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Engaging Faith

Practical Lesson Ideas and Activities for Catholic Educators
Archived - March 2010
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Guided Meditation: Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

Jesus' ministry is a model of service. So it is no wonder that at his Last Supper Jesus would perform the ultimate example of service for his disciples. Witness and participate in it with your students by sharing this guided meditation.   Relax. Be comfortable. Close your eyes.   Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.   Be still. Let go of all the distractions. Let your worries fly away.   Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.   Imagine . . .    You are in a very simple room. Sitting at a table with food and friends. Jesus is there. Peter, John, and all the other Apostles are there, too. You are remembering the Passover together. You are nervous about what will happen to Jesus during this festival.   Sit back and look around the table. How does it feel to be with friends, feeling these mixed emotions.   Notice Jesus getting up. He takes his cloak off, ties a towel around his waist. He fills a bowl with water. He walks over to Peter and kneels down. Watch Peter's face and the interaction between the two of them as Jesus washes Peter's feet.   What seems to be happening? What are you hearing? How do you think Peter feels?   The next thing you know Jesus is picking up the bowl. Follow him with your eyes, moving around the table. He is coming towards you.   He kneels down. Looks into your eyes. Reaches for your foot.   Spend some time interacting with Jesus while he washes your feet.   Jesus stands up in front of you. He moves to the person sitting next to you. You are left there, in your seat, with your thoughts from your personal encounter with Jesus.   Name them. How are you feeling.   Jesus finishes with the last person at the table. He throws out the water. Unties the towel. Puts on his cloak. Sits down at the table. He takes some time to look around the expressions of those who are there.   What is the mood of the group?   Jesus looks around at all of you. He says: "Do you understand what I just did for you?" You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and fittingly enough, for that is what I am. But if I washed your feet—I who am Teacher and Lord— then you must wash each other's feet. As I have done, so you must do."   Just relax and think about what Jesus' words mean for you.   It is time to come back to this space. Just continue to lie there. Gently roll your ankles. Wiggle your fingers. Shrug your shoulders. Open your eyes. Allow yourself time just to come back slowly. Sit up, stretch, yawn. Slowly.     This meditation was written by Patty McCulloch and originally published in Encountering Jesus: 20 Guided Meditations on His Care and Compassion.

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The Health Care Reform Law and Catholic Social Teaching

The signing of the new Health Care Law has enormous implications for Catholic social justice in the United States.  Many social justice teachers have focused a large amount of time on the need for health insurance for the estimated 46 million Americans without medical coverage.  Below are some suggestions for teaching about this new law  in the context of Catholic Social Teaching.    Objective:  Students will be able to decide if the new health care law is in accordance with the Catholic Social Teaching.    Suggestions for Instruction:    1.      Open with the Prayer for the Uninsured.    2.      Introduce the topic of healthcare reform by showing a video depicting the stories of people who suffer without insurance (see below).  Also, show the statistics for the uninsured in America.   3.      Discuss what the students know and understand about the recent healthcare law.  Ask, “What can you tell me about the law?  What are the benefits?  What are its shortcomings?”   4.      Then, ask students whether or not they think the law lives up to the standards of Catholic social teaching on the topic of healthcare.   5.      Present students with information about Catholic social teaching on healthcare.  Start by reading or posting on the board the USCCB Position on Health Care Reform.  Have the students break into groups of 3 or 4. Distribute quote clippings from Vatican Documents Addressing Health Care and the USCCB’s Framework for Comprehensive Health Care Reform.  Have each group read and summarize their quotes to the class.    6.      Create a two-column notes sheet.  Have the students fold a piece of notebook paper in half (long-way/hotdog-style).  Have them label the left side “Catholic Teaching on Healthcare” and on the right side “Health Care Reform Bill.”  Give the students five minutes to study the documents and information about Catholic teaching on health care and have them list points that summarize the Church’s position.    7.      Present the Details of the Current Bill.  Use one of the news sources below or have the students research the details on their own.  Have them list the main points on the right side of their two-column notes sheets. (You may also want to compare the main points to the Bishop's statement prior to the House voting on the bill.  Specifically, did the new law eliminate the funding for abortion? Does the law provide universal coverage?)   8.      Direct the students to the two-column notes sheet.  Have them circle the similarities between the bill and the Church’s teaching on health care.  Discuss the similarities and differences.    9.      Using their two-column notes sheets, have the students write a short essay on whether or not the new Health Care Law lives up to the Catholic Church’s teachings on healthcare.  Have them cite at least three reasons for their answers.    10.  Close by inviting the students to write a letter or an email to their local U.S. representative, senator, or the President.  They can find their representative at http://www.nchla.org/contcong.asp.   Disclaimer:  This is a very politicized issue.  We have tried to find unbiased representations of this topic.  Please use your judgment in determining which resources to use and be careful not to let your own personal political views in either support or opposition to the law stand in the way of presenting the issue to the students.    Background Information for Students to Encounter    The impact on the uninsured in America:  ·        YouTube Video on “The Uninsured” by CBS News:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxdCIbCXm0 ·        St. Anthony Foundation in San Fransisco and the “Working Uninsured”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daLytHJtl4U ·        The movie John Q   Catholic Church’s teaching on healthcare: ·        Center of USCCB resources on Health Care Reform:  http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/ ·        FAQs on Bishops and Health Care:  http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/faqs.shtml ·        Overview of Health Care Reform on USCCB website:  http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/healthcarereform.shtml ·        Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services (11/27/2009):  http://www.usccb.org/meetings/2009Fall/docs/ERDs_5th_ed_091118_FINAL.pdf ·        Recent letter to the House of Representatives (3/20/2010): http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2010/10-051.shtml ·        A Framework for Comprehensive Health Care Reform (6/18/1993):  http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/comphealth.shtml ·        Quotes from Vatican Documents Addressing Health Care:  http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/vaticanquotesonhealthcare.shtml   The details of the new Health Care Law:   ·        Health Care Reform Bill Summary (CBS News):  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000846-503544.html ·        Understanding the health bill (CNN):  http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/03/22/acosta.what.is.in.the.health.bill.cnn?hpt=T1 ·        The Bill (Washington Post):  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/03/19/GR2010031905407.html ·        How the Health Bill Could Affect You:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125015099   Have other sources we should include?  Post the news stories or statements that you have found helpful for your students in the comment section below. 

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Panel Presentation: What's High School All About?

Assign your students to plan an event designed to introduce junior high school teens to the next step in their education: high school.Schedule an evening or after-school panel and invite feeder schools from local parishes to hear some information on what to expect from high school. Your students should prepare so they can talk on subjects like the following: academics (difficult classes, how much homework to expect, grading scale, types of tests, favorite teachers, etc.) extracurricular activities (sports, band, cheerleading, drama, student government, newspaper, yearbook, other clubs, etc.) social (how freshman are treated by upperclassmen, the preponderance of drugs and alcohol, how high school students spend weekends, etc.) Allow plenty of opportunity for the junior high students to dialogue and ask questions. Your students may wish to combine the panel discussion with a drama, music, or athletic event that is taking place at the high school. Arrange for the junior high students to attend the event either before or after the panel discussion.

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Catholic Colleges in March Madness 2010!

It's that time of year again for March Madness and our annual look at Catholic colleges that received bids to the Big Dance! Enjoy the time with your students but also allow some opportunities to talk about the benefits of attending a Catholic college as well as some of the interesting facts and stories surrounding higher Catholic education in the United States and the religious communities that have founded these schools.   Here is the list of Catholic colleges in this year's tournament (seedings in parenthesis):   West Regional Xavier (6) Gonzaga (8)   Midwest Regional Georgetown (3) Mideast Regional Villanova (2) Notre Dame (6) St. Mary's CA (10) Siena (13)   East Regional Marquette (6)   Overall Team Rankings of Catholic Colleges in this Year's Tourney 1. Villanova 2. Georgetown 3. Notre Dame Marquette 5. Gonzaga 6. St. Mary's CA 7. Siena   Activities and Exercises   Ask: "What are some good reasons to attend a Catholic college?" Research and name one Catholic college you would like to attend. Make some lists ranking Catholic colleges according to their participation in the NCAA tournament: 1) most national championships; 2) most Final Four appearances; 3) most tournament bids; 4) most all-time wins. Read and report on the 1986 Sports Illustrated article by Frank Deford, "A Heavenly Game."  

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3 Classic Icebreaker Games

It seems to be retreat season once again in many Catholic schools and parish youth ministry programs.  These activities will be nice reminders for most of you veteran teachers and youth ministers, but they are tried and true.  Human Knot Physical, fun, and great for building communication skills.    Have everyone stand in a circle.  Have them lift their right hand and take the hand of a person across from them.  Then, have them join hands with a different person across from them in the circle.  Give the group 5-10 minutes to untangle the knot.  With large groups or classes, incite a little competition between groups (ideal size is around 10 people).  Afterward, discuss the challenges of communication and have them suggest strategies they might change for next time.    Two Truths and a Lie Sit in a circle.  Have each person introduce himself or herself and share three statements to describe themselves.  Two statements should be true and one should be false.  Have the rest of the group guess which statement is the lie.  If applicable, have the person expand on their statements with explanations.    Never have I ever… Sit in a circle.  Each person says a statement beginning with the words “Never have I ever…” and everyone to whom the statement applies must stand up.  For example, one person might state, “Never have I ever seen the Grand Canyon.”  Everyone who has NOT seen the Grand Canyon stands up.   

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The Signs in the Gospel of John Activity

This activity is taken from Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World which is in accordance with Course I of the USCCB’s Curriculum Framework. Remind the students that unlike the other evangelists, John did not set out to outline the Good News in some sort of chronological order based on events in Jesus’ life. Instead, John focused on seven of Jesus’ miracles, which he calls “signs.” Emphasize that for John, all other events and teachings (the discourses) in his Gospel lead up to or develop from these crucial signs. Finally, tell the students that in reading the signs, it is important to pay attention to them not just individually but as a whole.The Seven Signs of John's Gospel:   The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12)  Cure of the Official's Son (John 4:46-54) Cure on a Sabbath (John 5:1-47) Multiplication of Loaves (John 6:1-14) Walking on Water (John 6:16-24) Cure of a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41)  Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44) Divide the class into seven small groups. Assign one of the seven signs to each small group. Explain that each group is to: 1) Read its assigned sign in the Bible as well as its exposition in the text 2) Prepare a presentation that answers the following questions:  What is the story of the sign? What does the sign point to or reveal? What role does faith play? That is, does the sign cause or emanate from faith or both? How do others react to the sign? What does the sign say to us today? 3) Create their own “sign” of the sign, that is, an artistic rendering that “points to” the meaning of the biblical sign, that is, answers the final question above (“What does the sign say to us today?”). For example, the students might illustrate the sign of the Cana miracle with images of banquets or celebrations or weddings or hungry people being fed or an invitation to a party, etc.Photo by Fergal OP

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Guided Meditation: The Parable of the Prodigal Son

This meditation places your students in the scene of Jesus' famous Prodigal Son parable (Luke 15:11–32), the Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday of Lent. Tell them to allow themselves to picture Jesus' story and to sit with what it means to them. Then begin. Read the following slowly. Pause at the end of sentences. Pause even longer for the bold face directions.   Relax. Quiet down. Enjoy the silence.   Breathe in. Hold. Breath out. Hold. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.   Totally relax. Go to that safe place in your mind's eye. That place where you can just be. Where no one can find you, disrupt you. Where you can be with your thoughts.   Imagine . . .    Come to the teacher again. He is there. It is a beautiful day and the sun is shining. You have been following the teacher around to various parts of the region. Your friends are next to you as you sit and listen to him. It is fascinating. He begins to tell a story.   Picture the scene.   He tells you to imagine everything he says. Two sons. The younger one decides he wants his inheritance. Now. So the father gives this son what he would eventually inherit. The son packs up all his belongings and leaves for the city.   Imagine doing this.   The son loves city life. He loves the lights, the fast pace, action. He goes to bars, stays out all hours, and parties very hard. Eventually, the son spends everything he inherited. He is wiped out. His money is gone. He finds himself on the streets without a place to live, or food to eat. He looks for a job.   He becomes a laborer on a landowner's farm. He is spent. He has to feed his hunger with food intended for pigs. Imagine eating and sleeping in a pig's trough.   He is lying there hungry. He thinks of home. He thinks of his bed, the warmth, the food, the security. He makes a decision. He will go back home and ask his dad to take him back. He will work for his dad like a hired hand. His dad treats laborers better than this landowner. He begins the trip back home. He wonders if he will be accepted. What is the journey like?   The younger son is almost there. Down the road his father seems him coming. The son sees the father. How do they feel?   The father runs back to the house and announces, "Prepare for a welcome home party!" He goes back outside. He runs to his son. His arms outstretched. Tears are running down his face. They hug. Watch the scene unfold. Watch as the son asks for forgiveness. Watch the father respond with unconditional love.   Imagine the preparations that are being made for the party. Watch as the older son comes home from work. He arrives in the midst of the commotion. He asks one of the workmen, "What is going on?" "Your brother has come home and your dad is so happy that is is throwing a party." "What?" the son replies, "For my brother who took off with dad's money and left me to take care of everything?" He refuses to go into the house. He is very angry. Watch the older son, how would it feel to be him?   The father sees his older son outside. He goes out to talk to him. The father says to him, "Isn't it great that your brother is back?" His older son moans, "You really aren't taking him back are you? He left us, remember? Remember the pain, the hurt, the anger? How can you just forget all that? I'm the one who stayed. But you've never thrown me such an extravagant party!" Listen to the conversation between father and son. What do their facial expressions reveal?   The father looks into the son's eyes. He replies, "You are right, it was very painful when your brother left. But he is back now and I want to rejoice that he finally came to his senses. Listen, I know you have always been there for me— everything I own is yours. Don't ever forget that. I haven't forgotten. But we have to celebrate and rejoice. This brother of yours was dead and he has come back to life. He was lost and is found." What does it mean to say that the younger brother was dead.   Jesus calls you back from the story. He looks at you. You look at him. He asks you, "Which son is more like you?" Answer him. Talk to him about the story. Stay in the moment.   It is time to reenter this space. Say good-bye for now. Ask Jesus to lead your way into the rest of the day. Say thank you. Come back gently. Open your eyes. Remember. Sit up.   This meditation was written by Patty McCulloch and was originally published in Encountering Jesus: 20 Guided Meditations on His Care and Compassion.

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