Confirmation: Catholic Social Teaching Sunday, February 7th Class Focus: How do we respond to suffering? What is Catholic Social Teaching and how do we live that out? Dive into the Beatitudes Lesson: 1. Opening Prayer: Beatitudes Prayer: Beatitudes Prayer So many people in the world near to hear and feel the good news that Jesus proclaimed. Please fill in the following prayer intentions and spend some time in prayer for those listed below. Pray: Lord, help all those who are poor and in need especially… Think of one or two specific people or groups who fall into this category and write them below. Lord, help all those who are grieving, sad, or suffering, especially… Think of one or two specific people or groups who fall into this category and write them below. Lord, help all those who are being treated unjustly, especially… Think of one or two specific people or groups who fall into this category and write them below. Lord, help all those whose homes, communities, or nations are places of conflict, especially… Think of one or two specific people or groups who fall into this category and write them below. Lord, help all those who are persecuted for religious reasons or for their efforts to establish justice, peace and harmony, especially… Think of one or two specific people or groups who fall into this category and write them below. Spend a moment praying for those people/things that you listed above. 2. Lesson: Following Jesus means loving as He did Share: Last class, we spent time thinking about suffering and how we can care for our brothers and sisters. Today, we are going to dive more deeply into our call as Catholics to live out the Beatitudes and to live out Catholic Social Teaching. Catholic Social Teaching should be something everyone is familiar with as Catholics, but unfortunately many of us have not learned about the beautiful, rich teachings we have about justice. The word beatitude means “blessed” or “happy” What are the Beatitudes and what do they mean to you? If you are with your family, discuss together. If you are by yourself, spend some time reflecting on those questions. The Beatitudes are: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. What are the Beatitudes? The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven. The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints. The whole point of our moral life as followers of Jesus is to learn to love all good things in the right ways. Jesus treated all people equally and respected the dignity of each person. He cared about the human rights of all people. He protected people who could not protect themselves. He spoke out for the freedom of all people and especially those who were treated unjustly. He listened to those who were lonely and went out of his way to help people in need. And through Jesus, we learn of this great love that God has for all people. Jesus was a perfect example of God’s unconditional love-offered even when people did not respond to it. The night before he died, Jesus gave his disciples a New Commandment to “love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35). The Catholic Church teaches about Catholic social teaching, which is rooted in the beliefs that every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. Every person, from the moment of conception to natural death, has inherent dignity and a right to life consistent with that dignity. Human dignity comes from God, not from any human quality or accomplishment. Today we are going to dive into learning about Catholic Social Teaching, which is comprised of 7 seven themes. The first if the life and dignity of the human person. Watch the following video: https://povertyusa.org/multimedia/cst-101-life-and-dignity Reflect: What issues fall under life and dignity of the human person? Discuss as a family or reflect on them by yourself. When we think about life issues, we often boil it down to abortion. But life issues encompass so many more aspects including: Preventing abortion and euthanasia Ending the death penalty Fair treatment for those with disabilities Promoting civil rights and equality for those of different races, genders, ages, quality of health and income level Ending the cycle of poverty Working to avoid war by preventing conflicts or resolving them by peaceful means Preventing cloning and embryonic stem cell research The video says, “on a personal level-how can you make a difference?” How would you answer that question? Reflect as a family or as an individual. Use the journal page attached to answer these questions. 3. Scripture Activity: Jesus is Just We are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We are called to love all, to take care of our brothers and sisters, to stand up against injustice, and to share God’s love with all through our words and our actions. We are called to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk.” We see time and time again in Scripture how Jesus truly modeled for us how to live a life of faith and justice. Choose one of the Scripture passages from below. Using your Bible or a Bible app, read through the Scripture passage and reflect on the passage on your journaling page. Matthew 25:37-40 What is Jesus’ message? Mark 12:41-44 What is Jesus teaching us? Matthew 21:12-14 What is the Injustice? What does Jesus tell us to do? Matthew 14:13-20 What is Jesus’ call or message for us? Luke 10:25-37 What is the message for us? Matthew 12:48-50 What does this mean? What point is Jesus making? Matthew 11:4-5 How can we replicate Jesus’ actions? Matthew 9:9-12 What is Jesus message to us? 4. Closing Prayer: We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end war; For we know that You have made the world in a way that people must find their own path to peace within themselves and with their neighbors. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation; For You have already given us the resources with which to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to root out prejudice; For You have already given us eyes with which to see the good in all people, if we would only use them rightly. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end despair; For You have already given us the power to clear away slums and to give hope, if we would only use our power justly. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease; For You have already given us great minds with which to search out cures and healing, if we would only use them constructively. Therefore we pray to You instead, O God, for strength, determination and will power, To do instead of just pray, To become instead of merely to wish. Journaling Questions Life and Dignity of the Human Person In what ways do you see the life and dignity of a human person being violated in your own lives (community, school, nationally etc? What issue of life of the ones listed in your lesson or others that you think of speaks to you the most? Why? The video says, “on a personal level-how can you make a difference?” How would you answer that question? Jesus was Just What scripture passage did you choose? Answer the question underneath scripture passages listed above What is the overall theme to Jesus’ messages? How can you apply this message to your own life? .