1 2 God Our Father Is Holy FOCUS: In this chapter, you will be helping your child to understand that we worship God in church by words and actions. History records the reaction of many people who have experienced God s holiness. Their awareness of the gulf between the human and the divine prompted them to acknowledge their sense of the sacred with reverent words and gestures. Conscious of our human need to worship, people through the ages have set aside sacred space. Catholics gather to worship in the sacred space that we call church. It is there that the Lord, who is totally other, makes himself available to us through his Son, present in the Eucharist. We adore Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament and acknowledge our need for his mercy. We spend time with him, talk with him, listen to him, and rest in his presence. In this sacred space, we come to realize the great things the Almighty has done for us. Exodus 3:1 3 The Burning Bush Exodus 33:7 23; 34:6 9 Moses Intimacy with God Psalm 95:6 7 Let Us Bow Down in Worship. 1180 1186, 2691, 2809, 2811 name ways to show reverence in God s presence. describe how Jesus is present in the church building in a special way. identify some of the important objects in a Catholic church and explain their purpose. respond to God s presence in prayer. altar the table on which the priest celebrates Mass Blessed Sacrament the Body of Christ, kept in the tabernacle to be adored and taken to the sick and dying church a sacred building where we worship genuflect to bend the right knee in adoration holy sacred; related to God pew a bench in church on which people sit sanctuary the space in church that is around the altar sanctuary lamp a light that burns continually when the Blessed Sacrament is present tabernacle a container in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept worship to praise God God Speaks to Us understand that Baptism is the beginning of a new way of life of service to others. The Spirit of the Lord given to us at Baptism enlightens us and helps us see things as they really are. Saint John Chrysostom describes the new vision of those whose minds have been illumined by Christ: Whenever grace comes and drives out the darkness from our mind, we learn the exact nature of things; what frightened us before now becomes contemptible in our eyes. We no longer are afraid of death... nor are we afraid of poverty or disease or any such misfortune, because we know that we are on our way to a better life, which is impervious to death and destruction and is free from all such inequality. Twelfth Baptismal Instruction With the light of Christ, we are set out on the path of love. We begin to see that Baptism is but the beginning of a new way of life, and we devote ourselves to deepening the bonds that unite us with God and with others. Mark 7:31 37 Cure of the Deaf Man 1 Peter 2:9 A People of His Own 102 105, 1503 1504 explain that Baptism imparts grace to hear God s word and spread it to others. describe how to use Scripture verses for prayer. demonstrate a knowledge of Baptism and the Church. propose actions that flow from Christian responsibility. plan to use his or her gifts to help others. New Testament Old Testament saint 52 Home Learning Guide www.christourlife.com
God Called Mary 3 4 God Offers Us Eternal Life understand that Mary said yes to God. From the Cross, Jesus gave us his mother, Mary. We honor Mary with the Rosary. The basic prayer of the Rosary is the Hail Mary. The repetition of the Hail Marys is a spiritual canticle as we meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary. Beginning with the Annunciation, we contemplate Mary in the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious events of her life and the life of her Son. As parents, we endeavor to deepen our own love for Mary so that we may be better able to fulfill our mission of teaching the special love and veneration that Mary deserves as Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church, and our spiritual Mother. Luke 1:26 38 The Annunciation John 19:26 27 Jesus Entrusts Mary to John. 484, 494, 971 tell the story of the Annunciation. relate Mary s yes to God s call to his or her own response to God. name ways that God calls us through messengers. describe Mary s message at Fatima. explain the significance of the beads of a rosary and pray the Rosary. understand that knowing and loving God leads to eternal life. We grow spiritually when we surrender ourselves completely to God s loving care and when we listen to God speaking through the Spirit, Scripture, the Church, and all creation. Filled with the gifts God alone can give, we have the strength we need to become all that we can be. Our faith flows from an awareness of God s goodness to us. We trust in the Lord, whose love is so great that he gives us not what we feel or think we need but what will truly benefit us. Belonging to Christ and living in his love can fill us with the same deep happiness that enabled the apostle Paul to give praise to God even in the midst of suffering. Matthew 13:44 Kingdom of Heaven Parable John 14:2 3 A Place in the Father s House 1 John 2:25 Jesus Promises Eternal Life. 160 163, 871 873, 2611 explain that faith empowers Christians to live as true children of God. define the concept of eternal life. describe ways to show Jesus love and goodness through his or her life. explain ways we live our Catholic faith. Annunciation Rosary sacramental angel a spiritual creature who brings a message from God Gabriel one of three archangels mentioned in the Bible (The others are Michael and Raphael.) handmaid a servant girl Gloria Patri the Latin name for the Glory Be to the Father decade set of ten mystery a joyful, luminous, sorrowful, or glorious event from the life of Mary, Jesus, or the Church that is prayed about during the Rosary www.christourlife.com part 2 Working With Your Children and Christ Our Life: New Evangelization Edition 53
5 6 Confirmation Is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit understand that in Confirmation, we celebrate the Holy Spirit within us and renew our baptismal commitment to witness to Jesus. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, we celebrate the fullness of the Holy Spirit within us. We give evidence of the Spirit s influence in our lives by our attentiveness and responsiveness to Jesus Christ for the role of the Holy Spirit is to testify to Jesus. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, helps us to understand the mystery of Christ his fulfillment of the Scriptures and of the Father s will, his words and actions, his Death and Resurrection. The better we understand Jesus, the more effective will be our witness to him and our faith in his teachings. The presence of the Holy Spirit within us makes it possible for us to lead holy lives. Acts of the Apostles 1:6 8 You Will Be My Witnesses. Acts of the Apostles 2:1 41 The Coming of the Spirit John 14:26 We Are Guided by the Holy Spirit. 1285 1289, 1293 1321 tell the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. recognize the significance of Confirmation as a means to strengthen faith. describe the Rite of Confirmation and the responsibilities the sacrament imposes. explain the meaning of the baptismal call to give witness. suggest ways to help the Church, especially by supporting the missions. Advocate missionary Gifts of the Holy Spirit Pentecost Jewish feast celebrating the giving of the Ten Commandments sponsor the Catholic who helps the person to be confirmed to know and to practice the faith witness person who shows by words and actions that he or she believes in Jesus God Offers Love and Mercy understand that from the time of the first human beings, sin entered the world and spread, destroying relationships. We Christians know the story of the Fall, and we are aware of its pain and consequences. We see the effects of sin in a war-weary world. Within each of us there is a tendency toward sin. Yet this weakness is tragedy and triumph. For sin, the happy fault of Adam and Eve, has occasioned the most glorious outpouring of God s love and mercy in the person of Jesus Christ, in the mystery of the empty tomb. With generous love and mercy, God created us and sustains us through life s journey. In Genesis, we see the destructive reality of sin, but we also see that we are never abandoned. Genesis 2:4 3:24; 4:1 16; 6 9; Genesis 11:1 9 How Sin Entered the World 1 Peter 1:3 God Gave Us New Life in Jesus Christ. 376, 388 390, 404, 410 412 identify the evil effects of sin. retell the biblical stories of how sin entered the world and spread. explain that God s faithful love repeatedly offers us mercy and forgiveness as a means to peace. identify ways of responding to failing and faults both one s own and the faults of others. identify the components of a good moral choice. conscience sin ark a place of security or refuge; while traditionally thought of as a boat, an ark can be a container that houses something of great importance, such as the Ark of the Covenant consequence something that happens following an action or a decision reconciliation healing of the separation (caused by sin) between self and God and self and others. sanctifying grace God s life in us ziggurat a temple similar in appearance to a terraced pyramid. 54 Home Learning Guide www.christourlife.com
7 8 The World Jesus Lived In Jesus the Nazarene understand that Jesus was a Jewish man who lived in firstcentury Palestine under Roman occupation. Before Jesus became the glorified risen Lord, he was a man of flesh and blood who experienced life much as we do. The environment in which Jesus lived influenced his teachings and his stories as well as the way people reacted to him. An understanding of the religious, social, and political world at the time of Jesus makes for a better understanding of him and his teachings. It brings the Gospel to life. Jesus life was limited to a particular time and place. Yet his message is for all people who would ever live on earth. Our challenge is to communicate his universal truths and values to the contemporary world. As our children become familiar with the world Jesus experienced and relate it to their own lives, Jesus becomes more real to them, someone who understands their situations and is keenly interested in them. Deuteronomy 6:4 5 The Lord Alone Is God. John 1:14 The Word Became One of Us. John 1:17 Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ. 122, 423 describe the social, geographical, political, and religious situation in Palestine at the time of Jesus. explain how Jesus practiced his religion. identify some of the Jewish feasts. describe what daily life was like in Jesus time. apply knowledge of the world Jesus lived in to passages of the Gospels. Gentiles Pharisees Passover the Jewish feast at the end of spring that commemorates the Exodus Pentecost the Jewish feast of the Ten Commandments and of thanksgiving for the harvest Tabernacles (Sukkot) the fall Jewish feast of seven or eight days to recall the time the Israelites lived in tents (booths) in the desert A People of Prayer understand that the Church deepens its relationship with God through prayer, especially the Eucharistic Liturgy and the Liturgy of the Hours. One who loves needs to be with the beloved, to share thoughts and aspirations, and to listen to others. In the covenantal relationship between God and us, this openness, this sharing and listening, is called prayer. The more one prays, the greater is the desire for prayer, for ever-deeper union. The themes of prayer are beautifully expressed in the Book of Psalms. Like every Jewish person, Jesus prayed the psalms with Mary and Joseph at home, in the synagogue, and in the Temple. Jesus used psalms in his teachings and prayer. Through them, he communicated continuously with his Father. The first Christians met for prayer at regular hours to sanctify all their activities. The Church came to consider these moments as extensions of the Eucharist. And so evolved the official prayer of the Church the Liturgy of the Hours. Matthew 5:44 Pray for Those Who Persecute You. Matthew 6:9 The Our Father Mark 1:35 Jesus Went Off to Pray. Luke 11:9 Ask and You Will Receive. Psalm 52:2 3 The Lord Will Hear My Prayer. 1070 1073, 1174 1178, 1343 1344, 1396, 2607 2616 identify and explain two types of prayer: communal and personal. identify models of prayer: Jesus, Mary, and the saints. assess his or her own prayer habits and practice habits that can improve his or her prayer life. describe the format of the Liturgy of the Hours. Liturgy of the Hours prayer liturgy www.christourlife.com part 2 Working With Your Children and Christ Our Life: New Evangelization Edition 55
GATHER AND GO FORTH CHAPTERS 1 25 Gather and Go Forth S 1-8 FOCUS: The new Gather and Go Forth pages at the end of every chapter respond directly to the Church s call for a New Evangelization. Material shows children how to know, proclaim, witness, share, and invite others to the Good News of Jesus Christ. The new pages encourage children to turn their hearts to God, share with others the Good News through their words and deeds, and take an active part in the life of the Church. Children live their faith and the goals of the New Evangelization when they use various features of the Gather and Go Forth pages: Scripture sidebar Scripture in every chapter helps children grow in understanding and love for God s Word, persuading them to embrace Jesus Christ and his Way. Know and Proclaim Faith facts and associated practices show children our unique identity as a Catholic people so children can be confident inviting others to faith. Test Your Catholic Knowledge A question that aligns with the NCEA IFG: ACRE provides practice in test taking and promotes children s understanding of a key faith concept. A Catholic to Know A brief biography of a saint shows a heroic life of Catholic witness who encourages children to live a life of holiness as a disciple of Jesus Christ. My Way to Faith statements allow children time to reflect on their Catholic beliefs so they can assess where they are on their path to holiness and where they d like to be! Share Your Faith Children are evangelizers when they make a discipleship promise to others, keep it, and then invite others to do the same. 140 Home Learning Guide www.christourlife.com