Sessin 1- What is a Vcatin? (18min) 6 th Grade Bys Cathlic Visin f Lve Study Guide Vide: Called: Discver Yur Vcatin The questins we yearn t answer are: "Wh am I?" and "Why am I here?" T find the answers, we need t begin with an understanding f the true desires f ur hearts and hw thse desires align with the Gd wh lves us mre than we lve urselves. Main Pints Gd wants yu t have a full life with cmplete jy Gd has a plan fr us. He made us fr a purpse Gd is calling us nt just t d smething r anther, but t be smene Vcatin- relatinship between wh Gd is and wh yu are; it s nt simply a jb Our identity is a child f Gd. Gd wants t have a clse intimate relatinship with yu Gd made us gd, true, and beautiful and His plan fr yu is t bring that beauty, truth, and gdness t fulfillment. Our vcatin is abut finding ur true identity in Gd Our vcatin is t be in lving relatinship with Gd and t be willing t let Him d with us what He needs t d because He lves us Gd has a plan fr my life; That plan will make me happy; I need t ask Gd in prayer Jesus Christ, by the revelatin f the mystery f the Father and f the Father s lve fully reveals man t himself and makes his supreme calling clear. - Secnd Vatican Cuncil A call by Gd is a call f lve frm lve Himself. Because f Gd s lve he wants t draw us int an intimate relatinship with Himself, s that yu can becme hly accrding t His plan f lve fr yu. Gd wants ur happiness mre than we d Father Traynr makes a distinctin between the jbs he des as a priest and his vcatin as a priest. Why is this distinctin imprtant? What d yu think wuld be persnally fulfilling abut the priesthd? What d yu think wuld be persnally fulfilling abut cnsecrated life? What d yu think wuld be persnally fulfilling abut married life? D yu trust that Gd wants t bring yu happiness in yur life and that His plan fr yu will bring that ultimate happiness? On the ne hand, Father Traynr desired that Gd wuld raise up strng, hly priests fr the Church. On the ther hand, he had n desire t be ne f thse strng, hly priests. S he prayed a very curageus prayer: Father, if yu want me t be a priest, I need Yu t give me the desire t be a priest! Why is this a curageus prayer? Jeremiah 29:11 Jhn 10:10 Jhn 15:11 Jhn 5:17,19
Sessin 2- What is Discernment? (19min) Gd has called each f us t specific missins, based n wh we are and the gifts he has given us. But hw d we discern that calling? We can start with the classrm f silence an exterir and interir place where we can discver the depths f prayer and learn t hear Gd s vice. Main Pints Yur vcatin is smething that is hardwired int yur very being T discver yur vcatin is t discver wh Gd created yu t be Gd has placed us right here, right nw in this time and place t serve Yu are part f His slutin t the wrld s prblems, part f His cure fr the wrld s sickness, His light t the wrld s darkness Gd knws me and calls me by my name. Gd has created me t d Him sme definite service. He has cmmitted sme wrk t me which He has nt cmmitted t anther. I have my missin. I may never knw it in this life, but I shall be tld it in the next. Smehw I am necessary fr His purpses I have a part in this great wrk: I am a link in a chain, a bnd f cnnectin between persns. He has nt created me fr naught. I shall d gd: I shall d His wrk. - Jhn Henry Cardinal Newman Sme Definite Service Gd has given yu talents and abilities t serve Him in specific ways and nly He knws what yu can d if yu can answer His call Hw d we becme hly? Prayer- need t find a quiet place (sanctuary) t hear Gd s vice Gd desn t want a lng distance relatinship with yu. He wants t be near yu Gd ften whispers int ur hearts and in silence T have an intimate relatinship with smene 4 things usually happen- I knw their thughts, feelings, and desires, and they knw mine Hw d yu make yurself knwn t Gd in prayer?- A.R.R.R. (Acknwledge, Relate, Receive, Respnd) 5 Other Imprtant Things t grw in ur relatinship with Jesus- Scripture, Sacraments, Friendships, Service, Retreat Have yu ever asked yurself the questins: Why am I here? Why has Gd created me? What is my purpse? What des Gd want me t d? Father Martin uses the example f a hammer t demnstrate hw things are designed fr a specific use, a purpse. T use it in ther ways wuld be inefficient and frustrating. What des it mean that yur vcatin is smething hard-wired int yur very being? Father Martin recmmends finding a sanctuary, a place f quiet, where yu can retreat every day in rder t grw in yur prayer life. When was the last time yu were in a place where it was abslutely quiet? Hw wuld yu describe yur experience in that quiet place? Were yu peaceful, r anxius, r bred? Were yu aware f Gd s presence? YuCat: #342, 469-470, 498-499, 503-508
Jeremiah 1:5 1 Thessalnians 4:3 1 Kings 19:11-13 Vide- True Strength: Becming the Man Yu Were Created t Be Sessin 1 The Heart f a Man, Part 1 It's in the heart f a man t be significant, t make his mark n the wrld, t d "great things" n matter hw large r small. That's what it takes t be a real man. But is that true? Is being real the same as being great? This YDISCIPLE study examines the cultural view f being a real man in cntrast t Gd's view and it may be a surprise t find ut what Gd means by great. The wrld ffers yu cmfrt, but yu were nt made fr cmfrt, yu were made fr greatness. - Ppe Benedict XVI Greatness isn t just success at the things yu accmplish and what yu d, but a success at wh yu are St. Maximillian Klbe- vluntarily tk the place f a prisner t be starved t death because the prisner had a family Put all yur gifts, talents, and desires at the service f Gd and thers and then yu will be truly great Can yu think f an example r a stry f a man yu knw wh has made a psitive impressin n yu? What are sme f the bstacles that exist t becming a man f Gd? What temptatins in ur lives can make it hard t becme saints? What is the distinctin between being a man f greatness and ding great things? What are sme qualities f peple wh are truly great nt just a big deal? What s ne thing that inspires yu frm St. Maximilian Klbe s example? Matthew 16:24-27
Sessin 2 The Heart f a Man, Part 2 In this secnd study abut manhd, we'll lk at Gd's call t be men f greatness, as demnstrated thrugh fur distinctive "marks." We'll als learn abut saints wh were sldiers, the virtues f knighthd, and hw t gain real spiritual freedm in the quest fr greatness. Presented by Chris Stefanick. A real man lves Jesus T be cmmitted means t be n a persnal missin t jin yurself tgether with thers. T make f yurself a gift t thers. Mst men are n missin fr themselves When yu wnder abut the mystery f yurself, lk t Christ wh gives yu the meaning f life. When yu wnder what it means t be a mature persn, lk t Christ wh is the fullness f humanity. And when yu wnder abut yur rle in the future f the wrld lk t Christ. - St. Ppe Jhn Paul II Jesus was a true man wh was cmmitted t his bride, the Church, and t thers We see Christ s full manliness when He hung n the crss We need t put Jesus at the center f ur lives, and lk t him as the example f what true manhd is Real men f greatness live fr ther peple We can t be childish and think the wrld centers arund us The wrld desn t need mre rck stars, it needs mre saints that image Jesus Part 3 A real man f greatness serves wmen A real man is smene wh takes all that teststerne we have and puts it at the service f thers and wmen Gd s nt calling yu t kill thse strng desires within yu. He wants t make yu heric and chivalrus We can either becme knights f chivalry r barbarians We need t be curageus and stand up fr the dignity f wmen Purity makes yu a real man because it frees yu up t lve. Lve is impssible withut purity. Blessed are the pure in heart fr they shall see Gd (Matthew 5:8). This is because Gd is lve. We can t see lve withut purity because lve gives itself t anther while lust takes and makes an bject ut f anther Part 4 A real man f greatness frms his heart in virtue Virtue- habit f ding smething gd; Vice- habit f ding smething bad Virtues allw us t live lives t the full and it frees us Freedm is the pwer t d what is gd Tips fr building up virtues t set yu free f yur vices t make yu a real man
1. Examine yur cnscience 2. Have t have accuntability 3. G t Cnfessin Think f a man in yur life wh is an example f true manhd, and wh impacted yur life in a psitive way. What are the qualities that make him a great man? Hw des he reflect the qualities yu see in Jesus? Can yu describe a time when yu r a guy yu knw std up t defend a wman s dignity, r a time when yu didn t but shuld have? Hw will this experience prepare yu t defend the dignity f a wman in the future? D yu have a patrn saint? Wh is a saint yu can ask t help yu becme a persn f greatness? Philippians 2:3-11 Matthew 5:8 Jhn 10:10 Philippians 4:4-9 Sessin 3 Band f Brthers, Part 1 As witnessed in YDISCIPLE grups, men yearn fr mre than just friendship; they want brtherhd true brthers and mentrs wh will supprt them, guide them, and keep them accuntable as they seek t fllw Christ. But where d they find brtherhd, and hw can they be sure it's the right kind? What des brtherhd in Jesus Christ mean?- Brthers that hld yu up, keep yu accuntable, have each ther s backs Jesus teaches all f us t call Gd ur Father which makes all f us brthers Christian brtherhd lets us d things that we never culd ve dne n ur wn. It makes us dependent n ne anther but it means smene else is ging t be building us up 4 key things t brtherhd in Christ Friendship, lyalty, sacrifice, purpse Describe a time when yu were able t d smething because smene had yur back. Hw did their encuragement and supprt get yu thrugh it and help yu accmplish yur gal? The key attributes f true brtherhd in Christ are friendship, lyalty, sacrifice, and purpse. Is there a persn in yur life wh embdies all f these attributes? What are sme examples f living these ut? Wh d yu cnsider t be a part f yur band f brthers right nw? Wh are yur clse friends and yur mentrs? Hw is brtherhd different frm friendship?
Mark 6:7-13 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Sirach 6:14-17 Jhn 15:12-17 Rmans 12:9-21 1 & 2 Samuel (Examples f David and Jnathan s friendship) Bk f Ruth (Ruth and Nami s friendship) Sessin 4: Band f Brthers, Part 2 What des it mean t be a band f brthers when fllwing Jesus? In this cntinuatin f ur discussin abut brtherhd, we'll lk at the biblical stry f a man named David and his friendship with Jnathan, the sn f the king that David is abut t replace. The heart f their relatinship in times f cmraderie and cnflict has a lt t teach us abut the imprtance f ur "band f brthers." The Israelites were terrified f Gliath, but David tk n Gliath and David s curage lifted his brthers up t smething they never thught they culd d. He made them better than they were David becmes friends with Jnathan after the battle. Their friendship is cnsidered ne f the mst prfund in the Bible Gd friendship is lyalty, shared visin, and purpse David and Jnathan std tgether and felt that they culd change the wrld fr the better fr Gd King David falls int laziness, adultery, child ut f wedlck, murder, & cver-up Nathan as a gd brther and friend cnfrnts David abut the sin he cmmitted which leads David t seek frgiveness frm Gd Brtherhd allws us t be better than wh we thught we culd be Part 3 We are n a field f battle, a spiritual battle with cnstant temptatin frm peple t cnvince yu t be smething that yu are nt, t d smething that yu knw yu shuldn t d We need peple standing side by side with us with their shields that will cver the mst vulnerable sides f us in battle Are yu willing t risk smething t have brthers that will have yur back? 1 Samuel 17 Hw des Jnathan help David assume his rle as king? What qualities des Jnathan have that make him a gd friend? What characteristics f brtherhd d David and Jnathan share? Hw is Gd calling yu t help yur friends in the circumstances and challenges f their lives? 2 Samuel 11-12 Hw des Nathan help David repent f his sin and turn back t Gd? Have yu ever been in a situatin where yu had t call smene ut, r where
smene was calling yu ut and yu had t be accuntable? What ways des Gd use yur friend t call yu t be a better man? What kind f impact d yu think a lve fr Gd can have n a friendship? Why is it difficult t really change yur life fr Christ n yur wn? Hw can yur friends yur brthers and sisters help yu t be accuntable t yur values and yur faith? Hw can yu help a brther r sister in Christ wh is struggling t live ut his/her faith? Hw can yu be an encuraging supprt, r kindly call him r her t be strng in faith? Hw can yu bring yur friends clser t Christ? 2 Samuel 11-12 Philippians 1:27 1 Samuel 17:42-47 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12