Mary Rose's Faith Formation Page

Connecting the Oct 2 Readings to Finding God, Grade 5, Chapter 3

2011-09-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the Loyola Press Sunday Connection
We're going to review the reading for Oct 2.
The Grade 4-6 connection does not tie that well into the theme of the lesson this week, but think that the Grade 1-3 lesson will do a great job- it's a little different and more active.
This lesson covers the Lord's Prayer, so I'm going to look at the Miracle Maker and see if there is either a connection to the Lord's Prayer, this gospel, or following God's revelation. Nothing pops out right away.
Our classroom this year does not have a place for hanging posters- but when I was putting my posters away, I realized that the File 'N Save storage system that I bought at AOE last year would do a great job if it is propped up on the table at the front of the room- there would be room to hold two posters for each week.

This week, I will definitely use the first Order of the Mass poster- think that I will use these posters to help the children place the Liturgy link each week.

Catechist Preparation: Finding God: Grade 5 Chapter 3

2011-09-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I downloaded the Bill Moyer tape from Amazon because $3 is not a big deal to me. Listened to the tape and found that it was something that I will use to prepare myself but don't think that it will be a hit with the children. I will review it later when I have more time, as it deepens the story of Abraham for me. I'll let you know if I find anything useful for class in there.

Today, I read through the catechist's preparation. Things that stood out was the enthronement of the Bible. Feel that I definitely need to get the recovering of my classroom display ready for this week. Liked hearing the Old Testament referred to as a source of wisdom. Did not know that centuries ago, Christians believed that they need to work to keep the Jewish people out of Israel as punishment for Christ's death. Of course, we need to affirm the mutual respect between all peoples- but when we see the Palestinians and Israel fighting over the same land, it is instructive for us to know that we helped create the problem.

Listened to the CD- Story of Abraham- it is very dramatic- I'm going to be looking for some pictures that helps to make that drama come alive. Listened to CD2 reflective music- good in the beginning- thought that I would listen to it as I typed this- quickly became irritated. Maybe because writing is too much of a busy mind activity.

There were three black line masters recommended for this session. All of them were puzzle types. Whenever I see masters like these, I am reminded of the opening statement of a Group curriculum training I once attended. When Group was researching why kids tuned out of religious education classes, one of the things that they learned was that kids had the idea that religious ed was hard. God is not hard- it is not a body of knowledge- He is not a puzzle waiting to be solved. That made an impact- and for that reason- right or wrong- I reject any activity like this. My philosophy is the find ways to deepen the message of the lesson and to make it more meaningful and real to children.

Tomorrow I'm going to read the lesson.

Finding Resources and Ideas for Next Week

2011-09-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to post links and resources as I develop my lesson each day during the week. If you are finding resources and/or links that you wish to contribute too, then e-mail them here.

Running through the scope and sequence for Lesson 3. For Grade 5, the title is "God's Revelation". This would be a good week for me to introduce my Books of the Bible lesson. Need to get some new match books and the old ones need recovering. But the real theme is "God's covenant with Abraham finds its fulfillment in Christ". The scripture s Genesis 12:1-Genesis 17:16 (that's a lot to cover!) and Exodus 3:6.

CCC references are 59-63 (God Chooses Abraham and Forms His People Israel) and 1961-1964 (The Old Law).

Catholic Social Teaching Themes are Solidarity, Rights and Responsibilities, and God's Creation.

Vocabulary words: Hebrews, Islam, Jews, Judaism, Muslims, Revelation

Saints and Holy People: Abraham and Sarah

Basic Prayer's Lord's Prayer

Other Grades: This theme does not integrate with other grades this week. However, Grade 4's theme is a lot like our theme last week, so look over yesterday's post for what we did in our class.

Think that our class yesterday was a wonderful gift from God enlightening and enriching the teachers as well as the students. The movie clip from The Miracle Maker was a wonderful transition from the gospel reading theme of making good choices to the first part of the lesson and showed Jesus as the hero that the lesson was calling upon is to become. The meditation on finding Our Heart's home lead us to the kind of solemnity and union with Jesus, lead to a deeper appreciation of the wonderful lesson in Go Down Death- we saw the old woman going to her heart's home and saw how Jesus saves us and loves us completely in death. It was so beautiful. Hope that this week will be as wonderful.

Finding God's video recommendations for this chapter were:
Genesis: Call and Promise; A Family Affair
How Do You Spell God?
Abraham (The Genesis Project Inc)- can't find this too much noise.

Think I will check out the first one- there is one copy available in the library.

Finding God: Chapter 2 and Readings for Sunday September 25, 2010

2011-09-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

Loyola Press has a short meditation on each Sunday's readings in their Faith Formation section. This is the link to next Sunday's readings. On the left there is a tab to a short scripture connection passage to whatever age group you are using. Their is also a link to a family scripture connection.

To copy this into a Powerpoint lesson, copy each question onto a slide. You can Google Matthew 21:28-32 and then click on images to get pictures for your presentation.

This is the coloring page I found to go with this lesson: http://sundayschoolsources.com/lessons/twosons.pdf
And here is one to go with the psalm: Psalm 25 This one goes with today's lesson well.

For Grade 5's lesson these two short videos go well: The Miracle Maker
(Scene 1)- this shows Jesus defending a Mary Magdalene from people who are taunting her. This is a good opening video.
Then after the lesson where we have talked a lot about Jesus' saving action, the last video from God's Trombones Go Down Death is a beautiful depiction of God's mercy and love.

Both of these DVDs are currently checked into the Hillsborough County Library

Books of the Bible

2011-09-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

For anyone who wants to create their own "Books of the Bible" for their class, here is a link to the document. When this is printed and each book is cut out, they should exactly fit on empty match books. One of the things that I love doing is shrinking coloring pages to fit each of the books of the Bible- then putting text on the back to match. Kids love the challenge of coloring the tiny pictures and reading the text. Most of the Bible pages I use are from the Really Big Book of Bible Coloring Pages.

Here is the document.
Books of the Bible document.

Printing this with default settings took an entire cartridge of color ink and 10 pages of sticker paper. There is an error- Romans was originally colored blue for some reason- so I added it to the bottom in gold.

Tried to take some pictures but my memory card flew out of my computer! Guess that means I need to get down to work! Say a quick prayer that I find that silly memory card! Will post pictures when I get my books recovered.

See You at VBS

2010-05-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

Sandra and I are going to co-lead a combined Arts& Crafts/Science section at VBS this year. Hope to see you there! Any ideas? Share them here!

End of the Faith Formation Year!

2010-04-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

This week is the official end of the Faith Formation year and we ended it as usual with a Happy Birthday- Pentecost party- a little early but it's important to celebrate!

The kids all agreed that they want us to teach 4th grade next year- Mondays at 6- and Sue agreed.

Next stop- VBS.
All Aboard for a Baobab Blast!
Details here (copied from St. Paul's Faith Formation Page:

June 14th—18th 9:00 AM—12:00 Noon

Baobab Blast: God’s Great Get-Together … an amazing African Adventure your kids won’t soon forget! Click here for Registration Form.

We need volunteers to make this happen! Click here for Volunteer Form

VBS VOLUNTEER PLANNING MEETING = Tuesday May 11th 4:30PM Parish Center, with a follow up meeting Wednesday May 12th 7:30PM Parish Center for anyone who is unable to attend Tuesday.

Resource for covering teachings of Jesus, Holy Week, and Easter events

2010-03-22T05:13:00.001-07:00

I have 15 coloring pictures with text that explains the events from the raising of Lazarus through the breakfast on the beach – these are the stories included. Anyone who wants a copy- let me know or come by my classroom tonight before 6- I’ll try to be there at 5:30.

John 11:1-44 • Jesus brings Lazarus back to life 241

Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19 • Jesus enters Jerusalem 243

Matthew 21:12-16; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48 • Jesus clears the Temple 245

Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27 • Jesus tells the parable of the talents 247

Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4 • A poor woman gives all she has 249

John 13:1-17 • Jesus washes His friends’ feet 251

Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-20; John 13:1-17 • Jesus eats a last

meal with His friends 253

Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:15-18,25-27 • Peter lies

about knowing Jesus 255

Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-37 • Jesus dies on

the cross 257

Matthew 28:1-10 • Jesus rises from the dead 259

John 20:10-18 • Jesus talks to Mary in the garden 261

Luke 24:13-35 • Two friends see Jesus 263

Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23 • Jesus talks to His friends 265

John 20:24-29 • Thomas believes when he sees Jesus 267

John 21:1-25 • Jesus cooks breakfast on the beach

Mary Rose

RE: Links to resources for Week of March 8 weekday classes

2010-03-08T04:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml

This week theme is 20: Early followers of Jesus: Grade 3 Chapter 9/Grade 2 Chapter 8.

http://www.faithfirst.com/html/catechist/lectionary/yearC/Mar18Pri.html

RE: Links to resources for Week of March 1 weekday classes

2010-03-01T06:01:00.001-08:00

http://www.prayerpress.com/images/ColoringPage.gif

http://prepareformass.wordpress.com/

http://www.usccb.org/nab/030710c.shtml

This week theme is 19: Mary and Lent Grade 3 Chapter 3.

http://new.catholicmom.com/kids/lenten-activities-for-children/

http://www.faithfirst.com/html/catechist/lectionary/lectionary.html

The Lord's Prayer

2010-02-04T02:59:00.001-08:00

Preparation for Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Feb 7th)

2010-02-01T03:44:00.000-08:00

Liturgy Preparation- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday's Readings
Catholic Mom (at this writing, these are the activities for Jan 31)
Primary Session

Saint of the Week: St. Blaisa
Picture of St. Blase along with an explanation about the practice of Blessing of the Throats
This week we are doing a review of Catholic Faith and Practices

Theme 15: Making Choices

2010-01-25T03:32:00.000-08:00

Liturgy Preparation- Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday's Readings
Catholic Mom not out yet
Primary Session
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1020-1050, 1716-1724, 1997-2016
Saint of the Week: St. Thomas Aquinas- January 28th
Faith First Links to Online Lesson Planning:
Grade 1: Chapter 21
Grade 2: Chapter 22
Grade 3: Chapter 22
Grade 4: Chapter 17
Grade 5: Chapter 18
Grade 6: Chapter 20

For My Class: Earning Coins

2010-01-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

For every chapter review that you complete at Faith First, you can win coins.

80%=3 coins
90%=4 coins
100%=5 coins

Send your scores to mrmurrin@verizon.net!

Here are the eligible chapters:
For those students studying for their first communion:
Grade 2: Chapter 3, 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 14, 11, 18, 20, 22

For everyone:
Grade 3: Chapter 2, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 11, 19, 20, 22

These coins can be traded in for prizes just like in the vocabulary game.

For parents, I'll be posting links for materials that will help you coach your children through the quizes in the coming days. In the meantime, look at the background material for the in-class lessons posted so far- especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church links.
Theme 2
Theme 3
Theme 4
Theme 5
Theme 6
Theme 8
Theme 10

Theme 10: Loving Others Week of January 10th-2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-01-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

Readings for January 17th Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Faith First Saint of the Week: Elizabeth Ann Seton
Faith First: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Archived Primary Session
(Note at this time they did not have the 2010 readings out).
Faith First Chapter Preparation
Catechism 2196 , 2237-2246, 2258-2317, 2331-2391, 2401-2449, 2464-250 3, 2514-2527, 2534-2550
Catholic Mom Activities for 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time January 17, 2010

The Story of Our Faith From Creation to the Birth of Jesus

2009-12-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

This is an outline for anyone in the universe who wants to reproduce this Christmas pageant. I used two resources
The Really Big Book of Bible Coloring Pages and the CD from last summer's VBS: Growing with the Saints
I also found this great link with 25 stories from the Jesse Tree and adapted them to fit with the pages in the coloring book and to give a more Marian focus.

Here are the stories and songs that I choose:
Ornament 1: God Creates the World:
(Song: God is great: Track 1)
Ornament 2: Adam and Eve disobey God.
Ornament 3: Noah thanks God.
Ornament 4: Abram travels to a new home.
Ornament 5: Isaac is born.
Ornament 6. Abraham obeys God.
Ornament 7. Jacob has a dream.
Ornament 7, Jacob and Angels Onstage
Song Your Grace is Enough: Track 2 on original
Ornament 8. Joseph’s brothers sell him.
Ornament 9. God gives the Ten Commandments.
Ornament 10. Rahab helps two spies
Ornament 11. Ruth cares for Naomi
Ornament 12. David is chosen as king.
Ornament 13. David fights Goliath.
Song: Supersize me. Track 5
Ornament 14. Isaiah writes God’s messages.
Ornament 15: Prophets tell of the promised Messiah.
Ornament 16: God protects Daniel in a den of lions.
Ornament 17: God protects Daniel’s friends in a furnace.
Ornament 18: Queen Esther saves her people.
Ornament 19: Jonah preaches in Nineveh.
Ornament 20:An angel visits Mary.
Ornament 21: Jesus is born.
Song: Queen of Peace. Track 10
Ornament 22: Shepherds come to greet Jesus.
Ornament 23: Wise men travel to find Jesus.
Ornament 24: Conclusion (picture from Live by the fruit of the Spirit)
Song: Growing with the Saints. Track 9 on original

Here is my introduction:
One of the great enduring traditions of the Catholic faith is the retelling every year of the Christmas story. One of the ways of telling this story is through the Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree tells the story of our faith from the creation of the world through the birth of Jesus. The first ornament on the tree is always this verse from Isaiah (Isaiah 1:1), telling us about the birth of the Messiah from the family of Jesse. Here is our tree.

Here is my conclusion:
This is the beginning of the story of our faith. People believing in God. God keeping his promises. Saints overcoming great adversity. All part of God’s plan. God’s journey continues with us today. It is God’s plan for all of us to keep growing with the Saints- growing in our faith more and more everyday.

We took the coloring pictures for each of the ornaments, brought them into Word, put them into a 6.8 inch circle, copied them onto transparencies, then used an overhead projector to center each picture onto a 22 inch circle on poster board and traced out the lines. To put them into a circle in Word, you click on the picture, choose format-picture shape-then adjust until the height and width are 6.8 inches. We then gave them to each of 24 Faith Formation classes to color in using whatever method they desired. Some used crayon, some used markers, some painted, some did collages with tissue and craft foam shapes, one even sprinkled craft sand over paint to give realistic brick walls. There was a lot of glitter in all colors too. We then added an ornament holder shape, glittered around the edges of the circles and cut them all out. When you give these to the classes- make sure that the teacher knows that the craft workers need at least a day to work on them before the show after the class is finished.

The next step is to choose scenes for children to act out- we choose the scenes with songs. Kids love to be animals, royalty, angels, soldiers, and we had to have all the nativity players- so we choose scenes that used those elements.

Choosing the Creation story allowed us to use any animals that we wanted. We choose jungle animals: Lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, and zebras (two of each in case we wanted to do Noah too). Try to get the kids used to being the animals- take some practice time getting them to pretend being each of their animals. Making the vests was easy: we took 60 inch lengths of fabric, cut them 18 inches wide and cut a slit at the top for the head to go through- we were lucky enough to get cotton animal prints. I find that while fur may look great- it is better to go with light weight fabrics so the kids don't get too hot.

Choosing Jacob's ladder allowed us to get double-duty for our angels. We used a wing pattern traced onto cardboard, trimmed in silver- we tried pre-made but poster board angel wings are beautiful, sturdy, inexpensive, and no big deal if they get lost- and angel wings get lost because they are difficult to store. We used these halos and these robes. All our costumes were made to be worn over clothes- it is easier to change. It was hard to find someone who wanted to be Jacob because he is just sleeping. Found that with angels, the effect is awesome if you just have them go up and down a few steps in circles- looks stupid in practice but in costume it works.

For David and Goliath, we just had 6 soldiers. Making soldiers was easy. We cut 6 lengths of black cloth with a hole for the neck- so that the cloth came down to about the knees or shorter on the boys- for these you want the width to be narrow enough not to have sleeves. Have the boys wear tee shirts, shorts, and sandals. I made belts and arm guards from large pieces of craft foam. The belts were 2 inches wide and the length of the large piece- this went across the front of the child. Holes were punched into the ends and ribbon tied it in the back. The arm guards were also craft foam with three holes punched along each side. Ribbon was threaded as if they were shoe laces and tied at the bottom. Soldiers were coached to show off like they just won a battle.

For our nativity characters, we just went out and bought one of each color from Oriental Trading Company. This makes things easy because you just tell each child the color of their robe. For the three kings we added crowns. We also bought matching hats for everyone else- hats did not always match the color of the robe. If you have people that have time and talent to sew- have them make over-robes, vests, and shawls for the characters. In my 20 years of experience, I have found that if you don't have the costumes in hand, you worry that they won't be made in time- and sometimes you are right. The last thing that you need is to find that you don't have costumes at 5PM the night before the show- which is when I heard that I didn't have the costumes one year- think it was 1994 or 1995. My advice is just to buy the robes and the hats- then let the costumers have fun with the non-essentials- if they make them you have a better pageant- and if not it doesn't matter. It is better for the people making them too- because then they know that if they don't have time, then they don't have to be up at 3AM the night before trying to finish (I've been there and done that).

This year, we just had a very simple nativity procession in during Queen of Peace. I told the children that the song lasted two minutes and to make the procession last the length of the song- and by some miracle they got the timing perfect. They came down slowly and stately and it looked magnificent.

For staging, we just put a chair in front of the altar and covered it with a purple tablecloth for a throne. We also put chairs on the top step on the side of the altar, cushions on the floor on the last step under the chairs (if it wasn't a stone floor you could skip the cushions).

Every child had a ticket with an ornament number on it. This is essential when assigning roles because as soon as you assign a role, someone wants to change it. Put their names on the tickets. When someone drops out- you cross off one name and put another on it. No one wanted to be an ornament bearer until I got the idea of having the ornaments be princes and princesses with crowns they made themselves. You can tie two lessons in with this one: that we are all priests, prophets, and kings by virtue of our baptism where we are made sons and daughter of Christ the King and that when they are holding the Bible story ornament, they are the Word of God and that the Word is being enthroned.

Have teens be readers. This is the part that needs practice. Before each reading have the ornament called out- this is the cue for each of the princes and princesses to go up and get the ornament- then go to the throne. After the reading,the child goes up to the Jesse Tree sitting area and holds the ornament. We tried standing but this is too much for some children- even sitting is difficult. But even with the most fidgety- they were fine for the one minute when they are enthroned- try to keep the reading to one minute- you will need to edit the longest readings.

For the stories, the characters go up to the stage when the ornament is called. Think it would be great to have someone work with the characters for motions- but then I think that everyone gets nervous that they will forget their part. We keep the song length to 2 minutes- for the first two songs we ended the playback just as the song was going into an interlude.

Two parts were added as the show was in progress and I recommend. When the procession was happening, the princes and princesses could not keep their seats- so I told them to stand and raise their ornaments. This gave them a chance to see the procession and was very effective. The other part that was added was having the children process through the church during Growing with the Saints. This puts them into the middle of the center aisle at the end of the show- the concluding remarks are delivered- and then the children gather around the nativity for a picture opportunity.

What did I learn from this show? Schedule 4 rehearsals and the show before sign-ups. Give each parent the schedule when they sign up. Don't tell them whether or not a rehearsal is mandatory- so they'll think they all are. If a rehearsal is canceled- don't try to make it up- you can handle the show in two sessions but you need to schedule four to ensure two. This show is simple enough so that if a child joins at the very last second, and the rest of the children know what to do, they will be able to figure it out. Get e-mails and phone numbers- use phone numbers when the e-mails fail to get the correct e-mail address. Send e-mail when you need to cancel and to remind about rehearsals.

This show was a lot of work but simple for the children. It was different enough so that it was a unique and moving pageant. The church was totally quiet the whole performance- so we kept their interest. When things started to get a little noisy, we had our procession- so the length is just about perfect. You can do just about anything you want with this show. Think it would be fun to have different classes dress up for their ornament and just go up on stage for that minute- but you would need a large sitting area for the cast. Try it and have fun with it!

Theme Calendar

2009-11-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

This is handy for me- thought it might be handy for others! Mary Rose
MRM 1/31: This is no longer accurate- stayed tuned for details!

Week of:
1/10 Theme 13 Loving Others
1/17 Theme 14 Living as Children of God
1/24 Theme 15 Making Choices
2/7 Theme 16 People of Prayer
2/14 Theme 17 Ways of Praying
2/21 Theme 18 Lord's Prayer (include Theme 26 Lent for next 5 weeks)
2/28 Theme 19 Mary
3/7 Theme 20 Early Followers of Jesus
3/14 Theme 21 Parables of Jesus
3/21 Theme 22 Teachings of Jesus
3/28, 4/4, 4/11 Themes 26 and 27 Lent, Triduum, Easter
4/18 Theme 23 Miracles of Jesus
4/25 Celebration/Recap

Note Theme 12: Loving God(first three commandments) is missing- might want to combine with Theme 13.

Theme 8: Eucharist and the Mass

2009-11-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

This week our gospel lesson is on the Widow's Mite, Our Saint of the Week is St. Martin de Porres, and our theme is the Eucharist and the Mass.

Readings for Nov 8, 2009: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Faith First Catechist Preparation (Note- Date on Faith First is NOT correct- Nov 8 is the 32nd Sunday (skipping 31st because of All Saints Day)
Gospel Coloring Activity
Saint of the Week: St. Martin de Porres
Faith First Primary Session
Catechism of Catholic Church Lessons on this theme: 1322-1405

Chapters:
Grade 1: Chapter 13
Grade 2: Chapter 15
Grade 3: Chapter 13
Grade 4: Chapter 12
Grade 5: Chapter 14
Grade 6: Chapter 12

Links to 2010 Catholic VBS Programs Out So Far

2009-10-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

These are the links to the Catholic VBS programs that have announced so far. Feel free to comment!

From Growing with the Saints: Parade Around the Our Father
From OSV: Boabab Blast
From Liguori Press: SonQuest Rain Forest
From Harcourt: High Seas Expedition
From CatChat: Marvelous Mystery: The Mass Comes Alive
RCL (Faith First Publishers) has not put out a new one yet.
When it comes out, it will be here. God's Backyard is Last Years.

Any others?

Theme 7: Baptism and Confirmation

2009-10-25T14:42:00.001-07:00

Readings for Sunday November 1 , 2009
Faith First Catechist Preparation
Primary Session for All Saints Day
Catholic Mom Activities for All Saints Day
Theme 7: Baptism and Confirmation
Grade 1: Chapter 11
Grade 2: Chapter 12
Grade 3: Chapter 12
Grade 4: Chapter 12
Grade 5: Chapter 12
Grade 6: Chapter 13
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1210-1274 ; 1285-1314

Theme 6: The Church The People of God

2009-10-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

Lectionary Resources for Sunday October 25, 2009
Readings
Catholic Mom (lots of fun activities for the lesson)
Faith First Teacher Prep
Faith First Primary Session
Our Catholic Church (Saint of the Day/Week)
Saint Luke
American Catholic
Catholics Online
St. Luke Coloring Page
St. Luke Painting a Portrait of the Virgin Mary
Theme 6: Faith First Catechist Pages
Grade 1: Chapter 8
Grade 2: Chapter 10
Grade 3: Chapter 8
Grade 4: Chapter 10
Grade 5: Chapter 10
Grade 6: Chapter 8
Catechism of the Catholic Church 748-780

Theme 5: The Holy Spirit- October 12, 2009

2009-10-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday October 18th readings
Faith First Backround Preparation
Primary Session for these readings
Saints: Teresa of Avila
CCC readings for Grade 3: Chapter 7
687-741 (Section 2: Chapter 3: Article 8- I Believe in the Holy Spirit)

Theme 4: Jesus' Death and Resurrection

2009-10-05T03:09:00.001-07:00

Readings for October 11:
Catechist Preparation for these readings
Faith First Primary Session for these readings
Saint of the Day: St. Faustina
Faith First Online Lesson Planning for Grade 3: Chapter 6
CCC references for this lesson: 599-623 624-630 631-637 638-658

Theme 3 Jesus the Son of God September 28, 2009

2009-09-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

Readings for Sunday October 4
Faith First Teacher Preparation for these Readings
Faith First Primary Session for these Readings

Theme 2: The Bible, The Word of God 9/21/09

2009-09-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Readings for Sunday September 27th
Faith First Teacher Prep for these readings
Faith First Lectionary Session Primary Grades
This Day in Our Church:St Matthew picture (background)
Works out well with the theme! Hooray!
Faith First Grade 3 Chapter 1 resources
Catechism of the Catholic Church link for Chapter 1
Part I: The Profession of Faith
Section 2: The Profession of the Christian Faith
Chapter 1: I Believe in God the Father
Article 1: I Believe in God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth
279-314 Paragraph 4 The Creator
325-349 Paragraph 5 Heaven and Earth
355-379 Paragraph 6 Man

Activity: Use books of the Bible display to cover the major parts of the Bible.
To make books of the Bible Display- get 73 match books (the small square ones that are little drawers). Remove the matches. Get 10 sheets of sticker paper or full sheet labels. E-mail me for my word document with everything measured out. Cut out each sticker (including the gold strip) and wrap around each match book (with lettering on one spine and gold strip on the second one). Find something to make tiny bookshelves. I found a golf ball display at a yard sale. Made one from inserting foam shelves into 2 shoe boxes but it was awful- use something harder for shelves and find ways to support them. Make sure there is a way to separate the new and old testaments. If you are really ambitious, you can even scan in Bible coloring pages and reduce them to fit in the match books- I try again and again but give up very shortly...
OR: google books of the bible poster and buy one for less than $5- may not be Catholic version.

Example of Class Outline

2009-09-14T03:38:00.000-07:00

Catechist Preparation:
Read the Readings for Next Sunday- I go to US Catholic Bishops Site.
Read the Faith First Catechist Preparation for today.
Look over the Faith First lectionary reading session for today
Find and google the Saint of the Day- for today it is Exaltation of the Cross- this is the site I chose for backround. It has a great picture which I will print out to show the class.
You can also check out the Faith First Saint of the Week: Blessed Frederic Ozaman who is the founder of St. Vincent de Paul.
Find the theme of the day- Today it is Lesson 1: God Our Father and Creator.
Find the chapter of the week- for fifth grade it is Chapter 5: Great is the Lord Our God.
Look over the Faith First catechist resources for this lesson.
Find a coloring picture for the day based on one of the readings, a theme in the lessons, or a reading from the chapter.
Read the chapter of course, especially the page with ideas for enhancing the lesson- these make the class more fun and usually bring the point home better than the words.

Once that is done- figure out a way all these fit together.
From the readings and Frederick Ozaman, there is a clear focus on service
From the chapter and Exaltation of the cross, there is a clear focus on the nature of God.
From the Family Guide, we see that we show our love for God when we take care of creation. Man is part of creation- so caring for others will tie that into the theme. OR
we could concentrate on the Psalm and bring it back to the nature of God. Think I'll choose that direction.

Lesson Outline:
Always pick an opening prayer. I choose the one from the Family Guide Theme 1:

Lighting of the candle. Lighting the candle reminds the children that God is present in the room with us- especially as we read the word of God. You can choose your own way to represent this.

Calendar of the church year (optional)- I like to show the children where we are on a round calendar of the church year- this helps them understand the church seasons.

Reading: Have the reading printed out or have someone pre-select the reading from the Bible before class starts. Older children love to do this when it is their turn.

Discussion of the reading. Pick some questions from the online lectionary session or substitute your own. Good to have these in writing but don't be afraid to go the direction God leads when class is started. Take about 5 minutes.

Saint of the Day: Draw attention to the picture you have printed out from your online backround search. Spend a few minutes discussing the saint and tie it back to the lesson. It is good to have a few words from the saint (when using Faith First) or a prayer related to the saint (when using online resources).

Teaching the chapter.
The most important parts of the chapter are these:
The first question on the opening page on the bottom- ask this question to open the lesson for discussion- don't read it. This makes the lesson relevant.
Faith Focus: This shows what the most important points are.
Vocabulary: It is important to add one or two words to student's understanding each week.

Least important parts of the lesson- all the word games and fill in the blanks- do something more memorable to tie in the lesson. This week, I am going to illustrate the story of creation with 7 foam pictures that make each day of creation come alive.

Activity: Choose an activity for the lesson

Closing: Close the lesson with the chapter prayer.

We're done for the summer: See you at VBS!

2009-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

We're done for the summer. See you at VBS!

Here is the link for the VBS program: Growing with the Saints- Go Around the World in 5 Days!
We'll be studying about:
Saint Juan Diego (Mexico): He believed Mary when she told him to get the bishop to build a cathedral- and when the bishop did not believe- Juan Diego showed the bishop that roses could blown in the snow- when he opened his cape, the portrait of the Blessed Mother known as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared! Virture=Faith!

Saint Brigid of Ireland: Even though her father opposed it, all her life she wanted to be a nun. Staying the course paid off- she got her wish! Virtue- Hope!

Saint Martin de Porres (South America): Born as an undesirable by his society, he decided to follow Jesus and minister to others. Although he was very poor himself- he was able to feed 160 poor people every day! Virtue- Love!

Saint Nicholas(Ancient Asia Minor): He decided that poor children should not be sold into slavery-so he dropped gold down the chimney so the family could keep their children! Virtue- Virtue of Virtues!

Blessed Kateri Tekawitha (USA and Canada wilderness): She wanted to follow Jesus so much that she left her people and traveled by foot to a strange land where she could worship in peace! Virture: Be a Missionary.

To sign up, see the Sunday bulletin for information.

Dates: June 8-14. Cost $30.

Theme 22: Holy Week/Easter

2009-04-04T05:01:00.001-07:00

We covered pages 262-282 for the Holy Week/Easter cycle and had our Easter celebration.
We made these wreaths for your Easter decorations.
We took class pictures that Sue Sferra wanted potentially for the bulletin.
There was only one student in the class, but sometimes that is what God wants.
I have plenty of extra wreaths if you want your child to get one contact me- or see me after the 10:45 Mass on Palm Sunday or Easter.
Here are the photos of the project, the completed Lenten Jesse Tree, and the class picture.

No class April 6 or April 13th.

The next class (Aprill 20) we will be covering the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and praying in St. Paul's outside rosary garden. The theme will be Trust in Jesus- Conservation of God's Great Gifts. We hope to get in some time with the vocabulary game. Maybe we'll try again for a class picture.

The last class will be April 27th. We will be taking the 5th grade progress test. This is not a test of your child- but instead an assessment of how well the St. Paul Faith Formation program is meeting it's goals. Please make a point of being there on that date. Here is a link to the Jeopardy Game Preview at the ACRE test site.

Theme 20: Parables/Lent

2009-03-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

There is no chapter correlate to this lesson, so we will discuss several of the parables of Jesus in this class.
Lectionary: Background materials from Faith First
Next Sunday's Gospel from USCCB

Theme 19:Early Followers of Jesus/Lent

2009-03-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

Today's theme is on the early followers of Jesus.
We will be reading Chapter 15.
Gospel reading for next Sunday that we will be covering will be:Matthew 9:2-12
Backround materials for the intermediate class is here.
Saint for today is Katherine Drexel.
We will be doing a coloring picture and the vocabulary game today.

For the family:
Here is a link to a set of Family Lenten Activities
Faith First latest Just For Parents article

Theme 18 : Lord's Prayer- Lenten Season: February 23th 2009

2009-02-23T03:22:00.000-08:00

Today we are covering the Lord's Prayer- Chapter 26- and the Lenten Season. As we are going through the prayer theme, we came to realize how important it was to have a small place where the family can get together to pray, so today's craft will be a simple foam cross and a prayer cloth to help set up a small spot where the family can gather to pray.

I was at The Living Eucharist Convention at the Tampa Convention Center this weekend and learned a lot about the Mass that we will pass on to the children throughout the years. The predominant speaker was Fr. Edward Foley who nourished us with his knowledge, his meditations, and his song. Here is a link to our diocese Living Eucharist Event web site, where you can see what was presented on this day. Mary Rose attended Eucharist 101 and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament sessions. She was very impressed with Fr. Edward Foley- here is a link to his website.

That is all that I have for today's class at this time- see you this afternoon.

February 9th: Ways of Praying

2009-02-03T03:38:00.000-08:00

This week we are studying Chapter 25. If you have a chance, please read it.
The lesson is based on the following passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 2623-2643, 2650-2660, 2663-2677.
The Saint of the Day will be St. Valentine. You have to scroll to the bottom of the page to get to his story. There are also suggestions for family activities to reinforce the Catholic tradition underlying this holiday. Ms. Martin wants to back cookies with molasses. Here is a recipe for heart-shaped St. Valentine's Day cookies that uses molasses! Hopefully it is good!
Our liturgical lesson will be on Mark 1: 40-45. Here is the catechist preparation. Here is the family preparation. Here is the link to the coloring page for this week- we'll do it in class.

Note that all these links are choices. Not all parents are expected to use all of them. Let me know if you are finding this useful. See you next week!

Class for February 2, 2009

2009-01-30T06:16:00.001-08:00

Today we will be covering Chapter 24.
Please read this chapter before class.
The Saint/Celebration will be Presentation of the Lord

January 26, 2009 Class

2009-01-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

Today we are covering Chapter 18.
Here is a link to the family gospel discussion for next Sunday
Here is a thought exercise for Chapter 18
Here is a link to today's Saint for Today Saints Timothy and Titus
Please bring your books and try to read over the chapter. See you at 6PM!

Classes Resume January 12th

2008-12-29T02:44:00.000-08:00

Don't come to class today. Enjoy your Christmas break! See you in two weeks.

Classes for the Rest of December

2008-12-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

This month we are working on a Jesse Tree for Advent.
Last week, we colored and laminated as many ornaments on the tree as possible.
Sandra is taking the rest home to have ready for our next class.

Remember- next week (December 8th) is an At-Home Lesson. The assigned chapter is Chapter 22. Please review this chapter with your family.

December 15th is our last class before Christmas. We are planning to do our Jesse Tree- parents are invited to stay and watch. We will have snacks and drinks- sort of making it a party.

The Jesse Tree is a wonderful tradition. It consists of a series of ornaments placed on bare branches. Each ornament depicts an event in salvation history- typically 40-50 ornaments. When the ornament is placed on the tree, the story of that ornament is told. This helps place Christ's birth in context. It is not just another holiday, it is the culmination of 4000 years of waiting, watching, and hoping.

Sue told me that she is sending copies of the Jesse Tree home with each family. I have a slightly different version with more kid-friendly ornaments and with a condensed Bible story on the back of each ornament. If you want a copy of this version, e-mail me and I'll bring it in on the 15th for you.

Be sure to come on the 15th. We are hoping that this will be a memorable experience for all of us.

Assignments

2008-11-17T04:57:00.001-08:00

This week we are doing Chapter 16.
For next week, your homework is to read Chapter 17.
See you in class!

Questions for At-Home Lesson on the Eucharist

2008-11-09T04:22:00.000-08:00

As promised, this is the scanned image of the handout from last week's class.

Remember, next week is an AT HOME LESSON. No classes on the parish campus ... that doesn't mean no faith learning!

We have been focusing on Eucharist and The Mass for two weeks. Your at home lesson should compliment that theme. Any way in which you study the Eucharist and The Mass as a family will enrich your faith - I have given you a few "assignments" to guide you:

MOST IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT:

Participate in Mass as a family!

1. Name 3 signs or symbols you will find during Mass - what do they signify?

2. Name 3 ways to prepare for Mass before even entering the church.

3. N~me the two main parts of the Mass

4. What is your explanation of Eucharist?

5. What is the part of the Mass called when Jesus is made present (no longer a symbol, but Jesus)

\6. What does the sign of the cross represent?

7. How many readings do we hear and where does each come from?

8. Name 3 ways you can PARTICIPATE in the Mass.

9. Describe some ways you can prepare to come forward during communion - how can you "ready" yourself to receive Jesus in the Eucharist?

10. Name 3 ways you can "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord" when Mass is over .

We will see you back on campus November 16th!

Lesson 9: The Eucharist and the Trinity

2008-10-29T02:37:00.000-07:00

For next week, read Chapter 3. For those without books, review Sections 232-267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Lesson 8: October 27th

2008-10-27T03:50:00.000-07:00

Lesson 8: Many Gifts
31st Sunday Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Let us pray.
Thank you, God, for your promise of eternal life.
Help us to find signs of life and hope in all of creation.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
Lighting of the Candle
Circle of the Church Year
Holidays This Week
October 31-Halloween: All Hallows Eve- the night before All Saints Day.
November 1-All Saints Day: The day we remember the saints- known and unknown- in heaven, on earth, and in purgatory (CCC 946-954)
November 2- All Souls Day: The day that the church prays for her dead loved ones in the hopes that they are with God in heaven.
Reading 1:
Wisdom 3:1-9
Study Questions
Where in creation do you see signs of life and hope?
What do you believe about life after death?
What do you imagine heaven is like?
Gospel: John 6:37-40
Questions for Reflection
• What has Jesus come from heaven to do?
• What does Jesus tell his listeners about the will of God?
• What will happen to those who believe in Jesus?
Saints of the Church
St. Katherine Drexel
Saints of the Church
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta continued
St. Augustine
St. Alyssa:
St. Miguel (Michael)
St. Stephen (Stefano) of Hungary
St. Alexis
St. Alexandra: Holy Princess
Saint Jane of Valois
St. Jessica
St. Nicholas
The lesson this week is on the Eucharist and the Mass. This will be the theme for the next three weeks.
We share one bread, one body. We are a communion of Saints. This week we celebrate the communion of Saints- joined by the same spirit in the same church. So this week, we will review chapter 9.
Chapter 9—Different Gifts, the Same Spirit
OPENING PRAYER:
Questions for Reflection
Faith First® Legacy Edition Chapter Review, Grade 5
Vocabulary
Charisms: Graces or gifts given by the Holy Spirit to build up the Church on earth for the good of all people and the needs of the world
Sacred Tradition: The passing on of the teachings of Christ through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit
Sanctifying: A word that means making holy
Sanctifying Grace: The gift of God’s life and love that makes us holy and helps us live holy lives
Summary

End of Lesson
Vocabulary Game
Clean upBlow out the candle
Trade for prizes

Lesson 7: Baptism and Confirmation

2008-10-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Greatest Commandment
Opening Prayer:
Let us pray.
Loving God,
You sent Jesus to show us how to love you and one another.
Help us to follow your greatest commandment.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.

Lighting of the Candle

Circle of the Church Year

Exodus 22:20-26
Questions for Reflection
Who are the people most in need?
How are widows and orphans to be treated?
How are strangers to be treated?
How are the poor to be treated?

Matthew 22:34-40
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
Matthew 22:34-40
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
Questions for Reflection
What question is asked of Jesus?
How does Jesus reply?
What are the two parts of the greatest commandment?
Summary
Today we are going to discuss two sacraments that help us live out the Greatest Commandments: Baptism and Confirmation
Through them we are strengthened to go out into the world to love and help others as ourselves
Saint of the Day:
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin
As a small child, she was poor and afraid.
Her father drank too much alcohol and became violent
People laughed at her.
When she grew up, she joined the Sisters of St. Dorothy.
There she found that nursing children who were very ill and afraid was her greatest calling.
When soldiers took over the hospital in WWI, she stayed with the children even when there were airplanes dropping bombs
She died of after suffering many years with a painful tumor.
When she became a saint some of the children she had nursed were able to be present.

Prayer of St. Maria

Faith First® Legacy Edition Chapter 12, Grade 5

Chapter 12: Vocabulary

Baptism
The Sacrament of Christian initiation in which we are first joined in Jesus Christ, become members of the Church, are reborn as God’s adopted children, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and original sin and our personal sins are forgiven

Chrism
One of the three oils blessed by the Church for to use in the celebration of the liturgy

Confirmation
The Sacrament of Christian Initiation that strengthens the graces of Baptism and in which our new life in Christ is sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Chapter 12 Summary

Closing Prayer

For Next Week: Read Chapter 9. Note the Lesson will be The Eucharist Part I: All Saints and the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We will also cover page 125 in Chapter 14.

Fifth Graders Really Want to Read Chapter 12 this week!

2008-10-15T03:47:00.001-07:00

Read Chapter 12!

Those who were here last week know the new prize system we have now.

We have Christian toys as grab bag goodies- mazes, fans, yo-yos, necklaces, rings, stampers, fake tatoos- you name it!

Before we go through the chapter, I give the chapter review quiz (which you can take on www.faithfirst.com).

Every time you guess the correct answer, I give you a plastic Bible verse coin.

At the end of the class, you can turn the coins in for these great prizes.

So read the chapter- you do not want to miss out!

Lesson 6: The Church

2008-10-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 13, 2008

Chapter 10
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Matthew 22:15-21

Saint of the Day: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Opening Prayer
Let us pray.
O God, You are the one true God.
Help us to put You first before everything else.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Lighting of the Candle.

Finding Sunday on the Circle of the Church Year.
Pass out Coloring Pages for readings.

Listening to the Word: Isaiah 25:6-10.
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Who does God grant power to defeat his enemies?
• How does God show love for the people of Israel?
• What important message about the Lord God is given to the people?
In the gospel today listen to how the Pharisees try to trap Jesus.
Read Matthew 22:15-21.
Allow for silence.
• How do the Pharisees try to trap Jesus?
• Why do they present Jesus with a coin?
• What does Jesus tell the Pharisees about God?

Dear Saint Margaret Mary,
Permitted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus to become a caretaker of its divine treasures, obtain for us we ask you, from that adorable Heart, all the graces we need. We ask for them with boundless confidence. May the Divine Heart be willing to grant them to us through your intercession so that once again He may, through you, be glorified and loved. Amen

Review Chapter 10
Opening Prayer
Faith Focus
Activity to be named
Chapter Review
Chapter Closing Prayer
Blow out candle
If time permits, we will play the vocabulary game

Lesson 5: The Holy Spirit

2008-09-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 6, 2008
Please read Chapter 8 before this class.
Here are some links to help you prepare:
Readings for this class:
Isaiah 25:6-10
Matthew 22:1-14

Saint of the Day: St. Bruno

Faith First Chapter Activity

Faith First Chapter Review: Choose Chapter 8 Grade 5
Remember: E-mail your results to mrmurrin@verizon.net and win a prize!

Here are the vocabulary words for Chapter 8:
Advocate: Title or name for Holy Spirit which means, “one who is on our side” or “one who speaks for us”.
charisms: Graces or gifts given by the Holy Spirit to build up the Church on earth for the good of all people and the needs of the world.
evangelist: A word meaning “one who announces good news”.
Evangelists: The writers of the four gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Here is the outline for next week:
Opening Prayer
Let us pray.
Lord, we give you thanks and praise for all the great things you have done for us.
Help us to live together as one family.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.

Lighting of the Candle.

Finding Sunday on the Circle of the Church Year.
Pass out Coloring Pages for readings.

Listening to the Word: Isaiah 25:6-10.
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
• What will God do for the people?
• What kind of a feast will God provide?
• Why does Isaiah tell the people to rejoice and be glad?
Listening to the Word: Matthew 22:1-14
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
• What happens to the first guests who are invited to the wedding banquet?
• Why does the king tell his servants to go and invite everyone they find to the banquet?
• Why does Jesus tell the story of the king and the wedding banquet?
Saint of the Day: St. Bruno
Father, You called Saint Bruno to serve You in solitude. In answer to his prayers help us to remain faithful to You amid the changes of this world. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Lesson on Chapter 8
Opening Prayer
Faith Focus
Activity to be named
Chapter Review
Chapter Closing Prayer
Blow out candle
If time permits, we will play the vocabulary game

Vocabulary to Learn From Lesons 1-3

2008-09-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

Abba- The name that Jesus gave to God the Father that reveals the love and trust between God the Father and God the Son.

Adonai- The Hebrew word for "Lord" that the Jewish people us in place of YHWH the name for himself that God revealed to Moses.

Almighty- Having all power. Only God is Almighty.

attributes of God- Qualities of God that help us understand the mystery of God.

christ- a Greek work that translates the Hebrew word for 'messiah' which means annointed one.

Christ-a title for Jesus that helps us to understand that he is the Messiah who God promised to send to save his people.

eternal- always living without beginning or end

Gospel- the Good News of God's love revealed in the life, death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus.

Gospels-the first four books of the New Testament that pass on the faith of the Apostles and the early Church about the life, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Incarnation- from the Latin meaning "putting on flesh" to have a real body; the Son of God "putting on the flesh" or becoming human while retaining his divinity

inspiration of the Bible- The Holy Spirit guiding human writers of Sacred Scripture to faithfully and accurately communicate God's word.

Sacred Scripture- Two words the mean "holy writings" ; the writings that the Holy Spirit inspired the people of God to write and that have been collected by the Church in the Bible.

soul- The spiritual dimension of the human person that never dies, or is immortal

Lesson 4: Death and Resurrection

2008-09-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 29, 2008

Please read Chapter 7 before this class.

Here are some links to help you prepare:

Readings for this class:

Isaiah 5:1-7
Matthew 21:33-43

Saint of the Day: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael Archangels

Faith First Chapter Activity

Faith First Chapter Review: Choose Chapter 7 Grade 5

Here are the vocabulary words for Chapter 7:

Ascension: A word meaning "going up; the return of the Risen Christ in glory to his Father.
Israelites: The Old Testament people to whom God revealed himself and with whom he made the Covenant.
Paschal Mystery: The "passing over of Jesus from life through death into new and glorious life; the Passion, death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension of Jesus.
Passover: The Jewish feast celebrating the sparing of the Hebrew children from death and the passage of God's people from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the land God promised them.
Resurrection: The event of Jesus being raised from the dead to a new and glorified life.

Opening Prayer
Let us pray.
God, our Creator, thank you for all the blessings of creation.
Help us to respect life and care for your kingdom.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.

Lighting of the Candle.

Finding Sunday on the Circle of the Church Year.
Pass out Coloring Pages for readings.

Listening to the Word: Isaiah 5:1-7.
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
• How do caring actions spread God’s goodness?
• How can hurtful actions cause harm to others?
• How can you participate in caring actions at home and in school?

• In Isaiah’s story, what grows in the vineyard?
• Why does Isaiah warn the people of Israel?
• What does Isaiah tell the people about caring for God’s vineyard?

Listening to the Word: Matthew 21:33-43
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
• What story does Jesus tell?
• How do the tenants treat the vineyard owner?
• What does Jesus teach about producing good fruit for God’s kingdom?

Saint of the Day: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael Archangels

Guardian Angel Prayer:

Angel of God, my guardian dear
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide.

Lesson on Chapter 7

Opening Prayer
Faith Focus
Activity to be named
Chapter Review
Chapter Closing Prayer
Blow out candle

If time permits, we will play the vocabulary game

Resources for Family Based Session 1: Lesson 3- Jesus the Son of God

2008-09-16T02:29:00.001-07:00

Remember- do not come to class on September 22nd.
You are having your first At-Home family session this week.

A guide for the at-home family session on this theme was sent home with your child this week.

Fifth graders should read Chapter 6 to prepare for the family session.

Readings for September 28:
Ezekial 18:25-28
Matthew 21:28-32

Parents can get some background to start the discussion of the readings at:
Faith First Family Gospel Reflection
Catechist Lectionary Resources

Students:
These are the links to
Faith First Activities for Chapter 6

Review for Chapter 6
Students: Get 100% correct on the review and e-mail results to mrmurrin@verizon.net for a prize next class.

Have fun!

Lesson 2: The Bible, The Word of God 9/15/08

2008-09-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Before this class, you should have read Chapter 2 in your Grade 5 books.

Lectionary: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
Isaiah 55:6-9
Matthew 20:1-16

The theme for this Sunday is the Sacrament of Penance and God's forgiveness. Do you have something related to this theme for the altar? Bring it in.

Today's readings remind me of the disaster in Texas this weekend. What does God say about people who will not listen? What does God say about his mercy and second chances?

This is the link to the Faith First Activities for Chapter 2
This is the link to the Chapter Review Page. Choose Grade 5 Chapter 2. If you get 100% and email the results to mrmurrin@verizon.net, you'll win a prize!

Class Session Outline:
Opening Prayer:
Let us pray:
God of kindness and mercy, when we go astray, you always lead us back to you.
Help us remember your unconditional love.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.

Lighting of the Candle.

Finding Sunday on the Circle of the Church Year.
Pass out Coloring Pages for readings.

Listening to the Word: Isaiah 55.
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
What does Isaiah tell the people about asking for God's forgiveness?
What will happen to those who return to God?
How is God's love described?
How is this like obeying the orders to evacuate from a hurricane?

Listening to the Word: Matthew 20.
Moment of Silent Reflection.
Discussion:
What is unconditional love?
Who are the people in your life that show you unconditional love?
What happens when we ask God for forgiveness?
How is this like when the first responders go into evacuation areas after the storm?

Saint of the Day: Our Lady of Sorrows
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed."

Chapter 2
Opening Prayer
Faith Focus
The Story of the Bible Books
Chapter Review
Chapter Closing Prayer

If time permits, we will play the vocabulary game.