Your students likely know that May is the month of Mary.
Do they also know that Mary also has her own day dedicated to her in each and every week throughout the year? The tradition of honoring Mary on Saturdays goes back to the very first Holy Saturday, the day that Jesus lay in the tomb. It was Mary who waited anxiously but faithfully on that day in anticipation of the Resurrection.
At the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, the practice of offering a special votive Mass to Mary on Saturdays was included in the Roman Missal. The Second Vatican Council also supported this tradition.
Catholics are called to do something special to honor Mary on Saturdays, especially during the Saturdays during May. This may include attending a Saturday morning Mass, doing a special work of charity, or praying the Rosary.
Also, it is more than fitting that May, Mary's month, is also a time for the celebration of Mother's Day on the second Sunday of the month. Remind your students that just as they are called to honor their earthly mothers for life, nurture, and the love they have provided, so too they are to honor their heavenly Mother, Mary.
Enrichment The Feast of the Visitation is celebrated on May 31. Have the students write a personal reflection of Mary's visit to Elizabeth as if they were present. Or, have them write a prayerful response to the Memorare from Luke 1:39-56.
Review with the students several occasions when Jesus prayer. Choose six readers to read aloud the specific Gospel references listed below when as you briefly provide background on each occasion.
When and How Jesus Prayed
1. Jesus prayed when preparing for something important. (Luke 6:12-13)
2. Jesus offered prayers of praise. (Luke 10:21)
3. Jesus prayed in thanksgiving. (John 11:41-43)
4. Jesus petitioned his Father for man things. (Luke 22:31-32)
5. Jesus prayed from Scripture. (Mark 15:34)
6. Jesus prayed at the time of his Death. (Luke 22:34; 41-42; 46)
Jesus Teaches about Prayer
Instruct the students to read each Gospel passage below and summarize Jesus' teaching on prayer in their own words. Also ask them to rate how difficult it is for them to follow this teaching using this scale: 1—very difficult; 2—difficult; 3—somewhat difficult; 4—no problem at all.
1. Read Matthew 6:6-8
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
2. Read Luke 11:9-13
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
3. Read Matthew 21:21-22
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
4. Read Luke 11:5-8
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
5. Read Mark 11:25
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
6. Read Matthew 11:18-20
Summarize:
Rate: 1-2-3-4
Summary
The teaching of Jesus presented in Number 1 is to keep your prayers short. Some people thinking by heaping on a lot of words, their prayers will be more effective. But Jesus says it is better to keep your prayers short and to the point.
A second teaching is to pray with childlike simplicity. Jesus said to pray as if you were a child dependent on a parent for all your needs. He reminded us of the Father's great love which surpasses the love of any earthly parent.
Third, Jesus teaches us to pray with faith. God always answers each petition, giving an answer that is ultimately good for us. Sometimes, as with a young child begging for an unneeded toy, the answer is "no."
Fourth, be persistent with your prayer. We are to keep petitioning God for all our needs, as illustrated in the story of the person who visits a friend at an ungodly hour of the night. The message is simple. God cannot resist the petitions of a persistent pray-er.
Besides private prayer, Jesus encourages us to pray with others, to the point that he promises to be present when "two or three are gathered in my name." He also instructs the entire of faith to come together and celebrate Eucharist.
Finally, Jesus says to pray with a forgiving heart. He says that whatever we ask for in prayer will be given to us, provided that we forgive anyone with whom we have a grievance.
National Public Radio recently featured the video “More Than That." A group of Lakota teenagers on South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux Reservation created this video (with the help of their teachers) to challenge the culture’s stereotypes about Native Americans which they claim focus on poverty, alcoholism, and violence.
The Lakota students responded negatively to a “20/20” news magazine report that focused on these areas on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, prompting them to take action. The title of their video, “More Than That,” contradicts the stereotypes and says “we are so much more than that.”
The students’ video has received over 46,000 hits on YouTube in December of 2011. They have also been invited to Washington, DC for a conference and will be lobbying their South Dakota congressional representatives.
The video is about two-and-one-half minutes long and not only challenges stereotypes but does so in a very honest and powerful teenage way. You might use it as a model for student projects, as the focus of a prayer reflection and discussion, or as part of a presentation on racism in a Catholic Social Teaching course.
The question “Why did Jesus have to die?” is often asked, especially during this Holy Week. The answer can be looked at from three perspectives with three different questions. Share these with your students in a brief presentation.
First, “Why did Jesus’ accept his death?” The answer can be found in several places in Scripture (e.g., Jn 8:21–30; 12:23–24; 16:7–11). Jesus does what is pleasing to the Father. He is like the grain of wheat that must die in order to bring new life. Jesus desires to return to the Father. At Gethsemane on the night before he died, Jesus voices his fears about pain and death. He does not want to die, but he will accept pain and death if it is the Father’s will (Lk 22:41–42).
The second question is “Why did some people wish to put Jesus to death?” These reasons vary from greed (Judas), to political expediency (Pilate), to false obedience to superiors (the soldiers who arrested Jesus and carried out his crucifixion).
Finally, the third perspective is “Why did God the Father permit Jesus to die?” This question is best answered in Hebrews 5:7–10:
"In the days when [Jesus] was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, declared by God high priest according to the order of Melchizedek."
In other words, God’s motivation for allowing Jesus to die was Salvation for all humankind. All three of these plans and motivations (Jesus’, his opponent’s, and God the Father’s) worked together to form one plan of salvation. Salvation is the permanent union between God and all who love God.
In recent years we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of schools who are switching from print textbooks to eTextbooks. The release of the iPad inspired an incredible amount of excitement about integrating technology into the everyday life of the student. Many Catholic high schools are purchasing or requiring students to purchase iPads as the primary learning device.
With so many schools transitioning to the iPad or other 1:1 device, what are the implications for teachers, students, and schools?
In the webinar recording below Jared Dees, Digital Publishing Specialist of Ave Maria Press, presents strategies that teachers can use in 1:1 laptop or tablet programs including a brief overview of cooperative learning and a popular movement toward "flipping the classroom."
Jared also shares some of the challenges and frustrations that Ave Maria Press eTextbooks schools have experienced this year after switching to a 1:1 program.
Finally, you will see why Ave Maria Press has focused on a PDF Site License as the solution for eTextbooks in the coming school year.
eTextbook Webinar Recording
Go straight to the YouTube recording or check it out on the Ave Maria Press Vimeo Channel.
Teaching with the iPad
If you are switching to the iPad and want to share some quick teaching tips with the iPad, feel free to dowload and adopt this presentation which was pulled from the webinar: "5 Quick and Easy Ways to Teach with Your iPad"
View more PowerPoint from Jared Dees
Odds are good that your high school students have already seen the Kony 2012 video. It went viral in the first week of March being viewed roughly 80 million times in only five days. In fact it is now considered to be the most viral video in history defeating the likes of Lada Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus.
Social justice teachers will see this as an incredible opportunity, but all theology classes should jump at the chance to ignite the passion for social justice that many teens have within them.
About the Kony 2012 Campaign
The Kony 2012 campaign is an effort by a non-profit organization called Invisible Children. Invisible Children, Inc. organizes programs in Uganda in opposition to the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). They "use film, creativity, and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity."
It is clear from the video that Invisible Children has been at work for years leading up to the Kony 2012 campaign and in a large part the video tells their story.
The Invisible Children launched the Kony 2012 campaign as a worldwide effort to fight against the LRA and Joseph Kony. The video outlines a vision for a campaign that will inspire many teens, young people, and adults to join a movement.
The Controversy Over the Viral Video
As with any viral piece of content, there comes controversy. Critics of the campaign quickly pointed out that Invisible Children only dedicated 32% of their $8.6 million in funds to services in northern Uganda. It is unclear at this point what the organization will do with the $5 million dollars in funds it raised just 48 hours after the film's release.
Others have pointed out that the problems in Uganda and many other parts of Africa extend far beyond one individual. Kony is just one man and to pin all of Africa's problems on him is to do an injustice to the cause. Some even say that there are worse criminals than Kony and worse threats than the weakening Lord's Resistance Army. The fact that the LRA does not actually reside in Uganda anymore is a big point of contention.
The following articles help illustrate these points:
Gigaom
Good.Is
The Globe and Mail 1
The Globe and Mail 2
Still others point out that the issues are much more complicated than they appear in the video. ForeignPolicy.com cleared up some of the facts in their recent article.
The Invisible Children Response
Showing their wisdom in the digital age, Invisible Children were quick to respond to criticisms with a prominently displayed webpage addressing their critiques. There they respond to all the criticisms in this article as well as many others that have been circulated around the web.
How to Teach with the Kony 2012 Video
Activity 1: Watch the Video as a Class
So that all of your students are on the same page, set aside 30 minutes to watch the video either on YouTube or Vimeo.
Questions to answer while they watch the video:
According to the video, why wouldn't the government get involved in the conflict in Uganda?
According to the video, what did Invisible Children do to help people in Uganda?
Even though the United States authorized forces to be sent to Uganda, why did Invisible Children decide to start this new Kony 2012 campaign?
What are the goals of the Kony 2012 campaign?
What strategies are the Invisibible Children using to make Joseph Kony famous?
According to the video, what would motivate the government to act?
What will happen on April 20, 2012?
What three things can you do right now to support the campaign?
Activity 2: Class Discussion
Discussion questions to raise after watching the video:
Do you think this campaign can work? Why or why not?
Why would the United States government be so resistant to helping people in Africa? Can you justify this type of foreign poicy?
If you could make a similar video for another cause, what elements of the video would you repeat?
Why is it so much easier today to spread an idea like Kony 2012 than it was years ago? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Activity 3: Take Action
The video proposes three actions you can take right now to help the campaign. What other actions can we take to fight this or another social issue?
Activity 4: Research the Claims of the Video
The Kony 2012 video has been criticized for a number of reasons. Research the criticisms floating around the web and read the Invisible Children's response. What critiques are legitimate and which are unfounded? Divide a piece of paper into two halves. On the left write "Critiques" and the left write "Response." Use this sheet to take notes on at least 3 critiques of the campaign.
Activity 5: Debating the Reliability of the Video
If there is time in class, hold a class debate. Assign each of the critiques to one group of students and the responses to another group of students. Have the student sit on opposing sides of the room and debate the issues. Give the students a ball to hold when they talk. When they are finished making their points, they may lightly toss the ball to a student on the opposing side who would like to respond.
Activity 6: Research the Catholic Perspective
There is a rich history of the Church's teaching on social justice. Have students find quotes from Church documents that relate to the fight against Joseph Kony and the LRA starting with the following websites:
http://www.osjspm.org/page.aspx?pid=441
http://www.educationforjustice.org/catholic-social-teaching/encyclicals-and-documents
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/
Other resources:
The Work of Catholic Relief Services in Uganda
Take some time from telling your students to put away all their NCAA basketball tournament brackets to connect a lesson on Catholic lore, specifically around Catholic colleges in the United States. Yes, it’s time again for March Madness!
As always, start with the basics. Pass out your own blank copies of the brackets and have the students circle all of the Catholic colleges in the tournament. The total is up from eight in 2011 to twelve Catholic colleges in this year’s draw. While they’re at it have them note the power ratings (by seeding) of this year’s Catholic teams:
Catholic Power Ratings
1 (t). Georgetown (3)
1 (t). Marquette (3)
3 (t). Notre Dame (7)
3 (t). Gonzaga (7)
3 (t). St. Mary’s of California (7)
Creighton (8)
Saint Louis (9)
Xavier (10)
9 (t). St. Bonaventure (14)
9 (t). Iona (14)
11 (t). Loyola of Maryland (15)
11 (t). Detroit Mercy (15)
Continuing with the basketball theme, have the students guess the ranking of these schools based on the number of NBA players it has produced.
Notre Dame 50
Georgetown 35
Marquette 32
Detroit Mercy 21
Xavier 17
St. Bonaventure 15
Saint Louis 14
Creighton 12
Gonzaga 7
St. Mary’s 6
Iona 5
Loyola MD 2
To complete the category, see if the sport’s fan types can name which schools produced the following players:
Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame)
Tyronee Hill (Xavier)
Dwyane Wade (Marquette)
Allen Iverson (Georgetown)
John Stockton (Gonzaga)
Bob Lanier (St. Bonaventure)
It’s not all sports: these Catholic colleges have several notable alumni in other areas. Set up a matching exercise to see if the students can guess where these famous people went to college:
Don McLean, “American Pie” composer (Iona)
John Boehner, U.S. House Majority leader (Xavier)
King Abdullah II of Jordan (Georgetown)
Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State (Notre Dame)
Bing Crosby, singer and actor (Gonzaga)
Bringing the discussion back closer to the subject area, don’t forget to have the students list in a table the founding religious orders of each of these colleges. Here they are (with the year founded):
Jesuits
Georgetown (1789)
Saint Louis (1818)
Xavier (1831)
Loyola MD (1852)
Detroit Mercy (1877)
Creighton (1878)
Marquette (1881)
Gonzaga (1887)
Christian Brothers
St. Mary’s of California (1863)
Iona (1940)
Holy Cross
Notre Dame (1842)
Franciscan
St. Bonaventure (1858)
Also, make sure to check the March categories from previous years on the left for other activities that you can connect to tournament time. Check back later for a list of women’s Catholic colleges in the NCAA tourney. And please share your own ideas for the NCAA tournament/Catholic lessons in the comments section below.
Finally, please pray for these Catholic colleges. As with other Catholic institutions, their identity is currently under threat by the federal government mandate to include morally objectionable birth control and abortion-causing drugs in their health care coverage. You may want to share this article by Francis Cardinal George of Chicago on this crucial topic.
There are more serious threats against the lives of the unborn than ever. Now a recent statement by two British doctors has floated the possibility of “after-birth abortions.”
Your students may have heard of this paper published by the Journal of Medical Ethics entitled “After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?” by Drs. Alberto Giubilini (University of Milan) and Francesca Minerva (University of Melbourne) on February 23, 2012. The Journal has since removed the article from its website, however many in the media have offered comment.
This is a summary of this truly reprehensible argument:
It should be permissible to kill a baby after birth for all of the same reasons that is permissible to abort a baby (basically, for any reason at all). Part of their justification, however, is that parents may not find out that their child has a genetic defect until after the baby is born and thus have lost their opportunity to abort the baby.
They see no difference between a fetus and a newborn except that they call them both “potential persons” rather than “persons.” They connect actual personhood with the ability to make aims and appreciate their own life.
“If a potential person, like a fetus and a newborn, does not become an actual person, like you and us, then there is neither an actual nor a future person who can be harmed, which means that there is no harm at all” in killing the child.
The doctors are also uncomfortable with allowing others to adopt these unwanted newborns: “What we are suggesting is that, if interests of actual people should prevail, then after-birth abortion should be considered a permissible option for women who would be damaged by giving up their newborns for adoption.”
You may want to help your students develop an argument against after-birth abortions that will also illustrate the moral flaw in the pro-abortion arguments. These are some other points/questions.
Do you know any “potential persons?” It would seem that children are “potential” according to this argument until they are at least seven or eight, the traditional “age of reason”?
In addition, are adults who are aimless or mentally ill, addicted to drugs, or for some other reason unable to make aims and appreciate their lives also “potential persons”?
If a thirteen-year-old is somewhat brain damaged in a car accident, has she also joined the ranks of the “potential persons?”
Does our national community view unborn and newborn babies as commodities that can be destroyed at will?
Please also add a class prayer for the unborn and for the conversion of people with these anti-life beliefs.
