Apostles Creed. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

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1 Let Us Pray Page 15 The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, (All bow during these two lines.) and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, (All bow during these two lines.) who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. Singing Prayers Some common prayers are also found in the Catholic liturgy, and may be set to music. This is certainly true of the Lord s Prayer and the Nicene Creed. Children will more easily commit these prayers to memory if they are associated with a melody. Check with your parish music director to find which versions of these prayers are more likely to be used during Mass, and teach the words and music to your class. 15 The Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed in its present form is usually ascribed to the Council of Constantinople in a.d A formulation of the faith was developed at the Council of Nicaea years earlier that came to be the preferred creed used by defenders of the faith, especially in combating the heresy of Arianism (the denial of Christ s divinity). It also came to be widely used as a profession of faith by those who wished to be baptized. Today, the Nicene Creed is the profession of faith common to the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and some Protestant denominations. Apostles Creed A creed is a statement, or profession, of what members of a particular church or religion believe to be essential for their faith. The Apostles Creed is a formula containing brief statements, or articles, of basic Christian belief. In the Middle Ages, it was generally believed that the Apostles, on the day of Pentecost, while still under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, composed the Apostles Creed together, each contributing one of the twelve articles. In more modern times, however, greater scrutiny and study have been given to the origin of the Apostles Creed. While we may not be able to affirm that the Apostles composed each of the parts of the Apostles Creed, we do know that its origins date back to apostolic times. We know that in the first century, there existed formulas of faith that were pronounced by those wishing to become members of the Church (Romans 10:8 10) and that a profession of faith was part of the order of Baptism (Acts 8:37). Modern scholars agree that the statements of belief of the Apostles Creed can be traced to the faith of the first-century community of Christian faithful. 15

2 Chapter 2 Page 41 2 The Seven Sacraments... that in the fullness of time you sent your Only Begotten Son to be our Savior. Eucharistic Prayer IV Praying with Liturgical Text Share We celebrate our life with God when we attend Sunday Mass with our family and parish community. Gather the children in the prayer corner and light the candle. Read aloud the words from Eucharistic Prayer IV. Explain to the children that these words are from the Mass. The priest prays these words to God our Father. Have the children quietly reflect on how God, our loving Father, sent Jesus, his only Son, to save us from sin and death. Then have the children reverently say the words from Eucharistic Prayer IV. Conclude by singing the unit song on page 25. Answers will vary. Activity A child who is not Catholic is visiting you and your family. He would like to learn about the Catholic faith. On Sunday, you and your new friend go to Mass. Next to each picture, describe how the experience shown demonstrates that you are a member of the Catholic Church. Answers will vary. Personal Experience Answers will vary. Ask for a volunteer to read aloud the paragraph under Share. Invite the children to share the church celebrations and parish activities that they enjoy participating in. Encourage the children to share how participating in these activities helps them grow closer to God. 41 S6105_ _r3.indd 41 4/14/11 9:35:10 AM Doing the Activity Have the children complete the activity. Encourage volunteers to share their responses. Share Taking a Sacraments Quiz To introduce the children to this year s study of the sacraments, begin with a fun quiz. Before class, write on index cards questions about the seven sacraments. Make some of the questions easy, moderately difficult, and difficult. For the difficult questions, quiz the children on some of the things they will learn later this year. Assign points to each question. You might also use a timer and limit the children to the amount of time they have to answer a question. If possible, give a prize, such as a holy card, to the child who answers the most questions correctly. 41 S6115_TE_ _r1_nl.indd 41 6/7/11 9:05:27 AM

3 Chapter 2 Page 43 Hear & Believe The Paschal Mystery The Paschal Mystery is the suffering, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. Through the Paschal Mystery, Jesus saves us from sin and eternal death and gives us eternal life. We celebrate Jesus Paschal Mystery in the seven sacraments of the Church. Discussing the Liturgy The Photographs Have the children At Mass, when we hear the priest pray the following words, we are reminded that God our Father sent his only Son, Jesus, into the world to be our Savior. And you so loved the world, Father most holy, that in the fullness of time you sent your Only Begotten Son to be our Savior.... To accomplish your plan, he gave himself up to death, and, rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life. And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose for us, he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as his first fruits to those who believe, so that, bringing to perfection his work in the world, he might sanctify creation to the full. Eucharistic Prayer IV 43 S6105_ _r3.indd 43 4/14/11 9:35:29 AM Eucharistic Prayers All four Gospels tell us that Jesus ate a final meal with his Apostles on the night before he died. Each Gospel account contains words from that meal that form part of our present eucharistic prayers. Eucharistic prayers have not always been the same. Early Christians were Jews who modeled their worship on the worship in the Temple and synagogue. We do not know which Jewish prayers they used, but we do know that the Eucharist was part of a meal. Within two decades, Christians celebrated the Eucharist after a meal. Eucharistic prayers were spontaneous because that was the normal way to worship. They continued to be spontaneous until the fourth century, when a formal prayer was developed. look at the photographs on pages 42 and 43. Invite volunteers to describe what is happening in the pictures. The Liturgy Read aloud the first two paragraphs under The Paschal Mystery. Then slowly and reverently read aloud the passage from Eucharistic Prayer IV. Ask What is the Paschal Mystery, and when do we celebrate it? (The Paschal Mystery is Jesus suffering, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. We celebrate the Paschal Mystery at every Mass and at the celebration of the other sacraments.) Stress to the children that because we celebrate Jesus Paschal Mystery in the Mass we must always treat the Mass with great reverence. Explain to the children that they show their love for Jesus by reverently participating at Mass. Review the following with the children: making the Sign of the Cross and genuflecting facing the tabernacle upon entering the church having a prayerful attitude listening to the homily reverently receiving Holy Communion paying attention singing the hymns arriving on time for Mass and not leaving before Mass has ended 43 S6115_TE_ _nl.indd 43 6/3/11 9:58:59 AM

4 Chapter 8 Page 139 The Apostles Creed When we say I believe, we are pledging ourselves to what we believe. When we say the Apostles Creed, we are agreeing to our beliefs as Christians and are promising to live by them. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. 139 Conduct a brief review of the Learning Focus goals on page 127F by asking the following questions. 1. What does the Apostles Creed contain? (The Apostles Creed contains the central truths of the Catholic faith.) 2. Of what is the Apostles Creed a true summary? (The beliefs of the Apostles.) 3. When Saint Patrick was kidnapped as a boy and taken to Ireland, what helped him to not give up hope? (Saint Patrick developed the habit of prayer, which helped him to grow closer to God and not give up hope.) Preparing for Prayer Tell the children that for today s prayer celebration, they will proclaim together the Apostles Creed. Before beginning the prayer, review with the children what they have learned about the Creed and the Blessed Trinity. Also, share with the children that the Apostles Creed is one of the prayers of the Rosary and of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The Apostles Creed Light the candle and invite the children to stand. Say When we say the Apostles Creed, we are proclaiming our belief in the Blessed Trinity God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Read the opening paragraph and invite the group to say aloud the Apostles Creed. Conclude by having the children sing the song or hymn you have chosen for today s celebration. Take Home Visit familytime or use the CD-ROM in the front of this Catechist Guide to print and distribute the Family Time pages for the next chapter. 139

5 Chapter 10 Page 163 Hear & Believe The Last Supper At the Last Supper, Jesus knew that soon he would suffer and die to save us from sin. He wanted to give the Apostles and us a special way to remember him and to be with him always. At this meal, Our Lord Jesus gave the Apostles the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we receive the most precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. As the priest prays the following words at Mass, we remember Jesus words and actions at the Last Supper. Discussing the Liturgy The Photographs Direct the On the day before he was to suffer he took bread in his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, O God, his almighty Father, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take This, all of you, and eat it of it, for This is my Body which will Be given up for you. In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took this precious chalice in his holy and venerable hands, and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying, Take This, all of you, and drink from it, for This is The chalice of my Blood, The Blood of The new and eternal covenant, which will Be poured out for you and for many for The forgiveness of sins. do This in memory of me. Eucharistic Prayer I page 379 to read about the parts of the Mass. 163 S6105_ _r3.indd 163 children s attention to the photograph. Invite volunteers to describe what is happening in the picture. The Liturgy Read aloud the first two paragraphs. Then slowly and reverently read aloud the passage from Eucharistic Prayer I. Share with the children that at every Mass we remember Jesus words and actions at the Last Supper, when he gave the Apostles the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Say The holiest moment of the Mass occurs during the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest raises the host and then the chalice of wine and says, This is my body This is the chalice of my blood. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the words and actions of the priest, the host and the wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. At this time, you may wish to review with the children the parts of the Mass beginning on page /14/11 10:08:59 AM The Eucharistic Prayer The Church calls Eucharistic Prayer I the Roman Canon. It is the oldest of the Eucharistic prayers that the Church uses for the liturgy. Some liturgical scholars believe that this prayer dates back to the fourth century. Before that time the Eucharistic prayer was spontaneous. On April 3, 1969, Pope Paul VI approved the use of three new Eucharistic prayers. The words of consecration in these prayers are identical to those in Eucharistic Prayer I. In 1974, the Church approved the use of three Eucharistic prayers for children, two for Masses of reconciliation, and, later, Eucharistic prayers for Switzerland and Zaire. 163 S6115_TE_ _nl.indd 163 6/3/11 4:51:36 PM

6 Chapter 11 Page The Communion of Saints I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,... From the Apostles Creed Praying with Liturgical Text Share People have always had to make choices. It is no different for us today. Each day we are faced with new choices. Some may be easy to make, while others may be difficult. When we are open to God, he lights our way to help us make good choices. Gather the children in the prayer corner and light the candle. Have the children pray aloud the words from the Apostles Creed and then allow for a few moments of reflection. Remind the children that the Apostles Creed contains the central truths of the Catholic faith. Share with the children that in this chapter they will learn about the Church s teaching on the Communion of Saints. Conclude by having the children sing the unit song on page 145. Activity Think about the choices you have heard or seen people make during this past month. It could be something you have heard on the news, read in a book, seen in a movie, or experienced in your own life. On the lines below, describe three good choices and three bad choices. Three good choices 1. Answers will vary Personal Experience Three bad choices Have a volunteer read aloud the first paragraph about making choices. Ask What are some good choices you made today or this past week? (Answers will vary.) 1. Answers will vary Doing the Activity 175 S6105_ _r3.indd 175 Have a volunteer read aloud the activity directions. When the children have completed the activity, invite volunteers to share their responses. 4/14/11 10:11:28 AM Share Creating Choice Collages Have the children make collages that show people making good and bad choices or that show the results of good and bad choices. Provide newspapers, magazines, scissors, tape or glue, and poster paper. Encourage the children to divide their collages into two parts: Good Choices and Bad Choices. 175 S6115_TE_ _nl.indd 175 6/3/11 5:03:35 PM

7 Chapter 16 Page 259 A Prayer of Sorrow from the Mass Leader: All: Let us pray the following prayer from the Penitential Act of the Mass, asking God for his mercy and forgiveness. I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever-virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. Preparing for Prayer Begin by inviting the children to share something new or interesting they have learned about the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the mercy of God, or the life of Saint Maria Goretti. Then have the children quiet themselves and prepare for the prayer. A Prayer of Sorrow from the Mass Light the candle and invite the children to pray aloud the prayer from the Penitential Rite of the Mass. When the children have finished praying the prayer, invite them to offer their own spontaneous prayers, thanking God for his goodness and mercy. Conclude the prayer by having the children sing the song or hymn you have chosen for today s prayer celebration. 259 Take Home Visit familytime or use the CD-ROM in the front of this Catechist Guide to print and distribute the Family Time pages for the next chapter. Conduct a brief review of the Learning Focus goals on page 247F by asking the following questions. 1. What is mercy? (Mercy is the loving kindness that God shows to sinners.) 2. In what sacrament do we receive God s mercy? (The Sacrament of Reconciliation.) 3. Why is Saint Maria Goretti a good role model for Catholic youth? (Accept all reasonable answers.) 259

8 Worship Page 379 About the Mass Introductory Rites At Mass, we come together to worship God with our parish community. Entrance Procession and Opening Hymn As the priest and those assisting him in the Mass enter in procession, we stand and sing the opening hymn. Greeting We make the Sign of the Cross. The priest welcomes us. He says, The Lord be with you. We answer, And with your spirit. Penitential Act We think about our sinfulness. We ask for God s forgiveness and the prayers of the Church. Gloria We sing the Gloria, which is a hymn of praise to God. Then we pray the opening prayer. 379 The Mass The celebration of the Mass is our primary source of renewal for our life in Christ. In the Mass, we are once again welcomed into the community of the faithful, called to communion with others and service to others, and nourished by the Bread of Life. We are sent forth to exemplify the Good News of the Gospel in our everyday lives. To review the teaching of the Church about the Mass, see paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. about The Mass Discussing the Text The About the Mass section provides an easy way to review the parts of the Mass. Fifth graders are capable of fully participating in the Mass. Examine and discuss the photographs. Have the children read the names of the different parts of the Mass to help them learn the sequence. Then read the explanations of what happens at each part of the Mass. Review the responses for the Mass. Help the children understand that Mass is not something we watch, but instead is a celebration in which we must actively participate. You may wish to expand the use of these pages by conducting a church tour. Begin in the narthex of the church with the holy water font and continue into the nave, explaining the statues and symbols displayed there. Look at the baptismal font, the sanctuary, the altar, candles, and altar vessels. Point out the tabernacle and sanctuary lamp. Children are curious about all the physical parts of our churches that enhance our liturgy. Visit the sacristy and explain the vestments. If a priest is available, ask him to explain each vestment. Or you may ask the sacristan to assist you in showing the vestments and altar vessels. 379

9 Worship Page 383 Liturgy of the Eucharist Preparation of the Altar and Gifts We bring our gifts of bread and wine to the altar. We may also give gifts for the poor. Eucharistic Prayer The priest begins with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God our Father for all his wonderful gifts of creation and for the greatest gift, his Son, Jesus Christ. We sing, Holy, Holy, Holy.... The priest recalls with us the story of the Last Supper. We hear Jesus own words, This is my Body and This is the chalice of my Blood. We sing or say, We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again. At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, we sing, Amen. Communion Rite The Lord s Prayer We pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us, the Lord s Prayer or the Our Father. Sign of Peace We share the Sign of Peace with those around us. Breaking of the Bread We sing the Lamb of God prayer as the priest and deacon prepare for the distribution of Holy Communion. Holy Communion We reverently receive the Body and Blood of Christ. We say, Amen. Concluding Rite Blessing We make the Sign of the Cross as the priest blesses us. Dismissal The priest or deacon tells us to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. We sing a hymn of thanksgiving. 383 Conscience Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby we recognize the moral quality of a concrete act that we are going to perform, are performing, or have already performed. We are obliged to form our conscience according to the teachings of the Church and to follow faithfully what we know to be just and right. To review the teaching of the Church about conscience, see paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Note: The following text refers to page 385 of the Child s Book. How Catholics Live Morality is faith lived. To fully understand the demands of Christian morality, we need to recognize that it is based on the limitless love of God and the dignity of every human person as created by God. The focus of Christian morality is not rules but relationships. The purpose of the Beatitudes and commandments is to enable the relationship between God and us to grow and to be expressed in our approach to our neighbor. about Conscience Discussing the Text Explain that the section About Conscience challenges us to live the Catholic faith. We understand that our faith is not just something we read about and study. It is a way of life. We have wonderful gifts from God to help us live good lives. Stress that even when we sin, God always loves us and shows us mercy. Invite volunteers to explain their concept of conscience. They may refer to conscience as a little voice inside them. Read the section About Conscience. Ask What aids does God give us to help us form a good conscience? (the Ten Commandments, Jesus teachings, especially the Beatitudes, and the guidance of the Church) Point out that one of our greatest gifts from God is our free will. Explain that we always have the freedom to choose to do what is right or wrong. Fifth graders are able to understand the concept that free will allows them to freely choose to love or reject God. 383