Lent: becoming an ambassador of mercy February 21, 2016 Ignite Catechist and Peer Lesson Plan OBJECTIVES For the teens to grow in understanding and faith about the meaning of Lent For the teens to incorporate the Parish theme of Mercy into their Lenten journeys OVERVIEW I. 4:00-5:10pm- Teen Mass II. 5:10-5:20pm - Hospitality in the Narthex III. 5:20-5:30 - Large Group/attendance in Church IV. 5:30-7:00pm Small Group Lesson Plan Start the small group with 5-10 minutes of the following activities: Ice breakers ex. Happy/crappy. There is a list of additional ice breaker resources on the HF Flame webpage. God Sightings Ask the group to report any times where they saw God or felt His presence throughout the week since you last met. The lesson s activities include the 6 components that should be in every faith lesson: Community Building Scripture Shared experiences by adults and teens Catholic Theology and learning I learned statements Putting our faith in action or lived experience. Remember to utilize your peer ministers! Please work through the lesson, choosing the activities you feel will best connect with your group. Stop by 6:45 to cover the remaining items: I Learned Allow time to share what the teens have learned. There is always a spot on the handout for the teens to write this portion of the lesson. This can be done verbally as well. It is important for you to be able to assess if the teens in your group are meeting the objectives of the lessons. Peer Ministers can be utilized here to help you make sure teens are engaged and learning. Encourage students to take packets home and share with their parents or families Social Action and Challenges for the week (Lived Experience) Discuss ways to put the ideas from tonight into action Closing Prayer & Dismissal: Ask group members to share personal intentions. End with your covenant prayer if you didn t start with it. 1
Background for Catechists and Peers Vocabulary for Lent Lent Forty days that help us prepare for Easter (the forty days do not include Sundays). Almsgiving Giving of food, money, clothing etc to the needy Abstinence Giving up a particular type of food as an act of penance or spiritual discipline: in Catholicism, avoidance of meat on certain days. Candidate those baptized in another Christian faith, who wish to become Catholic. Triduum the three days of the liturgical year that begin with the Mass of the Lord s Supper on Holy Thursday include Good Friday, Holy Saturday and end with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday The official beginning of Lent Holy Thursday The official end of Lent and the beginning of Triduum Purple The liturgical color of Lent Three traditional pillars of Lent Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving Lent is the time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the Pascal mystery in the Easter Triduum, the season during which believers focus on penance for sin. Since 1970, Lent has officially started on Ash Wednesday and ended on Holy Thursday when the Triduum begins. If you count the days from Ash Wednesday through Holy Thursday you get 44. Subtract the six Sundays, which are considered feast days when we don t fast and you get 38. Then if we add Good Friday and Holy Saturday you get 40. Confusing at best! The solemn liturgies of the Triduum are the most important liturgies of the Church year. The washing of the feet after the gospel of Holy Thursday is followed by the of the Passion and the veneration of the cross on Good Friday. At the Easter Vigil, the darkness and grief of Good Friday is broken by the blessing of the new fire and the Pascal candle, the singing of the Easter proclamation, the first sounds of the Alleluia, and the sacramental initiation of the catechumens. These are ceremonies we can experience at no other time of the year. As we participate in them each year, they teach us the meaning of Christ s life, death and resurrection, not in words alone, but in symbols and rituals: in fire, in water, in darkness, in light, in walking, in kneeling, and standing again. Lent is like a retreat. It is a time of prayer, fasting and sharing with the poor or almsgiving. Lent is the preparation of our hearts and minds for the celebration of new life in the Triduum. When you hear the word Lent, what picture comes to mind? Is it penance, purple, fish, ashes, fasting, giving up movies? Many Catholics associate these images with Lent. Sometimes we think of Lent as fasting and being remorseful, but we need to think of Lent in relation to our Baptism. Baptism is an image of new life our new life that changes us so radically that we are different marked forever. Lent is the time for catechumens and candidates to continue their preparation for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. It is a time for those of us who are 2
already baptized to reaffirm what the sacrament of Baptism means in our lives; our personal, spiritual opportunity for renewal of faith and conversion. Before Jesus began his work of teaching and healing, he went to the desert for forty days to pray and fast. It was his way of preparing for the road ahead of him, the road that would lead him to his passion, death and Resurrection. In memory of Jesus time in the desert, the Church observes Lent. Lent is a special season of the Church year that is the preparation for the mysteries of Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts forty days, until Easter (the forty days do not include the Sundays during Lent). On Ash Wednesday people come to church to receive ashes on their forehead, a reminder that without God we are simply dust. During Lent we focus on our sinfulness and try to change our ways to better follow Christ. As in Advent, Lent is another season for preparing ourselves, however during Lent we are preparing ourselves for Easter instead of Christmas. Many people do things that help them focus on God during Lent. They might fast from food, spend extra time in prayer, contribute to causes that help poor people, and reach out to people who are in need of extra help and prayer. As Christians, sometimes we give up things during Lent. This signifies our willingness to change our lives. Instead of giving things up, some Christians try during Lent to do more. In other words, instead of giving something up, they perform acts of kindness that they would normally not do. Either way, giving something up or doing extra things for others, it signifies a willingness to change our lives. Lenten sacrifices are not a negative giving up of something, but rather they direct us to a positive goal, a joyful reunion with God. This change does not need to be something really big. It is like a seed that is planted, something good in itself, but only in its proper time. For most of us, moving on means letting go of something good in order to get an even greater good. It may mean planting small seeds (doing good deeds) and looking forward to a good harvest. Lent provides a valuable opportunity to step back and remind ourselves that we are part of a larger community. During Lent the laws of fasting and abstinence call us to reflection, sorrow for sin, and a more serious approach to Christian life. Catholics who have completed their fourteenth year are required to observe the law of abstinence on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. Abstinence means that on these days we do not eat meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days on which Catholics over the age of eighteen are obligated to fast (eat only one meal). Parish Theme for Lent: Mercy At Lent we will look at our faith journey through the lens of mercy. Mercy is a virtue that influences one to be compassionate, forgiving, and kind. The ways that we, as Catholics, can live as disciples of Jesus and members of the Church include the Works of Mercy. 3
The Corporal Works of Mercy (acts of love that help us to care for the physical and material needs of others) Feed the Hungry Give Drink to the Thirsty Clothe The Naked Visit the Imprisoned Shelter the Homeless Visit the Sick Bury the Dead The Spiritual Works of Mercy (acts of love that help us to care for the needs of people s hearts, minds and souls) Admonish the Sinner Instruct the Ignorant Counsel the Doubtful Comfort the Sorrowful Bear Wrongs Patiently Forgive all Injuries Pray for the Living and the Dead Scripture Mark 1:12-13 Jesus in the desert for forty days Before Jesus began his work of teaching and healing, he went into the desert for forty days to pray and fast. It was his way of preparing the road ahead of him, the road that would lead him to his passion, death and Resurrection. Matthew 10:9 Jesus sends out the Twelve Christ tells his followers they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road. Questions for discussion What does Lent mean to your family? How does your family celebrate Lent? Does anything change? Why? Why not? Have you heard of prayer, fasting and almsgiving the traditional spiritual practices of Lent? Have your students define prayer, fasting and almsgiving in their own words before you read the definitions below. What s happening in the world around you as you begin to renew your life? What are the major news events? Where is the division in the world, in your life? When do you take time to reflect on your experience of God s grace? As Baptism was for Jesus, what has been a God experience in your life? This Lenten season, how do you see yourself responding to Jesus as an admirer or as a follower? 4
Who is at the receiving end of your gifts? Who are you helping? How have you put your faith into action? When we put our faith into action through mercy, does it strengthen our faith? How? Why? How would your life change if you saw Christ in everyone? Lent Trivia Game: Split the class into teams and have one student write down the answers to each question. After the entire quiz has been read out, reveal the correct answers! 1. Lent officially starts on: a. Good Friday b. Ash Wednesday c. Holy Thursday d. Fat Tuesday 2. The law of requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday a. Penance b. suffering c. vegetarianism d. abstinence 3. Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for a. Easter b. Good Friday c. Spring d. Christmas 4. What is the Paschal Triduum (also known as the Holy Triduum or Easter Triduum)? The final three days of Lent and Holy Week and thus the last three days before Easter Sunday. The Paschal Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday and continues until the start of the Easter Vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday 5. What are the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance (what three things do Catholics do during Lent)? Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Talk about what to give up for lent go beyond the traditional. Come up with a class Lent Obligation. Which ones bring you peace? What could everyone in the class try? Why do we, as Catholics, have this tradition? Don t gossip; write an affirmation note each time you slip up and gossip Don t use emojis during lent; instead talk about your true feelings Don t use certain apps (Snap Chat, FaceBook, etc.) Get to know someone new who may not have many friends Stop complaining and/or being negative Give up texting and call whomever you need to talk to Give away 10 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, and a pair of shoes When you wake up, jump out of bed, kiss the floor, and learn humility Ask your mom or dad to turn off the radio in the car talk or ride in peace Everyday do 20 (or 100) pushups and offer it up for someone who s sick Leave a post-it with a positive message on it when you go out in public Cut out all screen-time (phone, TV, computer) after dinner Use your weekends to babysit for free or to volunteer somewhere new 5
Don t straighten or curl your hair Write letters to the important people in your life Give God 30 minutes of reflection and quiet every day Sit and stand up straight don t slouch! Every day take a picture of something or someone you re grateful for and hang the pictures in your room Pray before every meal, even at school or in public (can be silently) Pray the rosary (you may have to look this one up!) Share your faith with those around you in whatever way you can. #lent #stationsofthecross @holyfamily.teenfaith Discussion Questions: What is something you can do right now to change one thing in this world? Can you make a difference in the world? What did I believe about Jesus when I was five years old? When I was ten years old? What do I believe about Jesus today? How and why had my faith in Jesus changed as I have grown and matured? Does the death and resurrection of Jesus really affect the way I live my live? If yes, in what way? If no, why not? Have you fasted during Lent previously? Do you have friends of other faiths that fast? Can fasting lead to positive changes lasting beyond the season of Lent? What kind of changes? Prayer during Lent One of the ways we can strengthen our relationship with God is through prayer. Challenge the kids to make a commitment to pray on a regular basis during lent. Give them the acronym PRAY: P= praise and thanksgiving- praise God and thank Him for all the blessings in your life R= Repent- Take a serious look at yourself. What thing do you want to change or strengthen with God s help. Where have you sinned? Are you in need of forgiveness. A= Audit- In what way s do you need God s help? This is a time to pray for others as well. Y= Yield. Concentrate on your breathing and try to keep your mind focused. It is in the silence that God speaks to us. 6
Practice this as a guided meditation Ask the kids to close their eyes and quiet their minds and bodies and to focus on praying as they listen to your words; they could also chose to take notes on their handout The letter P in pray is for Praise and Thanksgiving. Call to mind all of the blessings God has given to you. What things are you thankful for? Who has God put in your life to love you? Has God answered a prayer? Thank God for these people and things and answered prayers. Think of the wonderful, beautiful world God has created. The mountains the oceans.the forests.a sunset.bring to mind a beautiful place in nature that you have experienced.praise God for His creation as you think about this place. The letter R is for Repent. Repent means to take a good look at yourself. What things do you need God s help with? Have you sinned? Are there places in your life where you need forgiveness? Do you want to be closer to God? Ask Him to help you. A is for ask. Are there people in the world that are suffering? Are there people in your life, family, friends that need God s help? Who are they? Pray for God s help for the needs of others. The Y is for yield. This is where you clear your mind. Focus on your breathing and relaxing your body. Listen for God to speak to you in the silence. Finish with a few minutes of silence and then ask the kids to open their eyes. Let them know that they can follow this formula for praying at home as well. 7