Lesson 30: Love One Another. Love One Another

Transcription

1 Love One Another Background for the Catechist Please take 10 minutes to reflect on the following introduc on to this lesson. Reflection/Doctrinal Reference Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own to the end, he makes manifest the Father's love which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive. Whence Jesus says: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. And again: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (Jn 15: 9, 12) (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1823). Jesus new commandment, Love one another as I have loved you, moves us on even further from the great commandment, You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength and your neighbour as yourself. Jesus new commandment makes his love for us the benchmark for our love for others. Where possible, Chris ans ought to approach others recognising them first of all as fellow sons and daughters of God, intrinsically deserving respect and love. Jesus kind of love is forge ul of self, seeks no reward, is extended to all and culminates in his giving of his life for the sake of others. Student Focus Students of this age have experienced love from parents and extended family. They know that love involves care, concern, discipline and sacrifice. They also know that love requires ac on. Purpose of Lesson Jesus asks us to love one another as he has loved us. Remembering Point Jesus asks us to love one another as he loves us. The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 1 Catechist Sheets

2 Beginning (3 minutes) Welcome the students as usual. Hand out this week s student sheet and gather the students around the prayer focus. Tell the students: Today our response is: Jesus, help us to do as you ask and love one Middle (24 minutes) Let us pray: In the name of the Father Lord, help us to love others like Jesus loved. Lord, help us to forgive others like Jesus forgave. Lord, help us to serve others as Jesus served. Lord, help us to seek God s will as Jesus sought God s will. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Preparation 1. Prayer focus: A candle or an electric tea light, a Bible, a heart, a cross and the cut out shape of a person (see Appendices 30a & 30b on pages xxx xxx). 2. Cut out the hearts, crosses & person outlines and keep them in separate containers. (See Appendices a & b.) 3. Felt p pens, glue or s cky tape, Blu Tack. 4. Student sheets from last week s lesson as well as for this lesson. 5. Scripture texts from lesson A banner made from a three metre length of greaseproof paper. Divide it into three columns. In the le hand column write the heading Love is... ; in the middle write the heading Jesus showed love by... ; and in the right column write the heading I can show love like Jesus by.... Tell the students: Last week we looked at two stories in Jesus life that showed how he loved us. Today in our lesson we are going to take this one step further and look at what it means for us to love one another, just as Jesus loved us. Jesus said, Love one another as I have loved you. What does this mean for us? First of all, let us think about what love is. Organise students into groups of three and distribute two heart shapes to each student (Appendix 30a, page 5). Place the banner on the whiteboard or pin up board or across some desks. Tell the students: In your group, brainstorm answers to the phrase, Love is Can anyone give us an example of what this might be? (Sharing with others, being with someone when you could be elsewhere ) Love is Jesus showed love by I can show love like Jesus by The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 2 Catechist Sheets

3 Invite the students to use coloured felt p pens to write their answers on the heart shapes, one answer for each heart. Have the students glue their hearts onto the banner, in the first column headed Love is. While the students are working, go to each group and listen to what the students are saying. (You will probably hear many of the same ideas and this is fine. Help their thinking by asking a ques on that extends their thinking about the concept of love, e.g. When is love easy? or When is loving someone hard?.) Distribute the crosses, three per group. Hand out the student sheets from last week. Invite the students to take turns in reading the text to the others in the group. Then recall how Jesus showed love in each text and share with each other in the group. Everyone is to listen without interrup on to what each person is saying. Then, when everyone has had a turn, write the sugges ons you are all happy with onto the cutout crosses. Use coloured felt p pens. You can then glue the crosses on to the banner at the front, under the Jesus showed love by heading. Review with the students what they have done so far by looking at the banner of hearts and crosses. Ask the students: What do you see when you look at our banner? (Take all the answers from the students. The purpose is to see what connec ons and links the students can make between love and how Jesus loved. Allow the students to exhaust their contribu ons before you reflect and ask any other ques on.) What do you think the stories of Jesus are saying to us? (Take all the answers from the students.) Tell the students: You can now go back to your groups and each of you is to talk about what Jesus told the disciples when he washed their feet. Tell the students: When you have shared your responses with the others in your group decide which ones you will put on your person outline to s ck on our banner. Hand out the person outlines, one to each student, and invite the students to use a coloured felt p pen to write one of their responses on the shape. Invite the students to s ck their figures on the poster under the heading: I can love others like Jesus by The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 3 Catechist Sheets

4 End (2 minutes) Preparation Invite the students to pray. Let us make the Sign of the Cross together. In the name of the Father Jesus, you showed us how to love, help us to be like you and love others. Dismiss the students as usual. Glory be to the Father The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 4 Catechist Sheets

5 Appendix 30a Banner Shapes Photocopy and cut out enough for one per student. The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 5 Catechist Sheets

6 Appendix 30b Banner Shapes (cont.) Photocopy and cut out enough for one per student. The Good News of Jesus 3 / 4 Year A 6 Catechist Sheets