Following the Catholic Bible for Children, Ignatius Press

November Bible Lessons

Following The Catholic Bible for Children, Ignatius Press And including corresponding page numbers for The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible, Regina Press

November1-7

LESSON 16: The Trumpets of Jericho, pg. 54-55 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 98-99 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible Joshua 5:13--6:1-27

1. What did the Israelites carry in front of them when they marched around Jericho? The Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant. God had given Moses detailed instructions for making the Ark of the Covenant while he was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. It was a beautiful chest covered with gold. It was kept in a special part of the Tent where the people worshipped God. The Ark of the Covenant was very holy because it held the Ten Commandments. God told Joshua, the new leader of the Hebrews, to have the people march around Jericho once a day for six days. Each day, the priests blew their horns while they marched, but God told the people not to say a word. On the seventh day, he had them march around the city seven times. On the seventh time around, Joshua told the priests to blow their horns and said to the people, “Now shout, for the Lord has given you the city” (Joshua 6:16). Then the walls tumbled down!

2. Why do you think God had his people carry the Ark of the Covenant in front of them while they marched around the city? God wanted his people to remember the promise (Covenant) that he had made with them: if they would follow his laws, he would take care of them as his special people. By following the Ark of the Covenant while they marched, they were reminded that they needed to follow God’s Ten Commandments. Even though it may have seemed strange to march around the city blowing the horns and then shouting, the people obeyed. And God took care of them by bringing the walls down without a battle. God wants us to follow him too! LESSON 17: Samson and Delilah, pg. 56-57 The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 106-113 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible Judges 13:1—16:31

1. Why do you think God told Samson that he would stay strong as long as he did not cut his hair? Does long hair really make you stronger? Samson was not strong because he went to the gym every day. The secret was not even that he had long hair—his secret was obeying God! As long as Samson followed God’s instructions, which meant not cutting his hair, God would help him stay strong enough to do great things for him.

2. Why did Samson give away the secret of his strength? Samson made a very bad choice when he fell in love with an enemy woman. He listened to another person and chose to disobey God. He did not stay focused on loving God first. God gives us Free Will to choose whether we will love him and obey him or not.

3. Does this happen to us today? It is important to choose our friends wisely, because it can be very hard to say “NO” to friends who want us to do something that is wrong. This is called “peer pressure”—when the people around you try to convince you to do something that you know you shouldn’t.

4. What can you do about peer pressure? First of all, spend time being close to God. By learning about him, going to Mass, and praying to him you can have a heart full of God’s love. This makes it easier to say “NO” to people when they want you to do something you shouldn’t. Don’t be afraid to say “NO!” You may even be helping someone else learn to make a better choice. If you are not sure about what to do, talk to your parents, your grandparents, your teacher at school, or another grown-up that you trust. They can help you be strong enough to do the right thing. It is also important to spend time with friends that want to obey the rules and do the right things. (This is a great time to reinforce a plan with your child for those times when they may face a moral dilemma.) LESSON 18: Samuel, pg. 58-59 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 124-128 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 1 Samuel 1:9—3:11

1. How did God speak to Samuel? Samuel heard God’s voice during the night.

2. How did Samuel answer God? Samuel told God, “Here I am!” From that time on, Samuel listened to God. Because of this, God used Samuel as a special person who speaks God’s message to his people (a Prophet).

3. How does God speak to his people today? God’s people today, his Christian family, have his Sacred Words in all of the books of the Bible. We can learn from the many stories of God’s people in the Old Testament. We can hear the Good News of Jesus in the Gospels and in the writings of his Apostles in the New Testament. We hear God’s Word when we go to Mass, and we also hear the priest or deacon explain God’s Word to us in the homily. At Baptism, God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and obey God’s Word. The Holy Spirit helps us to learn to love and serve God with all of our hearts, just like Samuel! November 8-14

LESSON 19: David and his Brothers, pg. 60-61 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 134 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 1 Samuel 16:1-13

1. God’s people had asked for a king, and the prophet Samuel had anointed a man named Saul to be king of Israel. At first, King Saul followed God and was a good ruler. As time went on, he tried to do things his own way instead of God’s way. It was time for a new king!

2. Why do you think that God picked David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons to be king? From this Bible story, we learn that Samuel met David’s seven older brother’s first. They were strong young men, and Samuel was sure that one of them would be chosen by God. But God told Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God didn’t care that David was the youngest, or that his job was taking care of the sheep. God wanted someone with a good heart.

3. What did Samuel do when he told David that he would become king of Israel? Samuel placed his hand on David’s head. The Bible tells us that he anointed David’s head with oil as a special sign that God had blessed him. 1 Samuel 16:13 says that, “From that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.”

4. The Church still uses Holy Oils for anointing during some of the Sacraments. Can you think of any examples? The oil is a symbol of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those being baptized are anointed with oil at their Baptism. Young people are anointed with oil (sealed with the Holy Spirit) at Confirmation. Priests and Bishops are anointed with Holy Oil when they are ordained (Holy Orders). And people who are very ill or dying are anointed with Holy Oil in a special sacrament called Anointing of the Sick.

LESSON 20: David and Goliath, pg. 62-63 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 136-139 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 1 Samuel 17

1. David had been anointed, but he had not become king yet. King Saul was still in charge when the Philistines champion, Goliath, challenged the Hebrew soldiers to a fight. (The Bible says he was 6 ½ feet tall.)

2. Why wasn’t David afraid of Goliath? Would you want to fight someone like Goliath? David knew that he would have God’s help. He was not a skilled soldier. In fact, Saul tried to give him armor to wear and a big sword, but it was too heavy and awkward for him! When David went to fight Goliath, he wanted everyone to know that God was in charge. He told Goliath, “All…shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he shall deliver you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

3. What can we learn from the stories of David and his Brothers and David and Goliath? God is not worried about what we look like on the outside, or whether we are big and strong. God looks at our hearts! All he asks is that we choose to love and follow him. God created the whole universe! If we put our trust in him, He is powerful enough to help us do any job that he gives us. LESSON 21: David and the Ark of the Covenant, pg. 64-65 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 150-151 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 2 Samuel 6:11-19, & 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:43

1. After David became the king, he had the Ark of the Covenant brought to the city of Jerusalem (also called the City of David). Use a globe, the world atlas, or the internet to find Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is still considered the most holy city of Israel.

2. What was the Ark of the Covenant? (See Lesson 16) The Ark of the Covenant was a beautiful chest covered with gold. It was kept in a special part of the Tent where the people worshipped God. The Ark of the Covenant was very holy because it held the Ten Commandments.

3. Why was it important for David to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the city where he lived as King? David had a heart for God. David wanted to follow God while he was King of Israel. He was showing God and all of the people that he put God first and wanted to be close to God.

4. What did David do when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem? David danced for joy. David was showing how happy he was by worshipping God.

5. How do we worship God? We worship God when we participate at Mass. David did not worry about what anyone thought of him while he was dancing. He probably never had dance lessons! The same is true when we sing to the Lord in church—or any other time. We can all join in and worship God together from our hearts. That is what is beautiful to God! November 15-21

LESSON 22: David and Bathsheba, pg. 66-67 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 152-153 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 2 Samuel 11- 12:25

1. Did King David follow God’s Ten Commandments? No! King David chose to turn away from God’s laws and committed very serious sins. He did not keep his heart pure. He wanted another man’s wife. This led to more sin, because he sent Bathsheba’s husband into battle where he would be killed.

2. What happened when God’s messenger, Nathan, confronted David about his sin? David was ashamed and truly sorry for his sin. When we are truly sorry for our sins it is called contrition. David asked for God’s forgiveness and God forgave him.

3. What Sacrament did God give us for the forgiveness of sins? God gives us the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins. This is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. When we are truly sorry for choosing to do wrong, we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To be reconciled means to come back to God—to be close to him again. We confess (tell) our sins to the priest. Then we are forgiven by God through the words of the priest in a special prayer called absolution. It is so wonderful to be close to God again!

4. King David wrote a very beautiful prayer song called a Psalm expressing his great sorrow for his sins and asking God to wash his heart clean. Read Psalm 51 together. LESSON 23: David and Solomon, pg. 68-69 in The Catholic Bible for Children The Book of Psalms

1. What is the book of Psalms? The entire book of Psalms is composed of 150 beautiful prayer songs. Many were written by King David and Solomon.

2. How were the Psalms used? A large number of the Psalms were written to be used when the people came together to worship God.

3. Does the Church still use the Psalms today? Yes! Every time there is a Mass, a Responsorial Psalm is either sung or read by the cantor and then the people respond. Next time you are Mass, pay close attention to when the Responsorial takes place. Isn’t it amazing that we are singing the same songs in the church that were sung by David and the people of Israel almost 3,000 years ago!

4. Are the Psalms only for use at Mass? The Psalms can be read or sung at any time. Since they express so many deep emotions of the human heart, the Psalms are a wonderful way to pray to God when we are sad or worried and need his help, or when we are full of joy and want to praise him.

5. Look through the book of Psalms and read some of the different verses. You may want to read Psalm 23, which is a beautiful Psalm of David that tells us how God loves and cares for us. . LESSON 24: The Building of the Jerusalem Temple, pg. 68-69 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 158-159 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 2 Samuel 7 1 Kings 5:18-7:12; 8:1-9:28; 10:14-29 2 Chronicles 1:14-8:18; 9:13-28

1. What did Solomon place in the center of the beautiful new temple? Solomon had a very special room built in the innermost portion of the temple for the Ark of the Covenant. This room was called the holy of holies, because this was the dwelling place for God’s presence on earth. This room was closed off from the people by a very tall, heavy curtain called a veil. The High Priest of Israel was only allowed to enter the holy of holies once a year when he offered animal sacrifices for the sins of the people of Israel (Leviticus 16:14-15, Hebrews 9:3-7).

2. What happened to the holy of holies? In the New Testament, we learn how Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins. At the moment that Jesus died on the cross, the giant veil in front of the holy of holies was torn right down the middle (Luke 23: 44-46). A few years later (70 A.D.), the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.

3. Where does God’s presence dwell now? The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that because of the grace that God gives us in the Sacraments, Christians become temples of God’s Holy Spirit (Catechism, No. 1197). God is now present within every Christian instead of being behind the veil in the holy of holies. What an awesome thing to think about—God’s Holy Spirit dwells in our bodies!

4. What does it mean to be a temple of the Holy Spirit? Because we are temples of the Holy Spirit, we should always use our bodies to obey and love God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20 says, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” November 22-28

LESSON 25 & 26: The Judgement of Solomon, & The Queen of Sheba, pg. 70-73 in The Catholic Bible for Children Pg. 154-157 & 160-161 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible 1 Kings 3:16-28; 1 Kings 10 & 2 Chronicles 9

1. Did Solomon really plan to hurt the baby that the two women were fighting over? No! Solomon knew that the woman who was the true mother of the baby would do anything to protect her child from harm. Solomon was very wise!

2. Where did Solomon’s wisdom come from? (See I Kings 3:5-15) When Solomon became king, he was still a young man. God came to him in a dream and told Solomon that he would give him anything that he asked for. Solomon could have asked for a long life, for riches, or for victory over his enemies. Instead, Solomon asked God for Wisdom. This is what he said to God: “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.”

3. What is wisdom? Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that God gives to us at our Baptism to help us live holy lives (Catechism, No. 1266). The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord (Catechism, No. 1831). The gift of wisdom helps us to know the purpose and plan of God.

4. Why did the Queen of Sheba come to visit Solomon? The Queen of Sheba came to see Solomon because of he was famous for his Wisdom. Proverbs 16:16 says “How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.” (Parts of the book of Proverbs were actually written by Solomon, and it talks a lot about the importance of Wisdom.)

5. Talk about some of the things that people in our culture are famous for. Why would it be more important to be wise? Wisdom helps us to know how to follow God in our lives.