As a welcome back to class exercise after Christmas vacation, ask the students to create a list of ten Catholic New Years’ Resolutions. Also have them write brief responses to the following:
Which resolution do you think will be most important for you to keep? Explain why.
Which resolution do you think will be most difficult to keep? Explain why.
Sample Resolutions
Attend Eucharistic Adoration at least once per month.
Keep the car radio off until I pray for fifteen minutes.
Hang out with a classmate I have never socialized with before.
Go to daily Mass at least once per week.
Get more involved at my parish.
Join in a service project with teens from a non-Catholic congregation.
Read a biography of a saint.
Go on a retreat without it being required.
Read a biography of a saint.
Hang out with a family member on a regular basis.
Here’s a short discussion activity you can lead prior to a fuller lesson on the Sacrament of Penance and, perhaps, participation by your students in the sacrament itself.
Directions
Hang four wall posters with the following words at equal intervals along the wall (or place in equal intervals in an open space on the floor): 1) strongly agree; 2) agree; 3) disagree; 4) strongly disagree.
Say:
I am going to read several statements. For each one, register your opinion by standing near the sign that corresponds with how you feel. For example, if you strongly agree with the statement, “I have to go to Confession before receiving Communion” you should stand as close as possible to the “I Strongly Agree” sign. If you are not sure about your opinion, you might stand somewhere in between “I Agree” and “I Disagree.” No matter where you choose to stand, however, be prepared to explain your position. We will spend time discussing each of the statements before moving on.
Read the following statements one at a time. After the students have positioned themselves according to their response, randomly call on one person and question his or her response. You may pick more than one person to discuss each statement. Repeat the process for the other statements.
Statements
Confession is scary.
I never know what to say when I go to Confession.
It’s just as good to confess my sins to God without going through a priest.
I prefer to confess “face to face.”
I can recite an Act of Contrition from memory.
Catholics are required to confess serious sins at least once a year.
I’m worried that the priest will think less of me if I tell my worst sins.
I believe that Jesus acts through the priest in the Sacrament of Penance.
Add your own statements if you wish.
Continue with a fuller presentation on the Sacrament of Penance, including addressing explanations and answers to the open-ended questions from the discussion. If possible, invite a priest to participate in all or part of this lesson.
As Christmas approaches, remember to tell your students not only that Santa Claus is “real,” but that the saintly figure behind the legend is even more of an inspiration than the jolly perennial visitor of mythical renown! On December 6, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Nicholas of Myra (ca. AD 270 – 343), and on December 7, the Memorial of St. Ambrose (ca. 340 – 397). These two holy men actually have a fair amount in common:
They were both bishops and profoundly intellectual leaders within the Church;
They were both staunch opponents of the Arian heresy;
They were both greatly devoted to selflessly serving the poor and oppressed;
They both lived during the same epoch in Church history;
They were both responsible for noteworthy conversions (with Nicholas inspiring others to turn away from the Arian heresy, and with Ambrose playing a key role in the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo);
They both led many hearts to the Good News of Jesus Christ through their teachings and example, practicing what they preached (cf. Matthew 23:3b).
The occasion of these two back-to-back memorials on the liturgical calendar is a crucial opportunity to learn more about the lives of these two saintly men, both for your own inspiration as a teacher and in order to lead your students to a greater awareness of these saints’ multiple contributions to the Church and to the kingdom of God by extension. Below are some resources to use in your classroom (and be sure to tell your students about how St. Nicholas [in]famously “took matters into his own hands” at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325)!
Saint Nicholas (December 6) Resources:
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Nicholas of Myra
Catholic Online: St. Nicholas (opening with a brief introductory video)
National Geographic: St. Nicholas to Santa - The Surprising Origins of Mr. Claus
The St. Nicholas Center: Discovering the Truth About Santa Claus
St. Ambrose (December 7) Resources:
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Ambrose
Catholic Online: St. Ambrose (opening with a brief introductory video)
Franciscan Media: St. Ambrose
St. Ambrose: Strangest Life Story Ever? (8 things to know and share) (from Jimmy Akin’s blog at the National Catholic Register, December 2013)
St. Nicholas of Myra, pray for us!
Saint Ambrose, pray for us!
