Pope Francis has invited all of us to join in the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Tuesday, Septmber 1. The day offers individuals and communities "a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation." Catholic Relief Service and Ave Maria Press invite you to pray this Prayer to Care for Our Common Home from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
CRS is using this opportunity to launch the first of what will be their new seven part CST 101 video series. This video, “CST 101 Care for God’s Creation” is just the beginning of the expanding catechetical resources CRS is creating for the future! A video for each principle of Catholic Social Teaching will be complete by the Spring of 2016. Also look for these resources to be included in the electronic version of Foundations for Catholic Social Teaching: Living as a Disciple of Christ (Ave Maria Press, 2015).
Christians are called to be saints. A simple definition of a saint is one who has a mind through which Christ things, a voice through which Christ speaks, a heart through which Christ loves, and a hand through which Christ helps.
Each of the Seven Sacraments teaches a person certain values that he or she can share with others. Consider the powerful witness a person can give by living the sacraments.
Ask your students to write short reflective responses to each of the questions connected with the Seven Sacraments.
Baptism initiates you into the Christian family.
What does it mean for you to be a brother or sister of Christ?
Confirmation strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit, enabling you to live the Christian life.
Name your greatest God-given talent. How are using it for others?
Eucharist gives you the living Lord under the forms of consecrated bread and wine.
What effect has celebrating the Eucharist and receiving Holy Communion had on your life. Be specific.
Penance extends Christ’s forgiving touch into today’s world.
How do you work to mend fences with your enemies? Think about a time when you were most impacted by being forgiven or by forgiving another?
Anointing of the Sick provides spiritual strength and healing for the suffering and sick.
What type of suffering is ongoing with a family member or friend? What can you do to help lessen the anxiety of the situation?
Holy Orders ordains special ministers to serve as mediators between God and us.
Do you pray for bishops, priests, deacons and others in religious life? How can you consider one of these vocations for yourself?
Matrimony binds a couple in Christ to live as a community of life and love.
Which friendship skills are important in a marriage? How can you improve on those skills now?
Welcome back to school!
This lesson—created by Sr. Kieran Sawyer, SSND—or an adaptation of it serves well for a first week introduction to your class. Follow the directions below.
Tell the students you are going to introduce them to four sophomores (or freshman, juniors, seniors). Place on a continuum on the board the names:
Caper—Hilary—Zady—Brutus
Describe each character in terms of his or her attitude toward religion.
Caspar: Totally negative attitude toward religious things.
Hates religion class.
Never goes to church.
Fights with parents about religion.
Hilary: Sees religion as unimportant, a bore.
So-what attitude toward religion classes.
Misses Mass if she can get away with it without a family squabble.
Seldom prays.
Zady:Does what is expected of him religiously.
Attends Mass regularly because his parents do.
Wants to get good grades in theology class so he studies hard.
Believes what he has been taught about religion and morality.
Brutus:Has made his own decision to practice the Catholic faith.
Attends Mass because he wants to do that for God.
Prays often, in his own way, and in his own words.
Wants to be a better Christian than he is, wants to learn more about God and his religion.
Note: Change these descriptors as necessary to fit the description of your students. You may wish to add a specifically non-Catholic character.
Discuss:
How do you explain why each of the four persons is where he or she is on the line?
What were the influences in their lives that have led them to these positions?
How should a religion teacher approach each of these kinds of people?
Some families have all four kinds of people in the same family. How can you explain that?
What would an adult Caspar be like? Hilary? Zady? Brutus?
What would it be like to have parents who were Caspars? Or parents like one of the others?
Pass out small slips of paper. Ask each student to write on the paper the name of the person on the continuum who most closely resembles his or her own position. Collect the slips. Before tallying, have the students guess where they think the majority of the class will be. Tally the slips and discuss the results.
Call on students one at a time to be interviewed in front of the class using some of the following questions. Make sure to allow students to pass on any question they don’t want to answer. First, ask the student to explain what position he or she is on the continuum and why. Other questions can include:
How dos your position now compare to your position last year? Two years ago?
Would you say you are moving up or down the scale? Why?
What was the greatest influence on your present position?
Where do you think you’ll be ten years from now?
Are you satisfied with your present position?
Would you be friends with a Caspar?
Which kind of these people would you prefer to marry?
Do you think you would be someplace else on the scale if you were going to a public school?
Written assignment: Write a brief essay explaining how these things have affected your position on the continuum: family, friends, parish, grade school, religious training, etc.
August 15, a Holy Day of Obligation, celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Heaven. This is a dogma of the Church, declared on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII, though it had been believed and celebrated in the Church throughout history that Mary was taken directly to heaven after her time on earth had ended. The Church has never formally stated whether this occurred after Mary had died or whether she was taken to heaven while alive.
Share Pope Pius XII’s statement on declaring the dogma, entitled Munificentissimus Deus (The Most Bountiful God).
Meaning of the Assumption
The Assumption of Mary to Heaven is the sign of all that has been accomplished through the work of Christ. In her we witness the resurrection of the body and the new creation which has been promised. Mary’s Assumption is the guarantee of the final resurrection of all the faithful.
The Church is the community of the “now” and the “not yet.” Mary makes visible the “now.” In Mary, we see that the final triumph of God over evil is already accomplished, even though time has not run its full course. In her Assumption, Mary is oriented to the fullness of the kingdom and every part of her has been united with God in Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Church, too, will one day be oriented to the fullness of the kingdom and every part of the Church will be united with God. Any who look on Mary cannot help but see the glory of God which she reflects so perfectly. So too, at the end of time, every aspect of the Church will be united with God so that all who look on the Church will see the kingdom of God in its fullness.
Prayer on the Assumption of Our Lady in Honor of Pope Pius XII
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of all! We believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal Assumption, both in body and soul, into Heaven, where you are acclaimed as Queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; and we united with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures, and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.
We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, is filled in Heaven with the vision of that humanity glorified, and with the vision of Uncreated Wisdom; and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adored Trinity, causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness.
And we, poor sinners, whose body weighs down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts, so that, while we remain here below, we may learn to see God, and God alone, in the beauties of his creatures.
We trust that your merciful eyes may glance down upon our miseries and sorrows, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as he once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son.” (from Blessed Art Thou by Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press, 1996)
Pornography—the written or visual depiction of sexual acts or nudity with the purpose of stimulating and gratifying lustful desires—is a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States. It is a serious problem among teenagers.
Two videos—one from the perspective of teenage males and the other from the perspective of teenage females—have recently teen produced by the Catholic film company Outside da Box. Check them out and share them with your students. Remind your students of how pornography hurts all those who are involved with it.
The textbook Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching: Living as a Disciple of Christ summarizes pornography’s negative effects:
It harms the viewer by training the person to use others for selfish gratification. Consequently, it can cause great division and hurt in marriages and even future marriages.
It hurts the persons being portrayed—even if willingly—in that they renounce their true personhood to be treated as objects.
Pornography “does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public) since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world” (CCC, 2354).
As your students ponder vocation choices, this lesson helps them realize that work is part of any life vocation.
Objectives
In this lesson the students will:
understand that work is part of any life vocation;
all work comes from God and can give praise to God;
know that work is not only a right but also an obligation.
Process
Pray the words from Sirach 51:30: “Work at your tasks in due season, and in in his own time God will give you your reward.”
Make this point: “Work comes from God. The greatest work—the work of Redemption—is done by Jesus. All work, when done in connection with the work of the Lord, can give praise to God.
Write the following passages on the board. Have the students write a brief summary of each passage in a journal, telling what each has to do with work.
Psalm 127 (God needs to be a partner in the work we do.)
Matthew 4:18-22 (Jesus calls co-workers.)
Matthew 4:23-24 (Jesus works at teaching, preaching, and healing.)
John 21:1-14 (The Risen Jesus prepares breakfast.)
Acts 18: 1-11 (St. Paul works as a tentmaker to support his ministry.)
Write three jobs on the board (e.g., road construction worker, insurance salesperson, doctor). Call on students to explain how each is valuable in relation to the work of Redemption. Repeat with three other jobs.
Point out the duty of work, especially related to the results of Original Sin. Refer the students to Genesis 3:17-18 for reference.
Share the following quotation from the USCCB document, Economic Justice for All:
All work has a threefold moral significance. First, it is a principle way that people exercise the distinctive human capacity for self-expression and self-realization. Second, it is the ordinary way for human beings to fulfill their material needs. Finally, work enables people to contribute to the well-being of the larger community. Work is not only for one’s self. It is for one’s family, for the nation, and indeed for the benefit of the entire human family [52].
Conclusion
Ask the students to write their responses to each of the following questions: 1) What do you count as the blessing of work? 2) How would you defend the statement: “no work is better than any other”? 3) What are three steps you are taking now in your life to prepare for a lifetime of work?
There are numerous resources available online, primarily from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and writings of recent popes to help you not only facilitate your classroom discussion regarding the complementary nature of the sacraments, but also to contribute to your own knowledge about the sacramental life. Whether or not you teach a particular course on the Seven Sacraments, these readings can contribute to a foundational source essential for a curriculum with a Christological focus.
These following referenced sources can also be assigned to your students, either in their entirety, or in a validly excerpted fashion, depending on the scope of your course. At least one resource is listed for each sacrament. You are encouraged to seek more worthwhile resources that similarly portray the Seven Sacraments accurately and objectively.
The Sacraments in General
“The Seven Sacraments of the Church” from the CCC (Make sure to use the arrows at the bottom of the webpage to navigate within this section of the CCC in order to discover the coverage of each of the seven sacraments.)
“Sacraments and Sacramentals” by the USCCB
“Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples” by the USCCB
“The Seven Sacraments” by Loyola Press
The Sacrament of Baptism
“Baptism: Incorporated into Christ's Body, Sent on Christ's Mission” by the USCCB
The Sacrament of Confirmation
“Confirmation: Strengthened by the Spirit, Called to Action” by the USCCB
The Mass and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
“Order of Mass” by the USCCB
“Parts of the Mass” by the USCCB
“The Eucharistic Liturgy: Formed, Transformed, and Sent” by the USCCB
“Mass and Liturgy” by Loyola Press
“Eucharist and Social Mission: Body of Christ, Broken for the World” by the USCCB
Saint Pope John Paul II's Encyclical Letter Ecclesia Eucharistia: On the Eucharist and Its Relationship to the Church (2003)
Blessed Pope Paul VI's Encyclical Letter Mysterium Fidei: On the Holy Eucharist (1965)
The Sacrament of Penance / Reconciliation
“Penance and Reconciliation: Reconciled to Right Relationship, Called to Heal and Restore” by the USCCB
Saint Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (1984)
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
“Anointing of the Sick: Joined to Christ, Witnesses of Hope and Healing” by the USCCB
The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
“Marriage: United in Love, Strengthened for Service” by the USCCB
Pastoral Letter “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan” by the USCCB
The Sacrament of Holy Orders
“Holy Orders: Ordained to Serve, Gather, Transform, and Send” by the USCCB
Saint Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis: On the Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day (1992)
Independence Day, July 4, marks the end of the 2015 commemoration and remembrance of religious freedom in the United States along with current threats to religious freedom. Please note a summary of those threats at this link.
Also, as the Fortnight for Religious Freedom, is intended to be shared in your local diocese, please examine your local diocesan website for more information about events being sponsored in the coming week. (Note examples of events sponsored this week by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.)
There are several resources on the USCCB website with information about this occasion. For one, note quotes by Pope Francis on religious freedom.
Make sure also to follow the call to prayer for all issues around religious liberty at this Facebook page.
