Faith Lesson Plan and Faith Activity

Chapter 20 – Examples for Living

Source: (Our Sunday Visitor)

Grades 7 & 8

Doctrinal Content

• Mary lived a life of faithful obedience to God. She said "yes" to God and became the Mother of his Son and of all those who believe in him. (CCC, 148, 149, 964) • The teaches that, at the end of her life, Mary, body, and soul, was “taken up” (assumed) into Heaven. (CCC, 966) • The Church honors Mary as the preeminent member of the Communion of and honors her with many feast days and devotions. (CCC, 1195) • Saints are role models for us. We are all called to be Saints and to accept God’s friendship, which leads us to a life of service. (CCC, 828)

Invite – 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 24:3,4, 5-6 together. Have the youth move out of the prayer space and back to their seats.

Say: Let us listen to God’s Word and hear how the Beatitudes describe the attitudes and actions that all disciples should follow.

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. 1

Maintain several moments of silence.

Display and Read the following.

Read: Matthew 5:2-12

Ask: What did you hear God say to you in the Sacred Scripture reading? Engage the young people to respond.

Say: The Church honors Mary as the greatest of Saints with many feast days and devotions.

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.

2

Faith Story

Say: Use this story after the opening prayer before explaining that the Saints are ordinary people. Let us listen to the “Hall of Fame” story and see who Grandma was talking to.

Story: Hall of Fame

“Sorry I’m late, Coach!” Danny said as he hustled into the dugout.

Garrett slid down the bench to make room for Danny’s gear bag. Danny unzipped it and pulled out a brand new bat.

“Sweet!” Garrett said. “Where’s you get it?”

“My dad bought it on his last trip,” Danny shrugged. “Even had something cheesy engraved on it.” “Dan the Man, Future Hall of Famer!” Garrett said with a laugh. “Is he serious? Well, it is a sweet bat.

You gonna use it?” “I dunno. I like my old one. He’s just trying to out-do Mom again, “ Danny said, pulling out another bat. “This is the one she gave me. You can use the new one if you want.”

“Garrett held Danny’s bat in his hands. “So are your folks here together today?” he asked.

“Dad just dropped me off and went to the airport...business again,” Danny said. “Mom figured Dad would be here, so she’s not. I could call her to see if she can pick me up, but can I get a ride home with you instead?”

“No problem,” Garrett said.

Trev waddled into the dugout, lugging a cooler.

“Make your dad haul those drinks!” Danny wisecracked.

“Yeah, right,” Trev sighed. “He’s at the casino. Said he’s gonna win my college tuition.”

Trev and Danny both singled to start the game. Then Garrett ripped a triple to drive them home. “You’re the future hall-of-famer,” the coach said with a wink as Garrett dusted himself off at third.

“No, Dad,” Garrett thought, “You are.”

Discuss: What two or three messages do you get from this story?

Discuss: Think about your priorities. Is one of them to help others?

3

Ask: Think about someone who has made sacrifices for another. How have they helped or inspired you?

Ask: Who's in your "Hall of fame"?

Discover (1)

Objectives:

• Recognize that Mary lived a life of faithful obedience to God • Identify Mary's Assumption as the Church's teaching that, at the end of her life, Mary (body and soul) was "taken up" (assumed) into Heaven

Display and Read. & “Mary’s Special Place in God’s Plan” & “Scripture” & “Humble Yet, We Honored”

4

5

Say: Now close your eyes and, remembering that Mary is a girl about your age, imagine her face as she first encounters the angel.

Ask: Why might Mary be a heroine?

Ask: How would life be different if Mary had not said, “Yes, to God?

6

Ask: What joys were brought into Mary's life because of .

Ask: What is the assumption?

Ask: Why do we honor and venerate Mary?

Say: Mary's "yes" allowed God’s will to be done through her. It was a "yes" she would have to repeat many times as she lived out her promise. Because Mary was completely open to God's grace, she was without sin. At her death, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven.

Work with Words

Review the following Faith Words

Faith Activity

7

Discover (2)

Objective

• Explore the many feast days and popular devotions that honor Mary

Display and Read

“Holiness Is All Around Us”

&

“Special Sacramentals”

8

9

Ask: How does the Church honor Mary?

Ask: How does honoring Mary strengthened our relationship with Jesus?

10

Ask: What is the Immaculate Conception?

Ask: What is a devotion?

Work with Words

Review the following Faith Words

Video Time

Say: Let us watch a short video, “Mary, The Immaculate Conception”.

Play the video clip.

Video Link: http://youtu.be/dwx8g8z7FUo

Discuss: What does it mean to us that Mary could have appeared to such a humble girl as Bernadette?

11

Faith Activity

Discover (3)

Objectives

Display and Read

“The Church of Saints”

&

“Role Models”

&

“The Road to Sainthood”

12

13

14

Ask: Why are the Saints Important to the Church?

Ask: How do you think Maximillan found the courage to give up his life?

Ask: Why does the Church honors Saints by celebrating feast days?

Ask: What is and beautification?

Work with Words

Review the following Faith Words

Faith Activity

15

Quick Review - Summary

Live: Our Catholic Life

• Discuss Sainthood • Explore the faith life of Blessed Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan

Display and Read the following.

Ask: What is your biggest challenge as you follow the path toward sainthood?

16

People of Faith Activity

Explain that Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan was inspired by the Saints’ examples. Born in India in 1876, her family had once been wealthy but lost their fortune. She grew up with a strong devotion to God, fasting four times a week and praying the Marian Rosary several times a day. By the time she was fifteen, she began helping the poor, nursing the sick, and comforting the lonely people of her parish. In her village of , she gave 17 medical and spiritual care to even those suffering the worst cases of smallpox and leprosy. If they died, she took care of their orphaned children. Finally, by the early 1900s, her true calling made itself known to her. With the blessings of the Vicar Apostolic of her province, she had a prayer house built and moved in with three companions. They led a life of prayer and austerity, but they continued to minister to the poor and sick. In 1914, under Mariam’s guidance, the Congregation of the Holy Family, or CHF, came into existence. She was appointed its first Superior, and over a period of twelve years, she opened three convents, two schools, two hostels, a study house, and an orphanage. She died in 1926, and many years later, her example would be followed by Teresa of Calcutta. Mariam was declared Venerable in 1999, by which time the CHF had grown to one hundred seventy-six houses on three continents.

Ask: What does your parish do to care for the poor?

Faith Activity

18

What did the Young People Learn?

19

What did the Young People Learn? – Answer Key

20