Activities Teacher s Manual

Activities Teacher s Manual Objective The Catholic Vocations DVD is a resource to be used in Catholic Secondary Schools and Youth Groups. The DVD introduces young people to the four types of Catholic Vocations: Single Life, Married Life, Consecrated Life and Ordained Ministry Permanent Deaconate and Priesthood. It is hoped that the DVD will raise awareness of: Four types of Catholic vocations God s call in the life of each person God s use for our gifts & talents in what he calls us to. Four key steps in a discernment process: look, ask, listen, pray. The contemporary DVD is set in Melbourne and is aimed at young people of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The DVD is to be used as a springboard for further discussion on the topic of Catholic vocations. The DVD could be used as follows: Option A: School/Youth Group Based Using the DVD as an introduction to the theme of vocations, and follow up activities as suggested in this workbook. Option B: Catholic Vocations Forum A panel consisting of a representative from each vocation will share with young people their own vocational testimonies. Young people, then, will have opportunities to ask the presenters questions. The DVD is used throughout the forum. Teachers/leaders are able to use follow up activities as suggested in this workbook at another time. To book a Forum, please contact Catholic Vocations on 9926 5738. Four weeks booking notice is required. Suggested lesson plan for vocations theme work: Brief introduction on the key concept of overall Catholic vocations and discernment. (Refer to the Glossary). Specific definitions will be explored after watching DVD. Watch DVD. Read testimonies and definition/explanation provided in this resource and in the glossary. Use one of the following ways to explore: - Have available for the young people, all the testimonies provided in this resource. The young people are to choose and read one of each vocational testimony. - Divide your group into four group one reads all the testimonies of single, group two reads all the testimonies of marriage, group three reads all the testimonies of consecrated life, and group four reads all the testimonies of the ordained ministry: priesthood or deaconate. Give each of the groups the definition/explanation of the vocation from the glossary. After reading and discussing, each group presents to the larger group the key concepts, challenges, influences and joys, and discusses similarities/differences. Activities provided can be used across all age levels, however, a suggestion could be Activity Sheet 1 (Years 7 9), Activity Sheet 2 (Years 10 12), Activity Sheet 3 for Youth Groups. However, it is encouraged that individual leaders be creative when using these activities. 18

Activity Sheet 1 Vocations Super Hero The young people are asked to create a Vocations Super Hero for one of the Catholics Vocations young people to decide on the following characteristics for their superhero just like the real thing, that is, think Wonderwoman, Superman, Batman, Catwoman, Incredible Hulk. Encourage the young people to be creative in their choice of names and other characteristics. What is the name of the superhero? What superpower/s does your super hero possess? What is his/her trademark/logo? What special costume does he/she wear? Who is your super hero s arch enemy? Who needs this super hero to be in their lives? Activity Sheet 2 Vocations Poster The Catholic Vocations Office has given you the task of creating a vibrant, relevant and contemporary poster about discerning vocations. Use pictures, words, diagrams, colour whatever it is that will get your message across. The poster needs to convey the real message of discernment and needs to be well researched. Remind young people that Catholic Vocations is about the call of God and the response of the individual. God initiates the call and we respond to the call. There is a lot of information about discernment in the discernment section of this resource. You are encouraged to choose the top five posters and send a digital copy of the posters to the Catholic Vocations Office we might be able to use them on our website. Our Saintly Vocations Story St Mary of the Cross MacKillop She is Australia s first saint. She was born in Melbourne. She was the oldest of eight children. Her parents didn t have much money and yet she chose to become a Sister of St Joseph. From your knowledge of her life, or from the knowledge from her website, what were some key elements in her vocational story? www.marymackillop.org.au The website has elements of Mary s life where she spoke openly in letters about being clear of debt before leaving her family. Ask young people to respond to the questions on the activity sheet focusing on the tabs: beginnings and growth. Other Saints Students could choose to focus on another saint, perhaps by visiting the following website and selecting one: www.catholic.org/saints Newsflash Read All About It Many stories appear in newspapers about the declining number of priests, rates of divorce going up, single life being lonely. The young people are asked to think of a positive newsflash for a newspaper. They will need to create the headline and write a short, succinct news flash presenting a positive aspect of one of the Catholic vocations. The limit for the newsflash is 25 words. The young people should endeavour to use only the most important facts in the story. Ask students to write a catchy headline. Encourage the young people to be creative with fonts and designs. Vocations Awareness Young people choose their top three vocations options and list the aspects that are life-giving, challenging as well as how they would use their own gifts and talents. For example, if the young person chose priesthood: Life giving aspects could be: Leadership and teaching the word of God. Pastoral work in serving others Variety of ministries, that is, celebrating the sacraments, being available for young people, families, the sick and dying, etc. Challenges Not having a wife and children of their own Being available 24/7 Celibacy Instability due to moves to other parishes Talents & Gifts Music Joy of living Art Public speaking Listening Ask students to copy to the table on the activity sheet three times. continued on pg 22 19

Activities Teacher s Manual continued from pg 21 Being Called Through the Scriptures, there are many stories of Jesus calling different groups. Read the scripture passage about the call of the disciples by Jesus, Luke 5:1-11. Then ask the young people to think about the things they would need to let go of in regards to each vocations. And what are the things that they gain when they leave those things behind. Example: Consider the four types of vocations: What sacrifices would you make for this vocation? I would be challenged by... I would find the following life giving... How I would use my gifts & talents. Single Life Marriage Consecrated Life Ordained Ministry Read through the following scripture stories and find what is common in each of the stories. John 1:35-50 Call of First Disciples Mark 10:17-22 Call of Rich Young Man Matthew 10:1-40 Call of Twelve Activity Sheet 3 Role Play Young people are to work in pairs; one being the interviewer and the other being the interviewee (switching roles half way through). Tell the young people the interview will take five minutes. Assign each person one type of vocation (try to assign all vocations at least once). You could write the names of the four Catholic vocations on pieces of paper, so young people pull them out of a box/hat. Young people come up with three meaningful questions to ask the one to be interviewed. Then begin the interviews. These don t have to be performed in front of the whole group. The purpose is to immerse the young person into the role of the Catholic vocations and think about how they would cope in that role. Discernment Advice It is hoped that by this activity young people would have read the advice given in each testimony for the different vocations, and be able to reapply this advice for other young people in the school newsletter or parish bulletin. The young people will need to paraphrase in their own words, using key advice given in testimonies, and incorporating the LOOK, ASK, LISTEN, PRAY theme suggested in the DVD. If you come up with any inspiring advice, please submit these to the Vocations Office for use in their quarterly publication Vocations News. Snail Mail This activity encourages and invites a young person to write and send a letter to someone who has chosen a Catholic vocation. Invite the young person to think of someone who is living out their vocation in an exemplary way who shines out, who is a beacon of God s light and love. The letter should thank them and encourage them in their chosen way of life. If possible, encourage the young people to think outside their family, to the parish/school community and beyond. You may need to help the young people find the addresses and address the envelope. Because the activity of handwriting letters is not common to people in the age of your youth group, you may need to help them considerably with the completion of the envelope, maybe even having a sample of an addressed envelope remember to provide stamps. 20

Activity Sheet 1 Vocations Super Heros Create a Vocations Super Hero for one of the Catholic vocations. Use the following headings for your creation and drawing/design. Name your superhero. What superpower/s does your super hero possess? What is his/her trademark/logo? What special costume does he/she wear? Who is your super hero s arch enemy? Who needs this super hero to be in their lives? Newsflash Read All About It Many stories appear in newspapers about the declining number of priests, rates of divorce going up, single life being lonely. It is your task to think of a positive newsflash for a newspaper. Create the headline and write a short, succinct newsflash with a positive aspect of one of the Catholic vocations. Limit your newsflash to 25 words. Give it a catchy headline. Our Saintly Vocations Story St Mary of the Cross MacKillop is Australia s first saint. She was born in Melbourne and was the oldest of eight children. Her parents didn t have much money and yet she chose to become a Sister of St Joseph. From your knowledge of her life, or from the knowledge from her website, what were some key elements in her vocations story. See www.marymackillop.org.au How did she know what God was calling her to do? Did she talk to other people about founding an Australian order? Who encouraged her? What were some of her challenges in her religious life? If you choose to focus on another saint you could visit the following website, choose one to research and write about: http://www.catholic.org/saints/ 21

Activity Sheet 2 Vocations Poster The Catholic Vocations Office has given you the task of creating a vibrant, relevant & contemporary poster about discerning vocations. Use pictures, words, diagrams, colour whatever it is that will get your message across. Your poster needs to convey the real message of discernment and needs to be well researched. Your poster could be displayed around the school/parish (maybe for Vocations Awareness Week), or it might even be used for advertising at the Catholic Vocations Office and/or website. Vocations Awareness Choose three vocations (Single life, Marriage, Consecrated Life or Ordained Ministry) and reflect on aspects that are life giving, challenging and how you could use your own gift and talents in these vocations. My preferred vocation at this stage in my life is: Vocation 1: Vocation 2: Vocation 3: I would find the following life giving... I would be challenged by... I would use my own gifts and talents by... Being Called Read the scripture passage about the call of the disciples by Jesus (Luke 5:1-11). Jesus calls the disciples to leave all and follow him. Consider all of the four Catholic vocations: Single Life Marriage Consecrated Life Ordained Ministry What sacrifices would you make for this vocation? I would be challenged by... I would find the following life giving... How I would use my gifts & talents. Read through the following scripture stories and find what is common in each of the stories. John 1:35-50 Call of First Disciples Mark 10:17-22 Call of Rich Young Man Matthew 10:1-40 Call of Twelve 22

Activity Sheet 3 Role Play You will be given the opportunity to live out one of the Catholic vocations for the next five minutes. You will be encouraged to immerse yourself into the Catholic vocation. What would your life be like? What would you be thinking? How could you answer the questions being asked of you? What would you need to consider before answering the questions? Each person will be given one of the four Catholic Vocations. You will have a chance to be both the one being interviewed, and the one interviewing and asking questions. Discernment Advice If you were writing a report for the School Newsletter or Parish Bulletin, what advice would you give to a young person who is thinking about what to do for the rest of their life? Snail Mail Once upon a time before the internet, people communicated via handwritten letters. I know it s hard to believe, but it s true! Handwritten!!! Imagine that. How special do you feel when you receive a handwritten letter in your mail box, no not your inbox, your letter box at home! You know that the person has taken the time and effort to write the letter to you. You are invited to write a letter of encouragement and thanks to someone you know who has chosen one of the Catholic vocations. It might be a member of your family, parish community, priest, religious brother or sister. Write to them (with paper and pen), telling them how their choice of vocation has impacted upon you, and thanking them for living out their vocation in a visible way. Post your letter to the person. 23