Grade 5 – Lesson 7

Key Points  The Second Vatican Council  Vocations  The Marks of the are essential characteristics that distinguish Christ’s Church and her mission: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.  The Mystical Body of Christ is the Church of which Christ is the head. All baptized members are part of the Mystical Body of Christ, whether they live here on Earth, or in Heaven or Purgatory.  The is the successor of St. Peter, the bishop of Rome, and the head of the entire Catholic Church.  The Magisterium is the teaching office of the Church, which is all the bishops in union with the Pope.  Infallibility is a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church by which the Pope and the bishops may declare that a matter of faith or morals is free from error and must be accepted by the faithful.

Materials  Church Word Puzzle (p. 155E)  Decipher the Clues (p. 166E)  Picture of Pope Francis  Picture of Pope St. John Paul II  Poster of All  YouTube (Bring a tablet or laptop to your lesson)

Catechist Prayer before the lesson: Jesus, I am your witness. Strengthen my faith in you, and help me live as you taught. May I remember that you are always with me, and may I act accordingly. Amen.

Before the lesson:  Hand out Church Word Puzzle. Answers are in the back of the catechist manual.

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[10 min] Invite – The Church’s Message (p. 155)  Pray the Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

 Recite the prayer on page 155 and recite the Scripture passage.

[10 min] Discover – A Time of Renewal (p.156-157)  Read or summarize the text on pages 156-157 about Vatican II.  The Church’s core teachings (dogma) have never changed, but the outer form of the Church can and does change through the centuries.  Here are some of the main changes made during the Second Vatican Council (Feel free to bring the class into Church to talk about this): o was changed from being said in Latin to English (or other languages in different countries). o The used to face the front of the Church towards the altar, instead of facing toward the people. o The Precious Blood was not received by the congregation, only the priest would drink from the chalice. People would only receive the Body of Christ at Communion. (Note: the Diocese of Madison still practices this.) o Early Christians used to make the sign of peace at Mass, but this wasn’t done for a long time until Vatican II restored the practice.  [Optional] Watch the first 3 minutes of this video which discusses some of the problems that emerged from people misinterpreting the documents of Vatican II and taking the changes too far. https://youtu.be/90uKf6tr9AA

[10 min] Discover – Essential Characteristics (p. 158-159)  At Mass, we pray the Nicene Creed, in which we say “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”  These four characteristics are called the Four Marks of the Church.  Divide the class into 4 groups and assign one of the Four Marks to each group. Have each group read about their Mark in the purple box on page 159 and the other areas of the textbook mentioned. Have each group explain their Mark to the class.  The Four Marks of the Church are: o One: The Church is one because the power of the Holy Spirit unites all the members through one faith and one baptism. The members of the Church are called the Mystical Body of Christ. Note: There is a distinction between the Mystical Body of Christ (The Church) and the Body of Christ (The ). o Holy: The Church is holy because she is set apart for God and his purposes. The Holy Spirit unifies the Church, and we are united in the Communion of Saints, which is everyone who follows Jesus on Earth, Heaven, or Purgatory.

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o Catholic: the Church is meant for all people in all times and all places. The word “Catholic” means universal. o Apostolic: the teaching authority of the Church comes directly from Jesus and his chosen Apostles because the bishops are the successors to the Apostles.

[5 min] Live – People of Faith (p. 161)

o Read and discuss St. Robert Bellarmine. o Discuss: In what ways can you respectfully help people understand the Church and her teachings? o Discuss: Do you think it is difficult to talk about religion with people who don’t agree with you?

[10 min] The Church on Earth (p. 166-167)

o Show the picture of Pope Francis. o Explain that the Church has always had a Pope to be its leader. Jesus appointed St. Peter as the first Pope. The Pope lives in Vatican City, which is a city-state located in Rome, Italy. o Take the class to the Upper Level Parish Center to look at a poster of all 266 Popes. o Ask: . Who was the first Pope? What year did he become Pope? . What year did Pope Francis become Pope? . How many Popes were named Benedict? o [Optional] Show a video of Pope Francis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ7N9lM1OMA

[10 min] The Teaching Office (p. 168-169)

 The Magisterium is the teaching office of the Church, which is all the bishops in union with the Pope.  Infallibility is a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church by which the Pope and the bishops may declare that a matter of faith or morals is free from error and must be accepted by the faithful. Infallibility only applies to doctrines, not people. Some Popes and bishops in Church history were far from perfect and did not live according to Christian morality, but despite this unfortunate fact, the teachings of the Church have always been safeguarded from error, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a book that contains all the most important topics of what we believe as Catholics. There is a version of the Catechism called the YouCat, which is written for young Catholics.  Hand out Decipher the Clues. Answers are in the back of the catechist manual.

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[10 min] Vocations

o Everyone has a vocation, which is what God calls each of us to be in our lives here on Earth. . (Leaders in the Church)  Pope – head of the Church, the Vicar of Christ guided by the Holy Spirit  Cardinals – second-highest office in the Church, responsible for electing a new pope  Bishops – third-highest office in the Church, leaders of a particular Diocese. Bishop Robert Morlino is the bishop of the Diocese of Madison.  – parish leader. Fr. Donn Heiar is our parish priest. Fr. Doug Dushack is a retired priest who says Mass when Padre is away.  – assist parish priests, can be married. Joe Stafford is our parish deacon. . Religious (Live in community in monasteries or missionary work)  Monks (Brothers)  Nuns (Sisters) .  Married  Single (Includes Consecrated Celibacy, in which a person officially commits their single life to God.) o Watch this video about vocations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=125phYGeNWA o Discuss: What are some of the good things about a religious vocation? What are some of the challenges? o Getting involved at Mass is a good way to help discern your vocation. o There are many roles that people help with at Mass: . Lector – reads the Bible passage . Cantor – leads the congregation in songs . Hospitality staff – greets people when they arrive . Sacristan – prepares the bread and wine for consecration before Mass . – Assists the priest during Mass. o If the students would like to get involved as an altar server or another role at Mass, they can talk to the music director, Cecile.

[5 min] Live – People of Faith (p. 171)

o Show the picture of Saint Pope John Paul II o Read and discuss on page 171.

[5 min] Sending – Celebration of the Word (p. 172)

o Ask the students if there is anything they would like to pray for. o Pray the Hail, Holy Queen on 324. o Recite the prayer on page 172. o Remind the students to read through the Family+Faith pages with their parents at home.

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