Living in Communion Hope Expectations for Intermediate Classes

Grade 8 Living in Communion

Living in Communion ~ Hope Expectations for Intermediate Classes  Strive to integrate faith with all arenas of their life, personal, social, academic, etc. in order to show God’s love and promote God’s reign on earth;  Appreciate what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ and accept the responsibility of this gift;  Appreciate the role of the Holy Spirit in initiating believers into the communion of saints, forming them for a life of service and promoting in them a holy and virtuous life.

LC 1.1: Select and use passages from the New Testament to describe the meaning of “Church as community” (e.g. Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:3-13; Matt 5:13-16; Hebrews 10:24-25; John 15:1-2) and state how the communal nature of the Church witnesses to the reign of God in the world through the Holy Spirit. [CCC nos. 702-732] Passage of Church as community How communal nature of Church Scripture witnesses to reign of God in the world through the Holy Spirit Acts 2:42-47 Those who believed in Jesus By the way the community was started to live differently by living they gave witness to the reign selling their possessions and of God. The Holy Spirit helped them share the proceeds within the to give witness to this new life in community. They devoted Christ and their numbers increased. themselves to the teaching of You will know if someone is living the Apostles, to prayer, and to rightly by the fruit that they bear (by the breaking of bread (Mass). how they live.) Romans 12: Paul is instructing the If the community follows Paul’s 3-13 community in Rome about how guidance, they will bear witness to to live. Each member (person) the Holy Spirit and to God’s kingdom will be given gifts from God to on earth. The gifts given to use for the good of the members of the community are for community. Paul reminds the the benefit of the community, not members to love, be patient in personal gain. suffering, persevere in prayer. Matthew 5:13- Let your light shine before When we allow God’s Holy Spirit to 16 others, so that they may see inspire our actions, we give witness your good works and give glory to what is possible and help God’s to your Father in heaven. kingdom become a reality in the world. Hebrews The community is invited to The community gives witness to 10:24-25 encourage each member to love God’s kingdom by showing love to and to do good deeds, to meet each member, by performing good together in order to encourage deeds, by spending time together one another. and by encouraging one another. It may not be easy to do all this. The Holy Spirit helps us when it is not easy. This is how God’s witnesses give proof to God’s reign. John 15: 1-2 Jesus is the vine and God is the When we live, and move and have vine grower. We are the our being with God, we show others branches. When we bear fruit, how to live, move and have their God prunes the branch so it being with God. We are helpers may bear more fruit. (branches) in the kingdom of God in the world.

LC 1.2: Outline requirements of participation in the Church as community (e.g. participation in the Eucharist, a life of prayer, continual faith formation that deepens understanding of the statements of the Creed, works of service to the poor) and using examples, explain the importance of participation. We live in inconsistent times. Some people have no difficulty claiming that they are Catholic because they have received the sacraments but they do not feel the need to participate in the life of the Church as a member of the community. So some students/teachers may not deem these requirements of participation as essential to make the claim that they are Catholic. However, it is important to outline the requirements in the hope that it might inspire participation. Requirements of participation in the Church as community: participation in the Eucharist > the source and summit of our life as Catholic Christians – just as we require food and drink to live our human corporeal (bodily) lives, we require the Eucharist to live our human spiritual lives. A life of prayer keeps us in touch with our Creator and redeemer. There are times to pray in the community (Taizé prayer at St. Jerome’s on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. and is open to everyone in SSM) and there is a need for private prayer too. There may be special times of communal prayer in the parish associated with your school. If you know these, advertise them to the students. As members of the people of God we need to grow in our understanding and belief of statements of the Creed so continual faith formation is important, even beyond Confirmation preparation classes. For example: participation in the Triduum services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Saturday Easter Vigil would help your understanding of the creedal statements “Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; …the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” Often parishes have missions, or sessions on faith topics that we can freely take part in in order to grow. Works of service to the poor inspire us to live lives of generosity and compassion. Participating in canned food drives, or preparation of food for the soup kitchen, collection of Share Lent funds to assist those in the global south can help. LC 1.3: Explain, giving examples, how the Grace of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit received through the sacrament of Confirmation, support a life of faith and encourage participation in the life of the Church (e.g. strengthens our communion with Christ, our understanding of Grace, Church fellowship, the will to witnessing to Christ through words and actions, endows new gifts – wisdom, counsel, etc.). [CCC nos. 733-747] Ask your students if they know what the gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, knowledge, understanding, awe and wonder in God’s presence, reverence, courage, right judgment. Definitions for these gifts are: Knowledge > means being aware of the world God has created and understanding how things work and fit together. Wisdom > means being able to see how God wants things to be. It means knowing what needs to be done or said to help God’s plan happen. Reverence > means loyalty and faithfulness to God and changing our behaviour because of our faith. It also means praying and trusting in prayer. Awe & Wonder in God’s Presence > means knowing that God and only God deserves our absolute trust and commitment. Courage > means being able to keep going even then things get really hard. Right Judgment > means helping to change things to the way they should be. It means making good judgments and giving good advice. Understanding > means seeing why things are the way they are. It means seeing what needs to be done and responding the way God wants us to respond. When the Bishop lays hands on the confirmandi he prays that the gifts of the Holy Spirit in each one become enflamed, because the gifts have been in the person since their baptism. When these gifts become alive, the young person can become an active person of faith. These gifts support and encourage participation in the life of the Church. Ask your students if they have experienced any newness, boldness, prayerfulness since their confirmation, if they were confirmed. Of course, there needs to be an openness to use of these gifts. Have they responded to invitations to participate in activities at their parishes? Their youth is always needed. Of course that would require that they belong the community regularly so they can hear the invitations.

LC 2.1: Explain the signs of holiness found within the Church (e.g. teachings, sacraments, witness of love and service) and connect this with the “communion of saints”. [CCC nos. 687-747; 823-829] Have a conversation with your students about what is holiness. There are many ways that the Church encourages us to live holy lives. There are teachings that the priests give during their homilies. There are teachings in Church documents that offer advice and inspiration to those who read the documents. The sacraments are moments of grace when God blesses us. When we see someone living a life of holiness, it has a great deal of inspiration to encourage others to live likewise. So the lives of the saints can help us to live a good and holy life; saints who have been canonized and use St. in front of their names. There are ordinary men and women who by their lives show us how to live in relationship with God and others. The communion of saints is the gathering of all God’s people, living and dead, who share the grace and goodness of God. The communion of saints is especially present during the Eucharist, when the veil between earth and heaven is very minimal. Ask your students for individuals who the students think show holiness. What characteristics do these individuals express in their lives? I find it a gift to go to funerals to hear families speak of the goodness of their loved one’s life. It is usually in the witness of love and service that people experience holiness. Ask your students if they want to be saints.

LC 2.2: Define the gifts and fruits (perfections/virtues) of the Holy Spirit and explain how they are important in guiding our development as people who strive to live a holy life (e.g. find examples of everyday saints who exemplify the virtues). [CCC nos. 687-747]

Gifts of the Holy Spirit Wisdom helps us to seek and know the truth as God sees it Understanding helps us to open our minds and hearts to others so we can identify with their feelings and see life from their point of view Right Judgment or counsel gives us the important ability to judge between good and evil, to live according to God’s ways Courage gives us the inner strength to stand up for what we believe in through the gift of our faith, and to put our beliefs into action Knowledge gives us the opportunity to reflect on the life of the Trinity and the oneness of God’s being in three interrelated, equal divine persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We seek to know God as any human being knows his/her parents. Reverence or piety helps us to worship God, especially by participating fully in the liturgical life of the Church. This gift also helps us to have an active personal prayer life and to respect others. Wonder and awe in God’s allows us to recognize all of life and creation as a gift from Presence God. This gift helps us continue to work to improve our relationship with God and to respond to the needs of others. Taken from Pflaum Confirmation program pamphlet + cardinal virtues

Fruit of the Holy Spirit Love Christian love is selfless and giving. It means giving to others those things that you would want them to give you – and it’s doing so even if they can’t pay you back. Christian love is shown in our respect for others, in our mercy, and in our charity. Joy As believers in Christ, we have the gift of true joy – a feeling of complete happiness that comes from knowing that our God loves us, that we belong to a family of believers, and that our heavenly home awaits. Peace “Peace, be still,” Jesus said to the stormy sea. The waves, and the disciples in the boat, were instantly calmed. That feeling of calm in the face of adversity and the ability to face trouble with a level head is the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace. Patience Christian patience means more than the ability to wait. Our waiting comes with faith and hope in the Lord. In addition, just as God patiently forgives our wrongdoings, we can show that patience and forgiveness to others. Kindness Jesus came with a new commandment. “Love one another as God loves you,” Jesus tells us. This love we have from God is shown to others through our kindness. As we treat others at home and school kindly, we obey God’s command. Goodness The desire to do good and to be good should always be at the front of a faithful Christian’s mind. We know that Jesus came to forgive us and give us eternal life. We show our thanks for this gift in the good we do. Self-control God has given us wonderful bodies for living and minds for learning. The Christian fruit of self-control is our ability to choose God-pleasing behaviour over sinful and harmful actions. Gentleness Christian gentleness is shown in how we solve problems with those around us and how we care for people in need. We follow Jesus’ example of the Good Samaritan as we treat our neighbours with gentleness. Faithfulness Faith in Jesus is our belief that he came to die and rise to earn us a place in heaven. Faithfulness to Jesus is our eagerness to share that news, our desire to do what we promise, and our willingness to follow Him. Taken from Creative Communications poster.

Faith, Love and Hope > theological virtues given to us by God so that we can grow more like God. You may want to create two charts and have students write in the correct gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Then have the students research everyday saints at http://www.catholic.org/saints/ to find saints that demonstrated the gifts and/or fruit of the Holy Spirit. Once they have researched a saint, ask them to answer the question: Explain how your saint could be important in guiding our development as people who strive to live a holy life.

LC 2.3: Identify and interpret stories in the New Testament that demonstrate the significant role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus and his followers (e.g. Luke 1:26-39 – the Annunciation; Luke 4:16-21 – “The spirit of the Lord is upon me…”; Luke 4:1-2 – Jesus is led into the desert; Acts 2:1-13 – Pentecost; Luke 16:5-15 – The Paraclete; Rom. 5:5 – the Holy Spirit pours out God’s love on the early Church). [CCC nos. 737-747]

Stories Interpretation of the stories to demonstrate the significant role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus and his followers. Lk.1:26-39 The angel Gabriel comes to Mary to invite her to be the mother of God’s Son. She agrees and through the Holy Spirit Mary is impregnated with Jesus. Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, although old to have a child, is also impregnated with John the Baptist. So the Holy Spirit helps to begin Jesus’ life and the life of the Church Jesus will form. Lk.4:16-21 Jesus goes to the synagogue at Nazareth, where he grew up, and he reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus is inspired by the Holy Spirit to begin his ministry with this proclamation from Isaiah. Lk. 4:1-2 After Jesus’ baptism, he is filled with the Holy Spirit and he was led to the desert for forty days to prepare for his ministry. Lk. 3:21- When Jesus is baptized by his cousin John, the Holy Spirit descended 22 upon him. This spirit will guide him throughout his ministry. Lk.10:21- “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” – Jesus and the Holy Spirit work 24 together, this time in thanking God the Father. Acts 2:1- Once Jesus returned to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles 13 at Pentecost so that they would not be alone. The Holy Spirit would guide them in their mission to share the Good News to the ends of the earth. Rms. 5:5 In Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul says, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” It is important to remind students that while Jesus was on earth he was fully human. Jesus would be found often by the apostles and disciples in prayer. Jesus was in relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus was so open to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, he was able to be guided to do what was required. We, too, have the capacity to be open to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Through our baptism, we have been given the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit to lead our lives in faith. This requires an openness so that the Holy Spirit can move within us.