BACKGROUND NOTES FOR THE ‘DOMESTIC CHURCH’ TOPICS

The Church themes occur each term and each theme gradually builds on the understanding of the previous theme. This term in the first topic children explore ‘my story’ within a family – the family which Catholics call the Domestic Church. (After Christmas the children explore the theme of ‘local Church’ – the parish and the diocese - which is ‘our story’. The year finishes with the story of the worldwide community; the ‘Universal Church’).

What is the Domestic Church? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
“In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centres of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia Domestica: the Domestic Church. It is in the bosom of the family that parents are by word and example… the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.”

The home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment’.

Domestic Church is a sensitive theme. The experience of ‘family’ in society today is varied and complex, with many joys and sorrows. Whatever children’s experience, family still remains the first place for growth and development. It is the basic social unit. It is an initiation into life in society. Ideally it is a community of faith, hope and love. For Christians the pattern and ideal of family life is found in the Scriptures. God is the loving parent of the human family and Jesus was born and lived in a human family.

While offering ideals for family life, it is important to acknowledge and respect the real experience of some children which is not the ideal the Church places before us. We should also be aware that not every child has a loving family background. In teaching this theme, however, the teacher should enable every child to identify situations where they have experienced love – the Christian family they belong to may be the class/school family or parish community. Everybody belongs to a family or community of some kind and everyone belongs to the family of God. It is in the love of a family that most Christians first experience the reality of the Church. In this theme, the children learn about how the love and care of people around them helps them to know the love of God and how they can become part of a loving family/community.

EYFS

In EYFS in the topic ‘Myself’ the children are led to an understanding that God knows and loves each person by name and that we are precious to God. They will be introduced to some scripture from Isaiah and a psalm. In order to come to this understanding they will reflect on the importance of their own family name. In order cover the Curriculum Directory’ Area of Study – ‘Church’ - the children simply need to know why they are special. For Year 1 children in YR/Y1 class if they can talk about the words of Isaiah and begin to come to know that God loves each one always and at all times they will be working within AT1 Level 1i.

YEAR 1

In Year 1 in the topic ‘Families’ the children will learn about the love and care that can be shown in a family, about God’s love and care for every family. In Learning Focus 6 they learn about how Jesus grew up in a family who loved and cared for him. Although this is not scripture based if children can recognise that Jesus grew up in a family that loved and cared for him they are working within AT1 Level 1i. If they can retell the story from the Come and See input they are working within AT1 Level 1ii.

YEAR 2

In Year 2 in the topic ‘Beginnings’ Learning Focus 1, the children will be exploring the story of creation and how God was there at the beginning of the world. To achieve Level 3 the children must move from a simple retell to making links between this story of creation and what Christians believe. There are two texts in Genesis which give accounts of Creation. The second account in Chapter 2 is a story and the other, which the children explore in Learning Focus 1, is a poem. This beautiful poem was written by a priest for people who had been taken away in exile from their homes. It sings of creation in seven verses, or seven days. Certain words keep coming back like a refrain. It was trying to encourage the Jewish exiles in Babylon and its optimism shines through … ‘And God saw that it was very good’…A key message of this poem and Christian belief is that God created the world and everything in it and everything that comes from God is ‘good’ or indeed even ‘very good’! The poem also tells us that men and women are created in God’s own image which is why every human being is to be equally respected. It is important to remind the children that this story is a poem and not a scientific account and we don’t read poetry like a science book.

But poetry can also communicate God’s truth, just as history or science can.

YEAR 3

In Year 3 in the topic ‘Homes’ in Learning Focus 6 the children explore how Christians have been chosen by God to be a holy people. To achieve Level 3 children will need to move from a simple retell to making links between the passage from St Paul’s letter to the Colossians and what Christians believe. The key Christian belief we can draw out from this passage is that God loves us and has chosen us to be a holy people. What it means to be holy is summed up in the penultimate line of the passage…. ‘in everything you say or do, do it as Jesus would want you to’. The middle section of the passage emphasises two main Christian beliefs – forgiveness and love. St Paul says:

‘Put up with one another;

be ready to forgive each other if something goes wrong.

The Lord has forgiven you.

You must do the same.

And, most important of all, love each other.

And may the peace of Christ fill your hearts.

This is why you belong to the Christian family’.

When did Jesus tell us or show us how to love and forgive? The children must learn to draw on their previous knowledge. There are many other examples in scripture where Jesus asks us to forgive: the Our Father (Mt 6:9-13), The Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32), Jesus forgives the thieves on the cross (Lk 23:24), How many times must I forgive (Mt 18:21-22) etc…. There are many examples in scripture where Jesus asks or shows us how to love one another: the washing of the feet (Jn 13:3-16), Jesus’ command to ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (Jn 15:12), The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) etc.

YEAR 4

In Year 4 in the topic ‘People’ to achieve Level 3 pupils will move from retelling the story of Abraham to showing how this story links to Christian belief in God’s promise to his people, trust in God and doing God’s will.

What was God’s promise to his people?

In Genesis 12 Abraham is promised “I will bless you, and make you a great and famous nation. All the people on earth will be blessed through you.” The story of Abraham is the story of the beginnings of the Chosen People. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham which means ‘great father’ or ‘father of a great people’. God chose him to be the father of God’s People. He was promised that his descendents would number more than the stars in heaven and that he would have land of his own. Sarah was to be the mother of the nations. Abraham was a nomad and so his dream was to have lots of children and to have a land of his own. God’s promise is that Abraham’s dream would come true.

How did Abraham trust in God and do God’s will?

The story clearly brings out the importance of trust in God and doing God’s will. Abraham showed his trust by responding to God’s call to leave everything to travel to the land God showed him. Abraham is presented as the first great believer. He leaves his country and his pagan idols to follow the one, true God. When Sarah still hadn’t had a child he still trusted God’s promise that he would be the father of a great nation:

‘Abram trusted God. It was his trust in God that made him a holy man’.

Christian belief is that Abraham is ‘our father in faith’ because he believed the promise of God would be fulfilled. Children may be able to make links to other examples of people who trusted in God’s will, e.g. Mary agreeing to be the mother of God’s son.

YEAR 5

In Year 5 in the topic ‘Ourselves’, Learning Focus 4 the children are asked to look at the life of a holy man or woman who used their qualities to serve others. These notes will help you achieve appropriate levels and they relate to the life of Maximilian Kolbe.

Adapt Learning Focus 4, page 57, Activity 1.

Pupils write about the life of a significant person, describing and showing understanding of religious sources, beliefs, ideas, feelings and experiences and how these affect what that person believes and how they lived (Level 4)

Pupil can retell the story of a significant person. (Level 2)

Pupils make links between the life of a significant person and what that person believed. (Level 3)

MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

Raymond Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894. He came from a poor Catholic family and his parents were weavers. They taught Raymond to love God and helped him understand that Jesus was his friend. In his infancy Raymond seems to have been normally mischievous but one day, after his mother had scolded him for some mischief or other, her words took effect and brought about a radical change in the child's behaviour. Later Raymond explained this change: 'That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.' Maximilian, from his earliest years was filled with great love of Christ and the desire for martyrdom. A martyr is someone who is willing to die for their faith.

When he was just a teenager, Raymond felt that God was asking him to follow him in a special way. He joined the Franciscan order and took the name Maximilian. Maximilian loved his work and enjoyed studying to become a priest. He was ordained in 1918. Fr Maximilian wanted everyone to know and love Jesus and spread the good news. He started a centre near Warsaw in Poland where people could find out more about the Good News of Jesus. He opened a printing shop where he produced a monthly magazine to send out to people. He knew a lot of people listened to the radio so he started a radio station, which broadcast prayers and information about the Catholic faith. Fr Maximilian used his gift of understanding science and technology to help people become friends of Jesus. He also had a very special love for Mary the mother of Jesus who was the inspiration of his whole life and wanted to make her love known.

In 1941, Maximilian was arrested by the Germans who were trying to take over Europe. As they didn’t like the good work he was doing, he was taken to Auschwitz concentration camp. This was a terrible place where prisoners were badly treated, beaten, starved and murdered. Inspite of the awful conditions Fr Maximilian would say Mass with bread and wine that had been smuggled into the camp. He encouraged people to be loving and forgiving, to try to overcome evil with love and goodness. He himself always put other people first and was kind to all.

Three months after he arrived at Auschwitz a prisoner managed to escape. The Nazis became very angry and decided to punish the rest of the prisoners. They decided to choose ten prisoners and put them in a bunker without food or water so that they would starve to death. All the prisoners stood straight, while ten men were pulled out of line. One prisoner they chose was a married man with a family. He begged and pleaded to be spared for the sake of his children. Father Kolbe, who was listening, felt deeply moved and decided to help that suffering prisoner. He stepped forward and asked the commander if he could take the man's place. The commander agreed. Father Kolbe and the other prisoners were sent into the bunker and they remained alive without food or water for many days. One by one, as they died, Father Kolbe helped and comforted them. He led them in prayer, saying the Rosary and singing hymns. He was the last to die on August 14, 1941. On October 10, 1982, Pope John Paul 11 canonized him Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a martyr.

To achieve Level 2 children will be able to retell Maximilian’s life story in their own words.

To achieve Level 3 children will be able to identify what beliefs inspired Fr Kolbe’s life.

To achieve Level 4 children will be able to link Maximillian’s beliefs to other religious sources and their own ideas, feelings and experiences.

Maximilian Kolbe led a heroic life of charity or love for others and always put others first. In this way he was following the commandment of Jesus – ‘love one another as I have loved you’. This service of others is expressed clearly on Maundy Thursday when the priest will wash the feet of his parishioners to follow Jesus’ commandment of love. Many hymns, such as, ‘This is my body’ and ‘A new commandment’ express this sentiment too. Maximilian was full of missionary zeal following the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20, ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’. As Maximilian himself said, it was the love of Mary that was also the inspiration of his life and his belief in her love, protection and care. There are many prayers, hymns and pictures which tell of Mary’s love and care. Maximilian sang some of these in prison and also prayed the Rosary daily. He inspired his fellow inmates at Auschwitz by his bold confession of Christ and his example of charity even under extreme conditions. Following the example of Jesus in his death on the cross, he made the greatest sacrifice of all, volunteering to die in place of another prisoner.