As we celebrate again Jesus’ humble birth, we seek, like him, to humble ourselves in service of others, so that not only they, but we, too, know the true peace, joy, and wonder of Christmas. —Chester Freel, C.S.C. Three Kings artwork © Jen Norton, www.JenNortonArtStudio.com. Text from The Cross, Our Only Hope Revised Edition (Ave Maria Press, 2016)
The following Christmas meditation is adapted was written by Sr. Kieran Sawyer, SSND. Read it to your class in a moment of quiet meditation. See the assignments below as possible follow-up. The Christmas Star: A Meditation Imagine that is a beautiful Christmas Eve. You decide you need some space and fresh air, so you go for a walk by yourself. Imagine yourself walking along. Snow is falling gently, and the flakes float down lazily, resting on your cheeks and eyelashes. You scuff your feet as you walk cutting a new trail in the snow. It feels good to be alone. The stillness of the night seems to still your mind and your heart. Silent night, holy night, you think, humming he ancient melody softly in your mind. Continue this imaginary evening walk, sensing as deeply as you can the calm and peace of the true Christmas spirit. (Pause) You’ve been so lost in your thought you haven’t paid much attention to where you were going. Suddenly you realize that you’ve left the city behind. You look around, trying to get your bearings. You see that you are out in the countryside, walking through gently rolling hills. It has stopped snowing and the sky is filled with stars. You look up into the sky. The stars are magnificent! One star in particular captures your attention. It’s shaped like something of a cross, and it glows with a long trail of light that seems reach all the way to earth. You think this is crazy; this is not the first century. This is [your state], not Bethlehem. But you follow the star anyway; more out of curiosity than anything else, just to see where it will take you. And sure enough, the star leads you across the field to a little cave in the side of the hill. You’re beginning to feel shy now, wondering what you’ll say to Mary and Joseph if you find them in the cave. But as you near the cave, it appears to be empty and dark. You look again at your star. Yes, it’s still pointing to this cave. You follow the star with your eyes. It moves slowly down the sky and right into the empty cave. The star fills every corner of the cave with light. You enter the cave cautiously. Everything is here the way you remember it from your childhood. Christmas books—the stable, the manger, the straw—but no animals and no Holy Family. The star hovers like a gentle light over the empty manger. You have a sense that something mysterious and holy is taking place. Somehow, God seems to be here in that cave with you. And then you realize that the empty cave is really your heart and that the star is God, waiting to be invited in. Slowly, almost fearfully, you open your arms to the star, knowing that you are opening your life to God. You feel the light lf the star flooding over you. You are in the light, and the light is in you. Your heart is filled with the gentle presence of God. (Pause.) Spend the next few moments with Jesus, the first Christmas star, the one whose name is Emmanuel, God-with-us. God is with you. Try to let the mystery penetrate your mind. God is with you. God lives in your heart. You are the Christmas star. Know that the light of God’s love is filling your whole being, flooding your mind, your body, and your heart. (Pause.) Think now of what it means to be a star. You have a job to do. There is a dark world out there that needs the light of god’s love. Imagine yourself leaving the cave behind and walking out into the night, back across the field toward home. Imagine the real world to which you will be returning—your family, your friendship groups, your school or work place. How can you bring the light of God to the people in that world? How can you bring true Christmas peace to your loved ones, your friends, your acquaintances? (Pause.) As you imagine yourself getting close to home, remember that God is with you. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son. Today, God so loves the world that he sends you. Ask Jesus to be with you to help you to be a Christmas star. Possible Follow-up Activities On paper heart cutouts, print the initials of anyone you have hurt (embarrassed, disappointed, made fun of, etc.). Also print the initials of people who have hurt you. Spend some time in quiet reflection praying for both groups of people. Write handwritten, thoughtful Christmas cards expressing your appreciation for five people you know. With a stamp and an envelope, put the letters in the mail. Sing Christmas carols together as a class.
Two Marian feast days will be celebrated by the Church in the coming days. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 commemorates that Mary, from the first moment of her conception was preserved immune from Original Sin. This also means that from the first moment of her existence Mary was full of grace, that is, free of any alienation from God caused by Original Sin. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 marks the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego in 1531 in Mexico City. Mary’s appearance was instrumental in the conversion of thousands of Native Americans. Working individually or in small groups, have the students create presentations on one of these two feast days related to what they unearth for understanding about Mary. Allow time for two sessions for sharing their findings. Have the students use the following questions as the basis of their presentations: How did the special date associated with this doctrine arise? Is there a scriptural reference associated with this doctrine? What are particular Church documents that explain this doctrine? What does this doctrine teach us about Mary? What does this doctrine teach us about Jesus? What does this doctrine mean to the Church today? What are some particular ways the Church celebrates this doctrine? What is one additional interesting piece of information you discovered about this doctrine or about how the feast day is celebrated?
As the semester winds down, share these prayers for student life with your own students. All are taken from Day by Day: The Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students (Ave Maria Press). Before Study Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance. Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion; through Christ our Lord. Amen. --St. Thomas Aquinas Open My Mind Lord Jesus, you were once a student like me. You studied God’s law, the history of your people and a trade by which to earn a living. You lived in a human family, made steady progress in understanding and yearned to discover your vocation in life. Open my mind to the truth of things, make me humble before the awesome mysteries of the universe, make me proud to be a human being and a child of God and give me courage to live my life in the light your gospel. Amen. Prayer Before Examinations Lord, It seems as though our lives are one test after another, weighing us in somebody’s balance. Save us from taking the coming tests too seriously or too lightly, but grant that we may reflect the best of the work we’ve done and the best of the teaching we received; through Christ our Lord. Amen. --John W. Vannorsdall Another Prayer Before an Exam Dear Lord, Sometimes I feel a little strange praying to you because of an exam. It doesn’t really seem all that significant when you consider the “big picture.” But right now, the test looms so large that it is all I can see before me. I pray to you for three things: --the strength to handle the pressure I feel --the confidence to feel secure in my knowledge and preparation --and the ability to keep an appropriate perspective on it all. Help me to keep in mind what is really important, even as I focus all of my time and energy on this test in the immediate future. Amen. --Dana Parisi
As the days and weeks of 2015 near the end, you might consider joining with the city of South Bend, Indiana, the nearby home of Ave Maria Press, on the celebration of the city's 150 year anniversary. Similarly, 2015 is the 150 year anniversary of Ave Maria Press as well. As you may know, the Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross and is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. A study using the resources cited below is significant in that it highlights the year to year development of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States, and particularly in South Bend. The Congregation is unique in that it was founded as a family with three parts: priests, brothers, and sisters. There remains a large presence of Holy Cross all three--priests, brothers, and sisters--in and around South Bend, and especially at three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and Saint Mary's College. Peruse the resources below for yourself. Then take some time to share them with your students! Ave Maria Press 150th Anniversary Documentary: Sacred Mission-Civic Duty: The Holy Cross Family
As the weather turns from mild to severe, use this guided meditation to help your students reflect more deeply on Mark 4:35-31. After the students are quiet and settled, begin by saying “You are on the rough seas. Your boat is tossing and turning in the stormy waters. Think of the storms in your own life. Then . . . Relax. Quiet yourself in this space. Enjoy the silence. Let go of the distractions. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Be still. Relax. Let all your worries fly away. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Imagine . . . What a great time you have had. You and your friends have been following Jesus for days now. You are dead tired, but still content as you find a place to rest in the boat. Look around at the friends you have made. Look at Jesus who is sitting at the stern. How you admire him! Feel the slow moving lull of the boat. Relax as the waves gently lull the boat back and forth. Back and forth. Relax. Some of your friend fall asleep. Jesus falls asleep, too. The boat keeps moving across the lake. You think about the day. Your mind is just wandering. The wind starts blowing. You can tell it is becoming harder to row now. The current is choppy. The sky is now black. Take your turn with the oars. Work hard. Feel the storm approaching. The waves begin to take the boat. The water is coming in over the sides. Everyone is working. Someone yells out, “Wake up Jesus. We need his help. Now.” Move towards Jesus. Wake him up. Jesus sits up and looks around. He yells out, “Quiet” to the wind. The wind stops. Just like that, the water calms down and the wind disappears. Jesus looks like he wants to go back to sleep. What just happened? Jesus looks at all of you and says, “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?” A great awe overcomes you. You wonder, “Who is the man whom even the sea obeys?” Sit with this wonderment. Crawl back over to where Jesus is resting. Approach him cautiously. Ask him your question, “Who are you that the sea obeys you?” Listen to his answer. Tell him about something in your life that is raging, a storm in your world, a situation that could use Jesus’ touch. Be with him. It is time to reenter this space. Say good-bye for now. Ask Jesus to lead your way to the rest of the day. Say thank you. Come back gently. Open your eyes. Remember. Sit up. This Guided Meditation was originally published in Encountering Jesus: 20 Guided Meditations on His Care and Compassion by Patty McCulloch.As the weather turns from mild to severe, use this guided meditation to help your students reflect more deeply on Mark 4:35-31. After the students are quiet and settled, begin by saying “You are on the rough seas. Your boat is tossing and turning in the stormy waters. Think of the storms in your own life. Then . . . Relax. Quiet yourself in this space. Enjoy the silence. Let go of the distractions. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Be still. Relax. Let all your worries fly away. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Imagine . . . What a great time you have had. You and your friends have been following Jesus for days now. You are dead tired, but still content as you find a place to rest in the boat. Look around at the friends you have made. Look at Jesus who is sitting at the stern. How you admire him! Feel the slow moving lull of the boat. Relax as the waves gently lull the boat back and forth. Back and forth. Relax. Some of your friend fall asleep. Jesus falls asleep, too. The boat keeps moving across the lake. You think about the day. Your mind is just wandering. The wind starts blowing. You can tell it is becoming harder to row now. The current is choppy. The sky is now black. Take your turn with the oars. Work hard. Feel the storm approaching. The waves begin to take the boat. The water is coming in over the sides. Everyone is working. Someone yells out, “Wake up Jesus. We need his help. Now.” Move towards Jesus. Wake him up. Jesus sits up and looks around. He yells out, “Quiet” to the wind. The wind stops. Just like that, the water calms down and the wind disappears. Jesus looks like he wants to go back to sleep. What just happened? Jesus looks at all of you and says, “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?” A great awe overcomes you. You wonder, “Who is the man whom even the sea obeys?” Sit with this wonderment. Crawl back over to where Jesus is resting. Approach him cautiously. Ask him your question, “Who are you that the sea obeys you?” Listen to his answer. Tell him about something in your life that is raging, a storm in your world, a situation that could use Jesus’ touch. Be with him. It is time to reenter this space. Say good-bye for now. Ask Jesus to lead your way to the rest of the day. Say thank you. Come back gently. Open your eyes. Remember. Sit up. This Guided Meditation was originally published in Encountering Jesus: 20 Guided Meditations on His Care and Compassion by Patty McCulloch.
After St. Paul traveled the Roman empire as a missionary, converting many Gentiles to Christianity and establishing local churches, he would later be confronted by these new Christians with questions of faith and practice. Since he could not return to these areas right away, Paul would respond by letter. Of the twenty-one letters or epistles in the New Testament, fourteen of the letters are either authored by or attributed to St. Paul. The letters addressed many of the issues of the early Church—for example, the second coming of Christ (Parousia), divisions in the Church, attitudes for worship—and others. Have your students read and reflect on the following questions. When Scripture citations are listed, have them look them up and read them. Have them write their answers to the questions. Also, call on students to share their answers as part of a class discussion. Questions How do you imagine Christ’s second coming, the Parousia? Describe what you think would happen if Christ returned to the world today? St. Paul says that Christians are not to live in darkness, but as “children of the light and children of the day” (1 Thess 5:5). How would you explain the meaning of these words to a new Christian today? Apparently some Christians awaiting the Parousia had stopped working and were depending on others for food. How would you respond to people doing this? How does your response differ from the one offered in 2 Thessalonians 3:16-15? Paul was critical of the Galatians for listening to bad advice and following the burdensome rules of the Jewish-Christian missionaries. Name someone you have accepted constructive criticism from? What was the advice he or she offered? What do you do to act on the advice? In dealing with the Corinthians, Paul faced the problems of division in the Church. What are some factions in the Church today? What do you know about the issues, beliefs, or people they support? In 1 Corinthians 1:27-34, Paul writes of the need for proper preparation before celebrating Eucharist. What attitude do you seek when you attend Mass? How do you prepare yourself to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist? Paul writes that our faith is worthless unless we believe that Christ is raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:14). Do you agree? Why is the resurrection the central belief of the Christian faith? Being free from the law does not allow Christians to do whatever they want. St. Paul asks, “How can we who died to sin yet live in it?” (Rom 6:2). If you knew for sure you were going to heaven after you died, how would this change the way you lived? St. Paul wrote: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). When was a time you have found this to be true in your life?
