Have the students look up the following passages and match them to the truths about the Kingdom which they reveal.
Matthew 13:31–32
Matthew 13:33
Matthew 18: 1–5
Matthew 18: 23–35
Mark 4:26–29
Luke 7:18–23
_ The Kingdom may start out small but it will soon grow.
_ The Kingdom, though small, will eventually transform the world.
_ The Kingdom exists in the person, deeds, and words of Jesus.
_ The Kingdom will grow even though we cannot see or explain how it is happening.
_ Forgiveness is an essential element of the Kingdom: We will be forgiven, therefore we must be forgiving.
_ In order to enter the Kingdom, we must recognize our own need for God.
Next, have the students complete their own analogies for the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is like . . .
The Kingdom of God is like . . .
The beginning of the school year is a good chance to pray and reflect on the statements of the Catholic creeds. Pray the Nicene Creed with your class. Ask the students to write or discuss the questions that follow.
When you pray the words “We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” ask yourself:
· How can I champion unity without becoming parochial?
· How can I begin to make it easier for people to believe because of the goodness of my life, because of my becoming more like Christ? · How can I break down all the barriers that divide us so that everyone feels welcome? · How can I be apostolic—someone sent—to those hungry for good news?
Prior to classroom prayer—especially guided meditative prayer—it is wise to help your students unwind and relax. Several relaxation techniques can help. The following focuses on readying the physical body for prayer, especially connecting the five senses to the image and likeness that we bear to God. It was written by Fr. Thomas F. Catucci. Read this prelim to prayer slowly. Pause at each ellipse.
Gently close your eyes...
And block out everything around you...
Just relax and be still...
With your eyes close...focus on your feet...
Wiggle your toes...
These are strong feet...feet that God created just for you...
Feet that have felt the cool, wet sand at the beach...
Feet that have felt the damp softness of fresh cut grass in the spring...
Feet that have felt warm, squishy mud ooze up between the toes after a summer rain...
Good feet...strong feet...feet that God will use...
Now with your eyes still closed...feel your legs...
Strong legs...sturdy legs that God has given you...
Legs that have climbed hills...
Legs that have run and skated...
Good legs...strong legs...legs that God will use...
And now just relax...
Concentrate on your arms...
Strong arms...
Arms that have carried groceries...
Arms that have dug in the garden...
Arms that have shoveled in the snow...
Arms that are strong enough to work hard...
And gentle enough to wrap around someone you love...
Strong arms...gentle arms...
Arms that God will use to love others with...
Relax...relax and be at peace...
Concentrate on your hands...
Hands that are strong...strong to do housework...
Strong to wash and clean...
Hands that have written papers...dried dishes...combed hair...
Hands that God has used to plan seeds...to write love notes...
Hands strong enough to scrub and polish...and gentle enough to wipe away tears...
Strong hands...gentle hands...hands that God will use...
Be at peace...and relax...
Concentrate on your ears...and all they've heard...
Ears that God has used to hear the songs of birds returning home in the spring...
Ears that have heard the laughter of children on a playground...
The thunder of waves on the shore...of water falling into a lagoon...
Have heard the beauty of music...the sound of night crickets...
The harmony of laughing friends...
And the tender whisper of an "I love you"...
And be at peace.
Think of your eyes and all they have seen...
The rainbow splashed against a fresh washed sky...
Eggs hatching with new life...
Snow drifting and covering the earth...
The softness of fog drifting over a lake...
Tulips opening in the morning sunrise...
The gifts of God...the eyes to see gifts...
And be at peace...at peace.
And we pray...
We are saddened by the death of Jim McGinnis, author, friend, and founder of the Institute for Peace and Justice in St. Louis. Jim died from an apparent heart attack while out for a walk near his family home.Jim created the manual Activities for Catholic Social Teaching: A Resource Guide for Teachers and Youth Ministers to provide several ancillary lessons and materials for high school teachers and students.Please follow the following link for information about Jim's funeral arrangements and a Facebook page devoted to sharing remembrances of his life.Our condolences are extended to Jim's wife, Kathy, and his entire family.
August 15 is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
The Assumption was when Mary's body was assumed or taken up to Heaven through the power of God to be with her Son, Jesus. By declaring that the Assumption was a dogma of faith, Pope Pius XII was only confirming what the people of the Church had believed for centuries.
An annual feast day on August 15 to honor Mary is thought to have been celebrated in the Holy Land as early as the sixth century. A bishop of that era wrote about a celebration on the anniversary of Mary's "falling asleep." The Eastern Church named the feast "The Falling Asleep of the Mother of God."
The dogma of the Assumption holds that Mary's body, born without Original Sin, was incorruptible and was taken to Heaven after her death. The Assumption of Mary has been included in many legends and stories. In the fifth century, at the famous Council of Chalcedon, the Eastern Roman emperor asked the Bishop of Jerusalem to have the relics of Mary's body brought to Constantinople. The bishop is said to have responded, "Mary died in the presence of the Apostles, but her tomb, when opened later on the request of St. Thomas, was found empty, and thus the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to Heaven."
Mary was the first disciple of her Son and her Assumption is a preview of our own fate after death. Catholics believe in the resurrection of the body and soul.
In 1 Corinthians 15:40–44, Paul describes the attributes of our heavenly bodies as imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. In Heaven, we will never die again.
The Feast of the Assumption is a good chance to remind everyone to take care of their bodies and respect them as Temples of the Holy Spirit, for our bodies are the seed from which our heavenly body will some day blossom.
Discussion Questions
How do you imagine your own heavenly body?
What "age" do you think you will be in Heaven?
Do you think it is important for the Church to speak infallibly on certain matters of faith? Which ones? Why?
Assumption Activity
Outline a workable program of diet and exercise you plan to take as an adult to show respect for your body.
No matter the subject of your theology course, a good place to begin is to remind your students of the natural and insatiable human desire for God. Reprint the following as a worksheet. Choose five different students to read the quotations. Then allow time for all of the students to write answers to the questions in their journals. Allow the chance for followup discussion, first in small groups, and then by calling on volunteers to summarize the discussion for the entire class. Our Desire for God
As human beings, we believe that all good things must come to an end and that nothing beautiful lasts forever. But we don’t like it. We want the good without end and beauty that never fades. That’s why we are constantly on the lookout for whatever is lasting and real. As Christians, we acknowledge that that everlasting reality is no thing or talent or attribute or even virtue. It is nothing less than God.
As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My being thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and see the face of God? Psalm 42:1–3 The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for. Catechism of the Catholic Church #27 If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. C. S. Lewis For everything that is not God is unable to fulfill my desires. It is you alone I seek, that I may have you. O Lord, open my heart. Jesus Christ, my Savior, the express image and character of your essence is that image and likeness I desire. Blaise Pascal The simple desire for God is already the beginning of faith. All of us have doubts. They are nothing to worry about. Our deepest desire is to listen to Christ, who whispers in our hearts. Brother Roger of Taizé
Journal Questions
Do any of your desires (e.g., relationships, reputation, security, comfort, material things, other) compete with your desire for God? Which ones?
Have any of the desires you illustrated—or any others (e.g., sexual desire, selfishness, over-indulgence, status, money, etc.)—been overwhelming for you?
What are you afraid of? What, if anything, does your fear tell you about your relationship with God?
Right now—at this moment in your life—what is the state of your desire for God? Do you desire God? Do you desire to desire God?
The logo for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain was unveiled last week.The logo designer, José Gil-Nogués, explained that the image symbolizes "youth of the whole world united to celebrate their faith together with the Pope, at the foot of the cross, and they form the crown of Our Lady of Almudena, patron of Madrid." The crown forms the "M" of Mary and of Madrid. The cross of Christ presides over the event.As a fun exercise, have your students translate the Archdiocese of Madrid announcement of the World Youth Day logo from Spanish to English. Or, they can do a similar exercise from the official World Youth Day 2011 website.
