpected ways. Activity 1 A. Have students turn to Reasons to Sacrifice (page 39). Read the essay aloud as students follow along. Address any difficult words or concepts as you read together The Sacrificial Lamb BY JoSEFA DE AYALA ( ) Acquired by Henry Walters with the massarenti collection, The Sacrificial Lamb Discussion Questions The Sacrificial Lamb by Josefa de Ayala ( ) Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates. Conversation Questions 1. Why do you think the lamb is tied up? 2. Read 1 Peter 1:18-19: [You] were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. How does the painting help you understand the Bible passage? 3. Do you think the lamb is still alive? Why do you think the artist chose to paint the lamb in that condition? 4. Why do you think the lamb has a halo? What do halos normally represent? 5. Why do you think there are flowers on the table before the lamb? 6. How can the way the lamb is shown in the painting be compared with Jesus? Explain. Reasons to Sacrifice Directions: Read the information and answer the questions. 3. What are the four main reasons for offering animal sacrifice? M any ancient peoples frequently 3. A new beginning by swearing an oath. offered animal sacrifices to God. While unusual by today s standards, An animal sacrifice involved killing the the sacrificed animal sealed the oath in sacrificial animal and offering its life to blood. The persons entering the new God. This sometimes involved cooking relationship agreed that their blood and eating part of the animal. Other times would be spilled if they failed to uphold it involved burning the remains of the their agreement. animal. One of the most common sacrificial 4. Sorrow for sins. This was the most animals was Reflection a lamb. A lamb Question is an animal common form of sacrifice. The that willingly follows and is obedient to If we have experiences similar to those consequence of our ancient for ancestors, sin is death, what but are it some its shepherd. Therefore, lambs came to ways today that we use symbols and traditions is a price to too mark high the for important anyone to moments pay. of symbolize obedience and innocence to our lives? Therefore, the sacrifice was made to pay ancient people. part of the price that the person could We can identify four main reasons for never fully pay. offering animal sacrifice: In other words, sacrifice was a tradition 1. Joyfully praising God for His glory and to mark important moments and to bring rule over creation. The sacrifice was an about God s blessing in their lives. act of giving back to God what is His. Even though we do not offer animal 2. Thanking God. People understood sacrifices anymore today, we share similar that God gave them all that they had. human experiences. And we continue to Therefore, in gratitude, they could give use symbols and traditions to mark the to God only what they have been given. important moments of our lives. 1. What was involved in offering an animal as a sacrifice? 2. Why was the lamb a common sacrificial animal? Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 3

5 SESSION PLAN B. Go over and complete the questions as a class. Then give students time to respond to the question at the end. C. Call on a few students to share their examples of how we use symbols and traditions to mark the important moments of our lives. If students are struggling, you can volunteer some examples; e.g., birthdays, marriages, award ceremonies, trophies, diplomas, and so forth. D. Explain that humans beings have always used signs and symbols to communicate, to mark important moments in life, and to better understand invisible truths. God knows this is how we work. He created us after all; therefore, He made us this way. God, from the very beginning, has made Himself known to us through signs and symbols that communicate His very nature and life. Activity 2 A. Explain to your students that throughout Salvation History, God makes Himself known to us through signs and symbols. God is near to us, and we can recognize Him in His creation. Specifically, He gives us grace, which is invisible, through physical signs and symbols that we can see. B. Ask if anyone knows what grace is. Write the word grace on the board and define it: The free and undeserved gift of God s life within us. C. Ask students, as with any gift, what should our response be to God s gift of grace? We must receive it in faith and thanksgiving and use it to honor and serve God. The main way that God gives us grace is through the sacraments. An Overview of the Seven Sacraments Directions: Fill in the blanks as your teacher explains the seven Sacraments. Jesus Christ instituted each Sacrament. He entrusted them to the Church to administer them to His people throughout the ages. God s grace is necessary for us to get to Heaven and to become holier. We cannot do either of those things by ourselves. Therefore, it is necessary for us to receive the Sacraments in order to receive God s grace. 1. The water of makes us sons and daughters of God. 2. In, the presence of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to be witness of Jesus Christ. 3. We receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine i n t h e. 4. Our sins against God and His Church are forgiven in. 5. T h e s i c k a r e b l e s s e d i n. 6. A man and woman become united in love and open themselves to the gift of life in. 7. Called men are ordained as priests, servants of God s love, in.. 8. T h e s ea r et h e Sacraments of the Church. These descriptions are not complete, but they help you see how God shares His grace with us in the Sacraments. We will spend a lot more time studying each of these Sacraments this year. D. Write the word Sacraments on the board and define it. The Sacraments are signs of grace that give us God s divine life. Then go on to explain the following mini-lecture. You may wish to have students use An Overview of the Seven Sacraments (page 41) as a note-taking aid: Jesus Christ instituted each Sacrament. He entrusted them to the Church to administer them to His people throughout the ages. God s grace is necessary for us to get to Heaven and to become holier. We cannot do either of those things by ourselves. Therefore, it is necessary for us to receive the Sacraments in order to receive God s grace. 41 The water of Baptism makes us sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit is strengthened within us in Confirmation. We 4 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

6 SESSION PLAN receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine in the Eucharist. Our sins against God and His Church are forgiven in Penance and Reconciliation. The sick are blessed in Anointing of the Sick. A man and woman become united in love and open themselves to the gift of life in Matrimony. Called men are ordained priests, servants of God s love, in Holy Orders. These are the seven Sacraments of the Church. We will spend a lot more time studying each of these sacraments this year, but even in this short explanation, it is easy to see how the grace of God is revealed in these signs and symbols. E. Go over the answers for An Overview of the Seven Sacraments. Activity 3 The Passover Story A. Have students read The Passover Story (page 42) and complete the questions. Then review and discuss the answers. B. When finished, have a student stand and read John 1:29: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. C. Ask students where they have heard these words before. The priest says them at Mass during the Preparation for Communion: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. The Passover Story oses gathered all of us around him to make an Directions: announcement Imagine this morning. that you are an Israelite living in Egypt during the time of Moses. God had given Moses and Aaron Read the another story and answer the questions. D. Ask students how the words of John the Baptist in John s Gospel are similar to the Passover story we just read. At the first Passover, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and spread its blood on their door posts so they would be passed over by the Angel of Death for new life and freedom from slavery in Egypt. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who shed His blood on the Cross as a sacrifice for all to save us from death and slavery to sin. Directions: M Imagine that you are an Israelite living in Egypt during the time of Moses. Read the story and answer the questions. message. Pharaoh was finally going to let us leave Egypt! M oses gathered all of us around him to make an announcement this morning. It has been so long. In the past few weeks God had given Moses and Aaron another God has sent nine plagues to convince the message. Pharaoh was finally going to let us Egyptians, and some of us Israelites too, leave Egypt! that He is real. Each plague has been worse than the last. It The has Nile been has so been long. turned In the past to few weeks blood, and there God have has sent been nine swarms plagues of frogs to convince the and different Egyptians, insects. All and of the some Egyptians of us Israelites too, livestock died. that The He most is real. recent Each plague has been worse caused Egypt than to be the covered last. The in Nile darkness, has been turned to though we had blood, light and where there we have lived. been swarms of frogs and different insects. All of the Egyptians My people, the Israelites, have been slaves livestock died. The most recent plague here in Egypt for many centuries. The caused Egypt to be covered in darkness, Egyptians do not treat us well. No one though we had light where we lived. should be enslaved. I hope we can leave soon. My people, the Israelites, have been slaves here in Egypt for many centuries. The Moses said God is going to send one last Egyptians do not treat us well. No one plague that will finally make Pharaoh listen. should be enslaved. I hope we can leave This time, we have to do something to soon. protect ourselves against what is coming. Moses said God is going to send one last Each family has to sacrifice a year-old male plague that will finally make Pharaoh listen. The Signs on the Door, by James J. Tissot. lamb and spread its blood on the door This time, we have to do something Image to courtesy paul Fearn / Alamy Stock photo posts of our homes. Then we have to share protect ourselves against what is coming. a sacred meal of unleavened bread, wine, the firstborn of every family in Egypt unless and bitter herbs. Each Also, family we has have to to sacrifice eat the a year-old they male follow these The instructions. Signs the Door, by James J. Tissot. roasted meat lamb of the and lamb. spread That its night, blood after on the door Image courtesy paul Fearn / Alamy Stock photo posts of our homes. Then we have to God share said, The blood of the lamb will be a we have all eaten and gone to bed, the Lord a sacred meal of unleavened bread, sign wine, for you, upon your homes; and when I will come through Egypt and strike down the firstborn of every family in Egypt unless and bitter herbs. Also, we have to eat the they follow these instructions. roasted meat of the lamb. That night, after God said, The blood of the lamb will be a 42 we have all eaten and gone to bed, the Lord sign for you, upon your homes; and when I will come through Egypt and strike down 42 Get Ready for the Next Session Review the upcoming session. Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 5

7 37 The Sacrificial Lamb BY JoSEFA DE AYALA ( ) Acquired by Henry Walters with the massarenti collection, SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

8 Answer Key 1. It is a sacrificial lamb. 2. Jesus is the Lamb of God whose blood was shed for us on the Cross and who saved us from sin. 3. Answers will vary. 4. The artist is depicting Jesus as the Lamb of God. It is a holy sacrifice. Halos represent holiness or divinity. 5. Answers will vary. 6. Answers might vary, but students should be reminded that Jesus, the Lamb of God, was like a lamb: obedient to the Father, pure, innocent, undeserving of death, and so forth. Students should begin to connect the sacrifice of the lamb to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 38 The Sacrificial Lamb Discussion Questions The Sacrificial Lamb by Josefa de Ayala ( ) Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates. Conversation Questions 1. Why do you think the lamb is tied up? 2. Read 1 Peter 1:18-19: [You] were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. How does the painting help you understand the Bible passage? 3. Do you think the lamb is still alive? Why do you think the artist chose to paint the lamb in that condition? 4. Why do you think the lamb has a halo? What do halos normally represent? 5. Why do you think there are flowers on the table before the lamb? 6. How can the way the lamb is shown in the painting be compared with Jesus? Explain. Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 7

9 Answer Key 1. Killing the animal and offering its life to God. Sometimes it would be eaten, and other times it would be burned. 2. A lamb willingly follows a shepherd and is viewed as obedient and innocent. Reasons to Sacrifice Directions: Read the information and answer the questions. any ancient peoples frequently Moffered animal sacrifices to God. An animal sacrifice involved killing the sacrificial animal and offering its life to God. This sometimes involved cooking and eating part of the animal. Other times it involved burning the remains of the animal. One of the most common sacrificial animals was a lamb. A lamb is an animal that willingly follows and is obedient to its shepherd. Therefore, lambs came to symbolize obedience and innocence to ancient people. We can identify four main reasons for offering animal sacrifice: 1. Joyfully praising God for His glory and rule over creation. The sacrifice was an act of giving back to God what is His. 2. Thanking God. People understood that God gave them all that they had. Therefore, in gratitude, they could give to God only what they have been given. 3. A new beginning by swearing an oath. While unusual by today s standards, the sacrificed animal sealed the oath in blood. The persons entering the new relationship agreed that their blood would be spilled if they failed to uphold their agreement. 4. Sorrow for sins. This was the most common form of sacrifice. The consequence for sin is death, but it is a price too high for anyone to pay. Therefore, the sacrifice was made to pay part of the price that the person could never fully pay. In other words, sacrifice was a tradition to mark important moments and to bring about God s blessing in their lives. Even though we do not offer animal sacrifices anymore today, we share similar human experiences. And we continue to use symbols and traditions to mark the important moments of our lives. 1. What was involved in offering an animal as a sacrifice? 2. Why was the lamb a common sacrificial animal? 39 8 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

10 Answer Key 3. To joyfully praise God; to thank God; to mark a new beginning; and to express sorrow for sins. Reflection Question: Accept reasoned answers. 3. What are the four main reasons for offering animal sacrifice? Reflection Question If we have experiences similar to those of our ancient ancestors, what are some ways today that we use symbols and traditions to mark the important moments of our lives? 40 Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 9

11 Answer Key 1. Baptism 2. Confirmation An Overview of the Seven Sacraments 3. Eucharist Directions: Fill in the blanks as your teacher explains the seven Sacraments. 4. Penance and Reconciliation 5. Anointing of the Sick 6. Matrimony 7. Holy Orders 8. Seven Jesus Christ instituted each Sacrament. He entrusted them to the Church to administer them to His people throughout the ages. God s grace is necessary for us to get to Heaven and to become holier. We cannot do either of those things by ourselves. Therefore, it is necessary for us to receive the Sacraments in order to receive God s grace. 1. The water of makes us sons and daughters of God. 2. In, the presence of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to be witness of Jesus Christ. 3. We receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine i n t h e. 4. Our sins against God and His Church are forgiven in. 5. T h e s i c k a r e b l e s s e d i n. 6. A man and woman become united in love and open themselves to the gift of life in. 7. Called men are ordained as priests, servants of God s love, in.. 8. T h e s ea r et h e Sacraments of the Church. These descriptions are not complete, but they help you see how God shares His grace with us in the Sacraments. We will spend a lot more time studying each of these Sacraments this year SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

12 The Passover Story Directions: Imagine that you are an Israelite living in Egypt during the time of Moses. Read the story and answer the questions. Moses gathered all of us around him to make an announcement this morning. God had given Moses and Aaron another message. Pharaoh was finally going to let us leave Egypt! It has been so long. In the past few weeks God has sent nine plagues to convince the Egyptians, and some of us Israelites too, that He is real. Each plague has been worse than the last. The Nile has been turned to blood, and there have been swarms of frogs and different insects. All of the Egyptians livestock died. The most recent plague caused Egypt to be covered in darkness, though we had light where we lived. My people, the Israelites, have been slaves here in Egypt for many centuries. The Egyptians do not treat us well. No one should be enslaved. I hope we can leave soon. Moses said God is going to send one last plague that will finally make Pharaoh listen. This time, we have to do something to protect ourselves against what is coming. Each family has to sacrifice a year-old male lamb and spread its blood on the door posts of our homes. Then we have to share a sacred meal of unleavened bread, wine, and bitter herbs. Also, we have to eat the roasted meat of the lamb. That night, after we have all eaten and gone to bed, the Lord will come through Egypt and strike down The Signs on the Door, by James J. Tissot. Image courtesy paul Fearn / Alamy Stock photo the firstborn of every family in Egypt unless they follow these instructions. God said, The blood of the lamb will be a sign for you, upon your homes; and when I 42 Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 11

13 Answer Key 1. Nine. 2. So that the Egyptians and some Israelites too would believe that God was real and to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free. 3. They were slaves and were not treated well. 4. The blood of the lamb was spread on the door posts of the Israelite homes. It would cause God to pass over their homes and spare the firstborn from death. 5. God passed over the Israelite homes, and they were spared from death. see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. This sign that God has given to us will save us from the final plague and allow us to be free. Moses said that from now on, we will have to remember this night always. We will call it Passover because on this night God will pass over our homes and spare us from death. Everyone around me is talking nervously to each other. They are anxious to begin the preparations to protect their families. Some people are scared, but I m not. I know that God loves us and will save us. 1. How many plagues have there been before this announcement? 2. Why did God send the plagues? 3. Why do the Israelites want to leave Egypt? 4. What is the sign that God spoke of, and what would it do? 5. Why would the Israelites have to remember the night of Passover always? 6. Why was the person in this story not afraid? 7. How might the story of the Passover help us to understand better the Sacraments of the Church? He or she believed that God loved them and would save them. 7. Accept reasoned answers. A sacrament is a visible sign of grace that gives us God s divine life. The blood of the Passover lamb served a similar function as a sign of grace that gave life. 12 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

14 Grade 5 Student Workbook Sample Pages

15 The Sacrificial Lamb BY JOSEFA DE AYALA ( ) Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 37

16 The Sacrificial Lamb Discussion Questions The Sacrificial Lamb by Josefa de Ayala ( ) Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates. Conversation Questions 1. Why do you think the lamb is tied up? 2. Read 1 Peter 1:18-19: [You] were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. How does the painting help you understand the Bible passage? 3. Do you think the lamb is still alive? Why do you think the artist chose to paint the lamb in that condition? 4. Why do you think the lamb has a halo? What do halos normally represent? 5. Why do you think there are flowers on the table before the lamb? 6. How can the way the lamb is shown in the painting be compared with Jesus? Explain. 38 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

17 Reasons to Sacrifice Directions: Read the information and answer the questions. Many ancient peoples frequently offered animal sacrifices to God. An animal sacrifice involved killing the sacrificial animal and offering its life to God. This sometimes involved cooking and eating part of the animal. Other times it involved burning the remains of the animal. One of the most common sacrificial animals was a lamb. A lamb is an animal that willingly follows and is obedient to its shepherd. Therefore, lambs came to symbolize obedience and innocence to ancient people. We can identify four main reasons for offering animal sacrifice: 1. Joyfully praising God for His glory and rule over creation. The sacrifice was an act of giving back to God what is His. 2. Thanking God. People understood that God gave them all that they had. Therefore, in gratitude, they could give to God only what they have been given. 3. A new beginning by swearing an oath. While unusual by today s standards, the sacrificed animal sealed the oath in blood. The persons entering the new relationship agreed that their blood would be spilled if they failed to uphold their agreement. 4. Sorrow for sins. This was the most common form of sacrifice. The consequence for sin is death, but it is a price too high for anyone to pay. Therefore, the sacrifice was made to pay part of the price that the person could never fully pay. In other words, sacrifice was a tradition to mark important moments and to bring about God s blessing in their lives. Even though we do not offer animal sacrifices anymore today, we share similar human experiences. And we continue to use symbols and traditions to mark the important moments of our lives. 1. What was involved in offering an animal as a sacrifice? 2. Why was the lamb a common sacrificial animal? Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 39

18 3. What are the four main reasons for offering animal sacrifice? Reflection Question If we have experiences similar to those of our ancient ancestors, what are some ways today that we use symbols and traditions to mark the important moments of our lives? 40 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

19 An Overview of the Seven Sacraments Directions: Fill in the blanks as your teacher explains the seven Sacraments. Jesus Christ instituted each Sacrament. He entrusted them to the Church to administer them to His people throughout the ages. God s grace is necessary for us to get to Heaven and to become holier. We cannot do either of those things by ourselves. Therefore, it is necessary for us to receive the Sacraments in order to receive God s grace. 1. The water of makes us sons and daughters of God. 2. In, the presence of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to be witness of Jesus Christ. 3. We receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine i n t h e. 4. Our sins against God and His Church are forgiven in. 5. T h e s i c k a r e b l e s s e d i n. 6. A man and woman become united in love and open themselves to the gift of life in. 7. Called men are ordained as priests, servants of God s love, in.. 8. T h e s e a r e t h e Sacraments of the Church. These descriptions are not complete, but they help you see how God shares His grace with us in the Sacraments. We will spend a lot more time studying each of these Sacraments this year. Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 41

20 The Passover Story Directions: Imagine that you are an Israelite living in Egypt during the time of Moses. Read the story and answer the questions. Moses gathered all of us around him to make an announcement this morning. God had given Moses and Aaron another message. Pharaoh was finally going to let us leave Egypt! It has been so long. In the past few weeks God has sent nine plagues to convince the Egyptians, and some of us Israelites too, that He is real. Each plague has been worse than the last. The Nile has been turned to blood, and there have been swarms of frogs and different insects. All of the Egyptians livestock died. The most recent plague caused Egypt to be covered in darkness, though we had light where we lived. My people, the Israelites, have been slaves here in Egypt for many centuries. The Egyptians do not treat us well. No one should be enslaved. I hope we can leave soon. Moses said God is going to send one last plague that will finally make Pharaoh listen. This time, we have to do something to protect ourselves against what is coming. Each family has to sacrifice a year-old male lamb and spread its blood on the door posts of our homes. Then we have to share a sacred meal of unleavened bread, wine, and bitter herbs. Also, we have to eat the roasted meat of the lamb. That night, after we have all eaten and gone to bed, the Lord will come through Egypt and strike down The Signs on the Door, by James J. Tissot. Image courtesy Paul Fearn / Alamy Stock Photo the firstborn of every family in Egypt unless they follow these instructions. God said, The blood of the lamb will be a sign for you, upon your homes; and when I 42 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

21 see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. This sign that God has given to us will save us from the final plague and allow us to be free. Moses said that from now on, we will have to remember this night always. We will call it Passover because on this night God will pass over our homes and spare us from death. Everyone around me is talking nervously to each other. They are anxious to begin the preparations to protect their families. Some people are scared, but I m not. I know that God loves us and will save us. 1. How many plagues have there been before this announcement? 2. Why did God send the plagues? 3. Why do the Israelites want to leave Egypt? 4. What is the sign that God spoke of, and what would it do? 5. Why would the Israelites have to remember the night of Passover always? 6. Why was the person in this story not afraid? 7. How might the story of the Passover help us to understand better the Sacraments of the Church? Session 4: Exploring the Sacraments 43