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Engaging Faith

Practical Lesson Ideas and Activities for Catholic Educators
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New Testament Connection: Passover and Eucharist

The Jewish Pasch (Passover) is celebrated this year from April 22-30. You may wish to share this information on the Passover as it compares with the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. The material is taken from The Old Testament: Our Call to Faith and Justice (Ave Maria Press, 2013). At the center of the Gospel is Christ’s Paschal Mystery. The word paschal is taken from the Jewish word for Passover, pasch. The Exodus, the occasion in which God spared the firstborn children of Israel and allowed Moses to lead his people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, is remembered at Passover. Jesus in the New Testament redefined this experience. The Gospels suggest that Jesus was celebrating a Passover meal in the upper room with his disciples at the Last Supper (Mt 26:18, Mk 14:22–23, Lk 22:7–13, 1 Cor 11:24–25). At the time that Jesus celebrated this feast, the Passover meal probably included unleavened bread, wine, some herbs, and an unblemished lamb. Their ceremony would have consisted of a blessing (berakah) of both the cup and the bread. These elements are described in the New Testament. Yet, there is no sign of the lamb. In its place, Jesus is the Lamb of God, the unblemished paschal lamb (Ex 12:4–5) who is led to slaughter (Is 53:7). Jesus gave the Passover a new meaning. The Eucharist “fulfills the Jewish Passover” through the Paschal Mystery (CCC, 1340). Christ’s Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension are a passing over from slavery to sin to ultimate freedom in the Resurrection of humanity. Passover Meal Eucharist Bread and wine (Ex 12:15, Nm 9:11–12) Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples (Mt Lk 22:19–20) Unblemished Lamb (Ex 12:4–5) Jesus is the Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God (Jn 19:36, 1 Cor 5:7, 1 Pt 1:19) None of the lamb’s bones should be broken (Nm 9:12) The soldiers did not break Jesus’ bones on the Cross (Jn 19:33, 36) Berekah (“blessing”) Jesus took the bread and said a blessing (Mt 26:26, Mk 14:22, Lk 22:19–20) Celebrates the Hebrews passing from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land (Ex 12) Celebrates the passing from slavery to sin to freedom in the Resurrection, from death to new life (1 Cor 5:7–8) Moses poured blood on the people at the establishment of the Covenant (Ex 24:8, Zec 9:11) Jesus poured out his blood at the establishment of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31, Lk 22:20) Guest Speaker If possible, arrange for a Jewish person in your neighboring community to speak with the students about the traditions, practice, and meanings of Passover. Resources Catechism of the Catholic Church, 608, 1334, 1340, 1362–1367, 1382

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Considering Serious Sin

Review with your students the definition and conditions of mortal sin, perhaps in anticipation for celebrating the Sacrament of Penance. Definition A mortal sin is a serious violation of God’s law of love that results in the loss of God’s life (sanctifying grace) in the soul of the sinner. Conditions of Mortal Sin The moral object must be of grave or serious matter. Grave matter is specified in the Ten Commandments (e.g., do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc.) The person must have full knowledge of the gravity of the sinful action. The person must completely consent to the action. It must be a personal choice. An additional and maybe obvious condition for mortal sins is that the action must be completed. Activity Print out a sheet with the following twenty items. Have the students mark an “S” by each action they believe involves serious or grave matter and may lead to the occasion of mortal sin. Dating someone behind the back of a boyfriend or girlfriend Killing an enemy soldier in war Teasing a classmate Lying to a parent about your whereabouts Having an abortion Assisting the suicide of a terminally ill patient Using illegal drugs Getting drunk Smoking cigarettes Having premarital sex with a person you love Having sex as a one-time hook-up Masturbating Telling a friend’s secret Spreading rumors about a classmate Cheating on a test Cheating on the SAT Shoplifting a candy bar Shoplifting a jacket Sneaking into a movie theatre without paying Tagging or graffiti-ing private property Discussion Conduct a follow-up classroom discussion using the following prompts. Which action do you feel is most grave or serious? Why? For any action you marked as serious, explain how each of the three conditions for a mortal sin must be involved to make it a mortal sin. Choose one action you did not mark. Tell why you do not consider it to be serious. Share a definition of sin in your own words.

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Kraków in the Capital: A US Experience of World Youth Day 2016

Several Washington DC groups, including the Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore and neighboring dioceses, are sponsoring a way for young adults (ages 18-39) to experience the 31st World Youth Day from Kraków, Poland, while remaining right here in the United States. On July 30th the sponsoring communities will host Kraków in the Capital, an experience of World Youth Day. The one-day event will feature Polish food and music, bilingual catechesis and talks with bishops and national speakers, a visit to the National Holy Door of Mercy to receive a plenary indulgence, adoration and confession, stations of the cross, a vocation and long term service fair, a vigil Mass with Cardinal Donald Wuerl, veneration of the relics of St. John Paul II and Bl. Giorgio Frassati, a late night concert, and much more. Overnight camping for this event will also be available. Registration has begun. Please pass on event details and registration information to some of your students, former students, and any other young adults who might be interested in this event.

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Our Desire for God

God has created humans to constantly be the lookout for what is lasting and real. The search ultimately leads to God. Have your students read and study the following quotations. Then have them write brief and reflective responses to the questions that follow. Quotations 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   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?

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Easter Story Retelling

The Resurrection is the central mystery of the Christian faith. As St. Paul wrote, if we do not believe in the Resurrection wholeheartedly, then “empty is our preaching; empty, too our faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Your students have heard the details of some of the key incidents that are included in the Easter Gospel stories. Have them work in small groups and try to recreate the details of the key incidents of these accounts. Hand out a printed resource with the eight headings and Gospel references listed below. Have the students form groups of eight in order to tell the entire story in as much detail as possible. Each person should be responsible for one of the headings. He or she should tell begin telling the story (again, in as much detail as possible). The other students in the group can add details as necessary. Continue in the same format for the eight headings. Allow about fifteen or twenty minutes of sharing for the eight headings. Then have the group choose two of the headings for further study. Have them look up and read the Gospel passage referenced for those stories. Have them note any of the details they missed in their own sharing. Easter Headlines An Amazing Discovery on Sunrise (Mark 16:1-14) An Earthquake, An Angel, and a Guard’s Tale (Matthew 18:1-15) Peter, John, and the Holy Shroud (John 20:1-10 The Mysterious Gardener (John 20:11-16) The Third Traveler on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:113-35) Can a Ghost Eat (Luke 24:36-49) Thomas the Doubter (John 20:19-29) Fish Fry on the Shore (John 21:1-14) This activity is adapted from Time Out: Resources for Teen Retreats (Ave Maria Press, 1998) by Sr. Kieran Sawyer, SSND.

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Tenth Annual Catholic Colleges in March Madness

Here we are again with our tenth annual look at Catholic colleges who have qualified for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments, also known as “March Madness.” The exercise is an interesting one because many of your students are familiar with filling out brackets for an NCAA pool and you can use the current nature and popularity of the event to teach something about the traditions of the Catholic colleges participating, their founding religious community, a namesake saint, and much more. To begin, pass out a printable bracket sheet (one for the men’s tournament and one for the women’s tournament) and ask the students to circle each of the Catholic college. Then have them “rank” the Catholic colleges according to the number they were seeded in the tournament (there will be some ties). You might also pass out a blank map of the United States and have the students locate the Catholic colleges by location. Finally, have the student’s research and name the sponsoring Catholic religious congregation for each college. Here are the keys to the exercises listed above. Catholic Colleges in the Men’s Tournament South Villanova West Holy Cross Saint Joseph’s East Providence Notre Dame Xavier Midwest Iona Seton Hall Gonzaga Dayton   Rankings of Catholic Colleges in the Men’s Tournament (seeding in parenthesis) Seton Hall (8 Bridgeport) Xavier (2 East) Notre Dame (6 East) Seton Hall (6 Midwest) Dayton 7 (Midwest) Saint Joseph’s (8 West) Providence (9 East) Gonzaga (11 Midwest) Iona (13 Midwest) Holy Cross  (16 West)     Locations of Catholic Colleges in the Men’s Tournament Pennsylvania Villanova Saint Joseph’s   Massachusetts Holy Cross Rhode Island Providence   Indiana Notre Dame   Ohio Xavier Dayton   New York Iona   New Jersey Seton Hall   Washington Gonzaga   Sponsoring Religious Congregations of Catholic Colleges in the Men’s Tournament   Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) Villanova   Society of Jesus (Jesuits) Saint Joseph’s Holy Cross Xavier Gonzaga   Dominicans Providence   Congregation of Holy Cross Notre Dame   Marianists Dayton   Congregation of Christian Brothers Iona   Diocesan Sponsored Seton Hall   Catholic Colleges in the Women’s Tournament Bridgeport  Seton Hall Duquesne   Dallas St. John’s DePaul St. Bonaventure   Sioux Falls None   Lexington Notre Dame San Francisco Iona   Rankings of Catholic Colleges in the Women’s Tournament (seeding in parenthesis) Notre Dame (1 Lexington) Seton Hall (8 Bridgeport) Duquesne (9 Bridgeport) St. John’s (8 Dallas) St. Bonaventure (10 Dallas) San Francisco (13 Lexington) Iona (15 Lexington)   Locations of Catholic Colleges in the Women’s Tournament New Jersey Seton Hall   Pennsylvania Duquesne   Illinois DePaul   New York St. Bonaventure Iona   Indiana Notre Dame   California San Francisco   Sponsoring Religious Congregations of Catholic Colleges in the Women’s Tournament   Diocesan Sponsored Seton Hall   Congregation of the Holy Spirit Duquesne   Vincentians DePaul   Franciscans St. Bonaventure   Congregation of Holy Cross Notre Dame   Society of Jesus (Jesuits) San Francisco   Congregation of Christian Brothers Iona

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The Poor Box: Prayer for the Poor

Here are directions for a class prayer service for the poor. You will need a shoebox and slips of paper with the following Scripture reference, one per slip. Make enough slips so that each student has his or her own. It’s okay to repeat the Scripture references. Students should also have copies of their own bibles and a pencil. If possible, meet in a chapel for prayer. If not possible, dim the lights in your classroom to create a more suitable atmosphere for prayer. Scripture Passages Proverbs 13:7 Proverbs 14:21 Proverbs 19:1 Proverbs 22:2 Proverbs 28:27 Sirach 7:32 Sirach 13:21 Sirach 29:8 Sirach 31:8 Amos 2:7 1 Samuel 2:7 Matthew 5:3 Matthew 19:21 Luke 12:15   Directions Label the shoe box with the words “For the Poor” and place it in the center of the prayer space. When all are assembled, say: Secular society focuses on the “beautiful people” and selling an idyllic lifestyle where women are elegant and sensual and men are ruggedly handsome. Billions of dollars are spent each year to promote this persona which includes the sale or products. Meanwhile, a poor box in a neighborhood parish takes in only a couple of hundred dollars or less on average. (Continue telling about a parish poor box: how the money is used and at least one personal story of a poor person or family who was aided by the parish.) We all know people who are poor in one way or another: financially, emotionally, spiritually. Some of these people may be your peers. I am going to pass out to you a prayer slip with a Scripture passage on it. Look up the passage in your bible and see how the words speak about people who are poor. When you get your slip, read the passage quietly and reflect on its meaning. Write the name of a person you would like to pray for on the back of the slip. Pray for someone who, unlike those targeted by the advertising industry and popular media, might never attract any attention. Pass out a prayer slip to each student. Allow about five minutes for reflection. Then call for everyone’s attention in a common area. Call on a good reader to read aloud Luke 21:1-4 (The Poor Widow’s Contribution). Next say: I’m going to pass the poor box (shoe box) around the room. When it reaches you share a short prayer for the person whom you named on your slip. You can pray for the person by name (“For James and his troubles at home, we pray…”) or without naming him or her (“For my friend who is not getting along with her parents, we pray…”). Your response will be “Lord, hear us.” Or, when it is your turn, you can share an insight you gained from your Scripture passage. Choose one person to begin the prayer by passing him or her the poor box. After everyone has shared, collect the poor box and offer a final, closing prayer for all the poor of the world or play a song with lyrics that speak of paying special attention to the needs of the poor.

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New Book for Catholic High School Theology Teachers

Room 24: Adventures of a New Evangelist chronicles the story of a freshman theology teacher at a Catholic high school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Brimming with good humor and constant hope, the book demonstrates the practical side of evangelization, with all its ups and downs, joys and frustrations. Katie Prejean candidly shares stories of failure alongside stories of triumph and examines the lessons these have taught her about her place in the world as disciple of Jesus.  Her unexpected, yet welcome transition from teacher of doctrine to proclaimer of love, reassures Catholics from every walk of life that they too can spread the Gospel of Jesus. She gracefully invites us to examine the unremarkable details of each ordinary day and find doors to open so that God's amazing grace can rush in.   On the call to teach theology: “Those of us who have accepted the invitation and have chosen the Truth have an obligation to share what we know to be beautiful, fulfilling, and good. But herein lies a lofty challenge: extending an invitation to the Truth rather than forcing a point.  We may have sold our possessions and walked away from the world to follow Christ, at least in some way, but the majority of people to whom we are called to share the Truth have not even come close to doing that. We may believe in the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, but those to whom we are called to speak may think we’re crazy for consuming what still looks like bread and wine and calling it Christ. We may have five very detailed proofs for God’s existence and believe he is real, but the fourteen-year-old student who tells you he thinks God isn’t real doesn’t care about Aquinas’ arguments in the least. The goal is not to prove our point. The goal is to extend an invitation to believe. This is a critical first step in evangelization: to open our arms and invite others to approach the Truth we so dearly love, welcoming them and giving them a real chance to choose” (page 15)

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