EMMANUEL THE INCARNATION & HYPOSTATIC UNION LIFE NIGHT OUTLINE CATECHISM SCRIPTURE human nature and was like # 464-470 Matthew 1:18-25 us in all things except for # 512 Mark 15:33-39 sin. # 526 John 1:1-5, 14 # 534 Philippians 2:5-11 Jesus showed his humanity # 538 in every event of his human CHURCH liFe. He shared fully in YOUCAT the human experience DOCUMENTS in his friendships, family, # 77-79 Dominus Iesus 9-10 # 86 Redemptoris Missio 4-6 # 88 The unity of the two natures KEY CONCEPTS in the one Person of Christ KEY TERMS Jesus Christ is fully God is called the “hypostatic Hypostatic Union and fully man. He took on union.” Heresy GOAL moving into a time of Lectio Divina during the This LiFe Night will help teenagers understand the Send. two natures of Jesus Christ as Fully human and Fully divine. It will help teenagers understand that PARENTAL NOTICE Jesus Christ shared in our human experience and, This week at LiFe Night we discussed the Incarnation of Christ and His hypostatic union – the reality that Jesus Christ was both Fully human ABOUT THIS NIGHT and Fully divine. The mystery of the Incarnation This LiFe Night focuses on the Incarnation and is a crucial Truth for our Faith; it is the moment hypostatic union of Jesus Christ. It follows a that the prophets had foretold and all of creation Christmas theme and begins with a challenge had been waiting for. It is the historical moment OUTLINE to create a new “LiFe Teen Christmas Carol” when God visited humanity and became like us in between all of the small groups. The teaching all things except sin. We challenged the teens to challenges teenagers to realize the magnitude contemplate this mystery and make changes in of the Incarnation. The Break gives teenagers the opportunity to process the teaching before humanity, it also means that He understands our EMMANUEL 36 LIFE TEEN CURRICULUM GUIDE even what it means to die. Because of this, God ENVIRONMENT intimately knows our condition and the joys and pains we endure in our humanity. This thought The environment for this night should be set up is not only comforting, but it demonstrates what like a giant Christmas party. Have a Christmas tree an incredible God we serve. This week, take time with giFts underneath it, Christmas lights hung up around the room, and have the Core Team dress narratives in the Bible (Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke up in Christmas sweaters. Have Christmas carols 2:1-20) and discern where you need to grow in playing as the teens walk into the room. If you your relationship with Christ. Consider doing this serve food, consider having Christmas cookies as a Family or with your teenage son or daughter out prior to the LiFe Night or as teens walk in. sometime this week. divinity. It challenges teens to understand how GATHER close God comes to each one of us. An outline for this teaching can be found on pages WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION 39 to 43. (5 min) The youth minister should gather all of the teens together and begin the LiFe Night with a brief prayer. He or she should welcome any teens that BREAK SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (25 min) A LIFE TEEN CHRISTMAS CAROL (10 min) AFter the teaching, have the teenagers gather back in small groups for a time of discussion. The Break the teens into small groups of six to eight Core Member leading each small group should with one Core Member in each group. Instruct the begin with prayer and then begin a discussion teens to come up with a LiFe Teen Christmas carol using the following questions: – a song set to the tune of a popular Christmas tune that captures the spirit of LiFe Teen at your In what ways does Jesus prove that He is God? parish. Give each group time to write and rehearse the song. Invite groups to share their songs, and other prophets or teachers? award a prize to the most creative performance and song. Is it easier for you to understand Jesus’ divine nature, or His human nature? Why? How does the knowledge that Jesus shared in PROCLAIM your human experience in everything but sin change your perspective on your relationship "EMMANUEL" TEACHING with God? (15 min) OUTLINE Jesus is not a liar or a lunatic, so He must be The teaching for this LiFe Night focuses on Lord. Do you live your liFe as though Jesus is the magnitude of the Incarnation and Jesus’ Lord? Why or why not? hypostatic union between His humanity and His EMMANUEL LIFE TEEN CURRICULUM GUIDE 37 Read the Scripture passage out loud to the teens three times. Have them pay special attention to SEND a word or phrase that stands out to them. Once they have heard this, they will write that word or NIGHT RECAP phrase down on their paper. The teens will then (5 min) move into a time of quiet prayer and meditation over the word or phrase. AFter they have had a Gather all of the teens back into the main meeting Few minutes to do this, the youth minister should room to close the LiFe Night with a time of prayer. Begin by recapping the main points of the LiFe about the word or phrase, and what they Feel God Night: is speaking to each of them through that word or phrase. AFter several minutes of journaling, Jesus Christ is Fully God and Fully man. He took the youth minister should invite the teens into a on human nature and was like us in all things couple minutes of silent prayer, thanking God for except for sin. the blessings in their lives. Jesus showed his humanity in every event of Close the LiFe Night by challenging the teens to his human liFe. He shared Fully in the human continually seek the voice of Christ in their lives, especially through Scripture. Pray the Hail Mary and death. and Ave Maria together as a group. The unity of the two natures in the one Person ADAPTING THE LIFE NIGHT of Christ is called the “hypostatic union.” Have the teenagers pray through Lectio Divina in their small groups, and have a time of LECTIO DIVINA Eucharistic Adoration during the Send. (15 min) If you have a large group, have small groups Close the LiFe Night by praying through John 1:1- volunteer to sing their Christmas Carol. Have 5, 14 with the teenagers through Lectio Divina. three of four groups come forward to do this, Begin by having Core Members pass out pens and have the rest of the group be the judges for and paper to all of the teenagers, inviting them the most creative carol. to spread out around the main meeting space. GOING DEEPER Explain that Christ is God’s Word – and this same Alternative Small Group Questions — for small Word speaks to us through Sacred Scripture. groups that want to dive deeper into the topic of the PrayerFul meditation on a particular scripture Life Night, use the following discussion questions: passage can allow us to hear the whisper of God in our lives. Explain to the teens that there are Why was it important for Jesus to become four movements to Lectio Divina: Fully human? How would you explain this importance to someone else? Lectio – A reading of the Scripture passage Do you live your liFe more like a disciple or Meditation – Meditating on a word or phrase as someone who doesn’t Fully believe in that stands out to them God (even if you proFess yourself to be a Oratio – Active prayer, petitioning God for insight Full liFe oF discipleship? into the Scripture OUTLINE Since Jesus is God, and not a liar or a lunatic, Contemplatio – A time of contemplation, simply why aren’t we more actively spreading the being in the presence of God in prayerFul Gospel to our friends and family? thanksgiving EMMANUEL 38 LIFE TEEN CURRICULUM GUIDE EMMANUEL TEACHING KEY TERM together in one person and DEFINITIONS one hypostasis (CCC 468). Hypostatic Union – The Heresy – A denial of a truth two natures of Christ – His which must be believed with humanity and divinity – divine and Catholic faith were preserved in their (CCC 2089). entirety when they came INTRODUCTION Every year we sing Christmas carols about wise men, jingling bells, and a baby being born in a manger. These carols remind us of the Christmas season, but we oFten Fail to remember the reason why we sing them. We celebrate Christmas because something incredible happened; the Son of God became man. We call this the incarnation, and it radically changed our world. Christmas wasn’t just about a great person being born, it was about God coming among us in order to save us. Many people, though, live their lives as if Jesus was just a moral teacher, even if they claim the title of Christian. We know Jesus the man, but sometimes forget that Jesus was also fully God. One of the reasons why believers have trouble living as if Jesus is the Christ is because there is an implied doubt in His divinity. Think about it. We know Jesus the man. We can point to His G Jesus didn’t just claim to be a man; He claimed to be God. HIN C How do we know that Jesus was God? AFter all, there were many wise teachers and miracle workers through the centuries. How TEA can we trust what we know about Jesus? If we know that He is God, we have reason to proFess Him as Lord of our liFe.