FOCUS: In this chapter, you will be helping your child to

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1 1 2 Jesus Is with Us in His Church understand that the Holy Spirit guides and cares for the Church through its leaders. In Baptism, Jesus has made us children of God and members of his Church, the family of God s people. He remains with us through the Holy Spirit and unites us with himself and with one another. From its very beginning, the Church has been a community united in the Lord, sharing beliefs, experiences, and even material goods. Saint Thomas Aquinas compares the role of the community to the life-giving role of a mother. Just as babies in their mothers wombs are sustained by their mothers nourishment, young baptized Christians depend on the Christian community for the development of the gifts they receive in Baptism. The faith, hope, and love given with the grace of Baptism need a positive, nurturing environment if they are to grow. The Church accepts, loves, supports, forgives, encourages, and educates each person. As a Christian family, we are strengthened as we gather around the table of the Lord. John 21:1 19 Jesus and Peter Isaiah 2:3 Go to God s House. 818, , , explain how Baptism has made us members of the Church. express a sense of belonging to the Church. explain the holiness of the Church and acknowledge a responsibility to contribute to it and make it holier. describe how the Holy Father leads and serves the people of God as Jesus visible representative. identify themselves as members of the Catholic Church. Catholic pope Catholic Church the family of Christians who have the pope and bishops as their leaders Church God s family Holy Father another name for the pope pope the leader of the Church We Share God s Love with Others understand that we live the Mass by loving and serving the Lord and one another. Saint Catherine of Siena was once asked how we could adequately express our love for God, since everything we have comes from God. Catherine answered that we have only one thing we can offer God that is of value to God: we can give our love to people who are as unworthy as we are of God s love. At the conclusion of the Mass, the priest or deacon dismisses us, sending us to live a life of love and service for God and for others, praising and blessing the Lord in all that we do. This attitude of thanksgiving is our effort to bring the mind and heart of Jesus Christ to our daily duties. Every celebration of the Eucharist imbues us with Christ s presence, which we reflect by showing greater strength and vitality in situations that challenge us to express his love to others. Mark 14:22 24 The Last Supper Isaiah 61:1 Help and Heal 1391, , 1416 explain that Mass ends with Jesus call to go in peace. explain that God can help us make the best of difficult circumstances. suggest ways to overcome obstacles to loving and serving the Lord. review Chapters 15 through 22 on the Mass and Holy Communion. demonstrate his or her understanding of the concepts presented in Unit 4. Blessed Sacrament tabernacle 124 Home Learning Guide

2 3 4 God Blesses Contrite Hearts understand that God forgives us when we are sorry for our sins. The woman at Simon s house knelt at Jesus feet. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to catch sight of Jesus. Peter looked at him as Jesus left the judgment hall. Each of these encounters with the Lord was a turning point for the person involved. These people had their sinfulness revealed to them, and they received God s forgiving love. Their joyful gratitude found expression in a new and deeper relationship with the Lord as they realized that, in spite of their sinfulness, he loved them and desired their love in return. Trusting in his help, they exposed themselves to the brightness of his light and the warmth of his love. They allowed his grace to call forth their best, but they never forgot that their individual capabilities were a gift from God. No matter what they did for the Lord, it was merely a humble response to his great love for them. Luke 7:36 50 Jesus and the Woman at Simon s House Luke 15:4 7 The Shepherd and His Lost Sheep Luke 18:10 14 The Two Men in the Temple Luke 19:1 10 Jesus and Zacchaeus Luke 22:31 62 Jesus Forgave Peter. 1 John 1:9 God Forgives Our Sins , 1429, 1439, 1484 describe God s forgiving love as expressed in the story of Jesus forgiving Peter. demonstrate a desire to turn to the Lord with contrite hearts to receive his forgiveness. recall some stories from the Bible about sorrow for sin and forgiveness. identify his or her need of the Holy Spirit to know and be sorry for sins. review how to make a daily examination of conscience and realize its importance. conscience examination of conscience God s Sorrowing and Meek People Receive a Special Promise FOCUS: Jesus teaches us that the sorrowing will be comforted and the meek will inherit the earth. Those who live the Christian life in its fullness experience within themselves an inexhaustible supply of strength. Because of their utter confidence in the Lord, our Blessed Mother and the saints faced the trials in their lives with the love, joy, peace, and patience that are the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We all have shortcomings that can keep us from enjoying these Fruits of the Spirit. Saint Francis de Sales confessed he had to struggle throughout his life to master his impatient disposition, yet he eventually became known for his amiable serenity in extremely difficult situations. Francis urges us to invoke God s assistance by praying Lord, have mercy on me whenever we are tempted to respond to someone with irritability or impatience. Then he suggests a method for acquiring a gentle nature so that we might receive the heritage God promised to the meek and the humble of heart. Matthew 26:39 Doing the Father s Will Luke 19:41 44 Lament for Jerusalem Isaiah 41:10 God Cares for Us and Gives Us Strength. 164, 1521, 1820, 2262 explain how Saint Francis de Sales overcame his temper to become a model of gentleness. describe ways to respond to provoking situations with gentleness. review what he or she has learned about the first three beatitudes. describe how some of the saints lived these beatitudes. describe the first three beatitudes. Word Your Child Should Know salvation humble meek; gentle; not proud or boastful meek patient; gentle part 2 Working With Your Children and Christ Our Life: New Evangelization Edition 125

3 5 6 Christians Are Faithful in Love understand that God wants us to respect the gift of sex and wants married people to be faithful. Human dignity and sacredness, already present at conception, are rooted in the fact that each human being is created by God in his image and likeness. Our first obligation, therefore, is to be faithful to our own inherent dignity. If we respect and reverence our own bodies, minds, and souls, we are able to respect and reverence those of others. One of the strongest bonds cementing any relationship is faithfulness. God is faithful to his people. Christ is faithful to his Church. Husband and wife are faithful to each other. Friend is faithful to friend. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the Clean of Heart. 1 Corinthians 3:16 You Are the Temple of God. Acts of the Apostles 5:32 We Are Witnesses of the Good News , 2349, 2354, , 2380 explain why we show a special reverence for the gift of sex. explain the meaning and purpose of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments. describe how being chaste requires grace, self-control, and courage. identify and know how to respond to situations that endanger chastity. explain how making the right decision in small matters aids us to do so in great ones. chastity covet adultery the sin a married person commits when he or she is not faithful to the love promised at marriage sexuality our state of maleness or femaleness Isaiah Proclaims the Promised Messiah understand that Isaiah called the people to be faithful and spoke of a suffering servant to come. The prophet is a person of vision who sees how the present leads to the future. The prophet sees beyond a world in turmoil to the glory of a future age. The prophet dwells in the here and now but also abides outside of time, for the prophet speaks God s eternal Word. We are all called to be prophets, speaking God s Word in our time. We are to care passionately for the state of affairs, while trusting in God to be God. To see the great light leading us onward, we must tear down all barriers that cast shadows: hardness of heart, self-pity, pride, selfishness, and refusal to forget yesterday s pain. The Book of Isaiah The Prophet Proclaims the Promised Messiah. Matthew 7:21 23 Do the Father s Will. 208, describe Isaiah s call, his work, and the Book of Isaiah. identify ways to respond to situations with trust in God. identify Jesus as the suffering servant of whom Isaiah spoke. trace important events in Salvation History. identify key passages from Isaiah. Amen holy Assyria powerful nation that conquered Israel and exacted a tribute from Judah Isaiah prophet of Judah who foretold characteristics of the Messiah; he warned that Israel would be conquered but God would preserve a remnant of the people Second Isaiah chapters 40 through 55 of the Book of Isaiah, written by a disciple of Isaiah seraphim the highest order in the hierarchy of angels (mentioned in Isaiah 6:2); seraphim are God s attendants, and they also proclaim his glory Third Isaiah chapters 56 through Home Learning Guide

4 7 8 The Victory of Jesus Jesus the Risen Lord understand that Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and is still with us. The Resurrection is God s guarantee that those who trust the Father and follow his plan through the mystery to the end, as Jesus did, will have victory. In the upper room, Jesus appears and shows his wounds. He says, in essence, My friends, look what they tried to do to keep me away from you. But they could not do it. Because love is stronger than death. A band of frightened disciples had an experience of the risen Christ that radically changed them. Christ had broken the power of death. They could share his power; through Baptism, they would share eternal life with him. The deepest of all desires is the desire for life, and Jesus fulfills this desire forever. The Church is a saved and saving community. Whenever a Christian stands up for truth, fights an unjust status quo, or speaks up for a neighbor despite opposition, he or she is joined by others who proclaim the Gospel of the risen Christ. Luke 24:1 11 The Resurrection of Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:54 55 Christ Is Victorious Over Death. Romans 6:5 United with Christ , , describe the significance of the Resurrection and the appearances of the risen Lord. identify ways the risen Jesus is present. discuss what sacramentals are. describe the significance of the Ascension. respond to Christ s call to be a witness to the world. apostle Ascension Key Term for Your Information sacramentals objects, words, and actions that are sacred signs given by the Church and which can make us holy by the prayers of the Church and by the way we use them The Way of Worship understand that Sunday is to be a day for worship and rest. The best witness we can give to God s place in our lives is our worship. Worship begins in the heart. We love God and want to respond to God s goodness. As members of the Church, we worship by participating in the Eucharistic Liturgy for each Sunday. We join together as a community of Christ s faithful followers to praise the Father in and through Jesus. Through his Church, Christ calls us to deeper friendship with himself and offers us salvation. We experience his nearness, and we are transformed, nourished, and impelled to recognize God s presence in the entire Christian community, especially in our families. Sunday is the high point of the week for the Christian community. We set aside one day to re-create and renew ourselves by enjoying the beauty in the world around us and by revering the people with whom we live. Exodus 20:8 The Third Commandment Psalm 95 Bow Down in Worship describe the Eucharist as the center of Christian life. identify ways to celebrate Sunday with his or her family and parish community. explain the Church s liturgical calendar. identify the holy days of obligation. identify the terms and procedures for liturgy preparation. holy day of obligation Lord s Day Sabbath liturgical year Key Term for Your Information ritual an established, ordered procedure for celebrating a religious ceremony part 2 Working With Your Children and Christ Our Life: New Evangelization Edition 127

5 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