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Faith Lesson Plan and Faith Activity
Chapter 16
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Worship and Grace
Source: (Our Sunday Visitor)
Grades 7 & 8
Doctrinal Content
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The signs, symbols, and rituals of the liturgy form us in prayer, communicate God’sgift of life, and show us the deeper meanings of the mystery. (CCC, 1145–1155)
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Even outside of the Mass, we show adoration and veneration for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. (CCC, 1378)•
Our spiritual life—God’s grace in us, the celebration of the liturgy, and ourparticipation in the Seven Sacraments—strengthens our moral life—how we live by
Jesus’ example, his teachings, and the Precepts of the Church. (CCC, 1803)
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The Third Commandment required the people of the Old Law to observe the Sabbath.As Catholics we observe the Lord’s Day on Sunday. (CCC, 1193, 2177–2182)
Invite
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Let Us Pray
Invite the young people to gather in the prayer space and make the sign of the Cross. Read aloud the leader's prayer. Proclaim the verse from Psalm 95:6-7 together. Have the youth move out of the prayer space and back to their seats.
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Say: Listen to the Scripture reading and see why we should make gathering to pray and worship a priority.
Guide the young people through the process of the Scripture reflection below.
Invite them to close their eyes, be still, and open their minds and hearts to what God is saying to them in this passage.
Proclaim the Scripture.
Maintain several moments of silence
Display and Read the following. Read: Acts 2: 46-47
Ask: What did you hear God say to you in the Sacred Scripture reading? Engage the young people to respond.
Say: When we worship, we often use rituals—patterns of behavior that make use of actions and symbols. We are going to learn more about this as we study this chapter.
Ask: What else have you ever thought about God's Word and what it means to you today? Engage the young people to respond to the questions below.
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Faith Story
Say: Use this story after the opening prayer before explaining that the early Christians put God first in their lives. Let us listen to the “Routines” story and see how Abbey ignored her family routines and consequences she experienced.
Story: Routines
“Ugh.” Abby let out a long, slow groan. She was in the middle of a great dream when a loud
obnoxious ringing interrupted her. It was the alarm clock. She slammed her hand down on it to shut it off.
Abby squinted out of her right eye and glanced at the alarm clock. “No!” She knew she only
had half an hour to get ready. She also knew it was useless to ask her parents to let her sleep in. She was really going to have a hard time getting back into the early morning routine.
Abby’s parents had warned her about staying up too late at night and not eating well at
camp, but she ignored that advice. Her cabin leaders turned off the lights every night at 10:00 P.M., but they did not stick around after that. Abby and her cabinmates were up almost all night.
The freedom to do as she pleased thrilled Abby. Her parents were not super strict, but they were firm about certain routines, especially family dinners and bedtimes. They had dinner at 6:30 P.M. every night, and she had to have lights our and music off by 10:00 P.M. “But my parents aren’t here,” Abby had smiled to herself.
Abby’s family routines disappeared the very first night when she and her three cabinmates
stayed up until 10:00 A.M., eating junk food and telling ghost stories. They did the same thing the next night, not only adding new friends to crowd into Abby’s cabin, but also
bringing new bags of popcorn, chocolate, and candy.
Abby knew she was eating badly—glass after glass of chocolate milk, gooey syrup on pancakes, French fries, and soda.
The week of not enough sleep and poor eating caught up with her by Saturday when her parents came to pick her up. She had a terrible headache and slept most of the way home. So, when the alarm went off Sunday morning, waking her up from the first decent sleep she had had in a week, she wanted to throw it out the window. She felt sick to her stomach and exhausted, and she did not want to get up!
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Discuss: What does Abby learn about the power of good routines?
Ask: Think about routines in your life. Which routines are helpful to you?Which routines are not?
Ask: Have you ever abandoned your routine? What was that like?
Discover (1)
Objectives:• Define a Catholic ritual as a pattern of behavior that makes use of actions and symbols
• Identify the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
• Describe the practice of adoration outside of Mass
Display and Read &
“The Church Worships”
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6 Ask: What is the liturgy?
Ask: What are the seven Sacraments?
Ask: What is the Real Presence of Christ?
Ask: What are the visible signs of the Church?
Ask: What is Eucharistic Adoration?
Say: The visible symbols and rituals of the Sacraments illustrate the graces and effects that are received.
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Work with Words
Review the following Faith Words
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Quick Review
The liturgy is the public worship of the Church. The Sacraments are signs of God’s grace,
given to us through the Church by Christ. The visible symbols and rituals of the Sacraments illustrate the graces and effects that are received.
Discover (2)
Objective• Explain how our spiritual life strengthens our moral life
• Identify Precepts that have personal significance
Display and Read
“Visible & Invisible Realities” &
“Our Response”
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Ask: What is the connection between worship and moral living?
Ask: What are the Precepts of the Church?
Ask: What is grace?
Ask: What is sanctifying grace?
Ask: What is actual grace?
Ask: What is Sacramental grace?
Work with Words
Review the following Faith Words
Video Time
Say: Let us watch a short video about how Christ is present in the Seven Sacraments.
Play the video clip. Video Link:http://youtu.be/EV-Cwo_L3Ok
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Faith Activity
Discover (3)
Objectives• Explain why Sunday is the day Catholics worship and rest
• Relate our observance of Sunday to the Third Commandment
Display and Read
“Sunday”
&
“The Third Commandment”
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Ask: How can we make Sunday a day for worship and rest?
Ask: What is the Third Commandment?
Ask: How do we live the Third Commandment in our daily lives?
Ask: What is happening in the photo in the previous page?
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Faith Activity
Quick Review - Summary
Live: Our Catholic Life
• Explore ways to participate in the Lord’s Day
• Explore the faith life of Saint Thomas Becket
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Ask: What is one way you feel part of the Church as you celebrate Mass on Sundays?
Ask: What is one way you can make your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church stronger?
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People of Faith Activity
Explain:Thomas Becket is one of the Saints who is as well-known to secular history as he is to Church history. Thomas, the son of a wealthy English merchant, was born in 1118. A capable, intelligent man, he became Lord Chancellor under King Henry II. Thomas was responsible for many government duties, including leading the army into battle. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died, Henry named Thomas to the position, even though he had
never been ordained a priest. The appointment totally changed Thomas’s life. He began to wear a monastic habit instead of fine clothes and feed the poor instead of giving lavish banquets to the rich. Because of his change of heart, Thomas began to oppose the king on certain matters. Henry became more and more angry at what he saw as rebellion by his
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former friend, especially after Thomas excommunicated several clergymen who supported
Henry. In fury, Henry said, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four knights took
that as an order and traveled to Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. Finding
Thomas, they hacked him to death with swords. As he lay dying, he said, “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.” Almost immediately
people began to proclaim him a martyr and Pope Alexander III canonized him just two years after his death. The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth
century, tells the story of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Saint Thomas in Canterbury Cathedral. Even today, people visit the cathedral to pray at the site of Saint Thomas’
murder.
Ask: Do you find it surprising that being appointed a bishop completely changed Saint
Thomas’ life? Why or why not?
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What did the Young People Learn?
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