Living in Communion Hope Expectations for Intermediate Classes

Grade 7 Living in Communion

Living in Communion ~ Hope Expectations for Intermediate Classes

Strive to integrate faith with all arenas of their life, personal, social, academic, etc. in order to show God’s love and promote God’s reign on earth;

Appreciate what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ and accept the responsibility of this gift;

Appreciate the role of the Holy Spirit in initiating believers into the communion of saints, forming them for a life of service and promoting in them a holy and virtuous life.

LC 1.1: Identify how the Church has promoted the Fourth Commandment (Honour your father and mother) by the witness of solidarity with society, promoting issues of social justice and its social teaching. [CCC nos. 2197-2257]

After God the Ten Commandments tells us to honour our parents “to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God.” [CCC 2197] “The fourth commandment is addressed expressly to children in their relationship to their father and mother, because this relationship is the most universal. It likewise concerns the ties of kinship between members of the extended family. It requires honour, affection and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country and to those who administer or govern it.” [CCC 2199] “The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honour God and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society. The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families and, in a subsidiary way, society to provide for their needs…” [CCC 2207-2208] I would ask your class “How do you honour your father and mother?” “Do you also honour your grandparents, aunties, uncles… how do you honour them?” “Who taught you how to care and to take on responsibilities?” “Did your parents teach you to honour people outside of your family?” “How do you honour your teachers, your principal, the police, the bus driver?” “If something happened to the family who lives next door to you, would your family reach out to support that family?” It seems clear how parents are to be honoured by their children, and children are to be care for by their parents. The fourth commandment also “enjoins us to honour all who for our good have received authority in society from God. It clarifies the duties of those who exercise authority as well as those who benefit from it. Those who exercise authority should do so as a service.” [CCC 2234-2235] “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person.” [CCC 2237] This is why the Serbian people are leaving their country because they do not trust their leader to respect their rights as humans. “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity.” [CCC 2239] Do you know someone who exercises authority as a service? Do you know someone in political leadership who is serving out of love for their country? Would you consider serving your country because you value our rights and freedoms as Canadians? Can you see the connection between this service and the Fourth Commandment?

LC 1.2: Identify ways the Church has tried to encourage its members to willingly follow the Third Commandment – keep holy the Lord’s day (established the precepts of the Catholic Church – Sunday established as a holy day of obligation and of rest and leisure for the cultivation of families, and cultural, social and religious beliefs; sacramental celebration of the Lord’s resurrection each Sunday; counseling against hindering another’s observance of the Lord’s day). [CCC nos. 2168-2195]

1. Before March 1991 in Ontario there was a law in place that forbid Sunday shopping. The Ontario Bishops, along with the Canadian Bishop’s Conference, worked to stop laws

permitting Sunday shopping as it would force Catholics who worked in retail to work on Sundays. 2. There is mass on the eve of Sunday, on Saturday any time after 4:00 p.m. so Catholics can attend to their Sunday obligation of attending Sunday mass. 3. Some parishes hold special events i.e. Sunday morning pancake breakfasts, Sunday afternoon CWL tea and bazaar, Church picnic…etc. to assist families to celebrate family time together. There is a challenge because many of our students are not aware of the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday as a means of living the Third Commandment. They have only lived in a time when Sunday shopping has existed. It may be helpful to begin the lesson by asking the question: “Why would the Church invite us to keep the Lord’s day holy by attending mass on Sunday?” Then have the students identify ways that the Church tries to encourage its members to do so. This is very challenging since it is not supported by parents who did not have the practice of going to mass on Sunday. We may be two or three generations of Catholics away from regular Sunday attendance.

LC 1.3: Describe ways in which the First and Second Commandments promote in the Church the virtues of faith, hope and charity, the practice of religion, and the freedom of religious expression. [CCC nos. 2084-2167]

Write on the Board the First and Second Commandments (Exodus 20:2-5 or Deuteronomy 5:6-9)

Remind your students that the virtues of faith, hope and love are theological virtues = that means that God gives them to us freely. It is our choice to receive these gifts and to use them. So the First and Second Commandment help us to acknowledge the greatness of God . These are key gifts God gives us. Once we receive these gifts our response is to use the gifts and to be grateful for the gifts. The practice of religion is based on spending time with the people of God in prayer, worship and service of the Creator. The First and Second Commandments encourage us to worship God and to serve God. Freedom of religious expression is an extension of what happens when we are grateful to God for life, for all the good things God provides, for being in relationship with God. With freedom or religious expression comes the responsibility to use religious language and expression with respect and reverence.

LC 2.1: Describe the varied spiritualities and prayers that have developed in the Church as a result of the particular charism or witness of a saint (e.g. patron saint, specific devotion to the poor, specific devotion to the sacraments i.e. Eucharist, devotion to Mary). [CCC nos. 2683-2684]

There are many spiritualities that have developed in the Church as a result of the particular charism (Spirit gift) or witness of a saint. This Augustinian (St. Augustine), Franciscan (St. Francis of Assisi), Ignatian (St. Ignatius of Loyola), Thomastic (St. Thomas Aquinas) to name a few. If you want more background information on these spiritualities, email me. Spirituality is the way we live out the expression of our faith. A Franciscan spirituality is based on simplicity, joy and praise of God. A First Nations spirituality is based on communion and care of the earth. A Salesian spirituality (St. Francis de Sales) is based on gentleness, peace and joy. A Benedictine spirituality (St. Benedict) is based on balance between work and prayer. Specific saints have given witness to certain devotions. St. Vincent de Paul had a specific devotion to the poor and he worked to relieve their suffering. St. Andre Besette had a specific gift with hearing people’s confessions. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had a specific devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; she had a vision of the Sacred Heart which is depicted in the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. John Paul II had a specific devotion to Mary, the mother of God. You may want to give your students an assignment based on the four spiritualities listed above. Or ask them to research a saint and invite them to share what gift the saint offered/witnessed to the Church.

LC 2.2: Using particular saints as examples, outline the process of how a person becomes recognized as a saint (i.e. holy man or woman) by the Church. [CCC nos. 946-975]

I would invite your students to research your school patron saint to learn more about the holy man or woman. If your school has the name of Holy Cross or Holy Name of Jesus, I would suggest that your students select a saint that they are connected to, i.e. St. Joseph who is the patron saint of Canada or St. Teresa of Calcutta (who was canonized this September.) Or if their name is John/Jennifer > the student selects their personal patron saint. Generically, a person becomes recognized as a saint by how they live, work, and serve people. They live a prayerful and holy life of virtue. Once someone recognizes his/her goodness, that person gets other people to notice. The potential saint has to die. Step 1 - If the people continue to be inspired by the life of the holy person, then they ask the local bishop to investigate the holy person’s life. If the bishop finds sufficient evidence to support the claim, then he presents the information to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Step 2 – The Congregation reads the information and can reject or support the bishop’s information. If accepted, the Congregation begins its own investigation into the life of the person. The person is referred to as a Servant of God at this stage. Step 3 – The Congregation declares that the person lived a good and holy life while on earth; this is not a declaration that the person is in heaven. The Congregation approves of the person as a potential candidate for sainthood. Step 4 – A miracle performed through the intercession of the person is proof that the person is in fact in heaven. Most of the time the miracle is a healing. The healing must be verified by independent doctors and proved real by scientists. Once that verification is over, it is up to the pope to approve the canonization. The person is now referred to as Blessed. Step 5 – A second miracle is required and it needs to go through the verification process like the first. If approved by the pope is then canonized a Saint.

LC 2.3: Identify living examples of the virtuous life (prophets: Mother Teresa, Canadian Martyrs, Jean Vanier, St. KateriTekakwitha, St. Peter Aleut) and explain how they witness to the resurrected Christ through healings and miracles. [CCC nos. 946-975]

It is challenging to find living examples of people living virtuous lives because people think being religious is a private part of their lives. Of the examples above only Jean Vanier is still living. Father Gregory Boyle and Martin Sheen are good examples.

Brother Lawrence Freeman OSB would also qualify as a living saint. Ask your students to research the life of any of these holy men or women. Some have already gone to heaven and have been declared canonically Saint. Some are still living in the world. One person who is not on this list is Pope Francis to whom I think the students would related. Once the students have done their research, invite them to have a conversation about how their virtuous individual gives witness to the resurrected Christ. All of these individuals may not have healings and miracles attributed to them YET. However they are giving witness to the resurrected Christ by the ministry and action they perform in their lives.