Catechists: Today we will begin with a meditation. You have candles and a lighter/matches. You will turn off the lights, light the candle and lead your students in the sign of the cross. Silence is a large part of this meditation so please wait in silence for a few moments and then begin. Be sure to go slowly and to take time to pause in silence so the students can reflect. Do not feel rushed, but, to give you an idea, we are looking for about 10 minutes of prayer here. When finished, make the sign of the cross again and turn on the lights. (You may want to bring a small light or flashlight to read with)
Before you Begin: Explain to the students that meditation is a special type of prayer. During this prayer, we reflect on something God has taught or revealed to us. This can be a scripture passage, an event (like the birth of Jesus) or any number of things done by God. During this time, we are going to be completely silent except for the reader. Listen to the bible story and try to imagine yourself in the middle of it. What does everything look like? Who is with you? What is God trying to show you? After each scripture passage, the reader will ask a series of questions. Reflect on the answers in your own mind. Ask God to reveal the answers to you.
Read: Based on 1 Kings 19:11-13
Sign of the Cross
(Brief Silence)
Then the LORD said [to the prophet Elijah], "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by."
Close your eyes and picture yourselves on that mountain. Look at the trees around you. Picture the ground underneath you and the great prophet Elijah next to you. See his beard and a staff in his hand. He is waiting for God. Sit for a moment and take it all in.
(Brief silence)
You are waiting with Elijah for God to come. Think. What do you expect to see? What will God be like?
(Brief Silence)
As you look, a strong and heavy wind begins rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD. You can feel the wind rushing around you. A strong gust almost knocks you over, but the LORD is not in the wind. There is silence.
(Brief Silence)
After the wind, there is an earthquake. The ground begins to shake violently and you are thrown off balance. You and Elijah struggle to stand and you think that this might be the God’s arrival, but the LORD is not in the earthquake. There is silence.
(Brief Silence)
After the earthquake you see a great fire. You can feel the heat pressing against you and you see a wall of flames. You begin to sweat, but the LORD is not in the fire. There is silence.
(Brief Silence)
After the fire, you hear a tiny whisper. You think you can almost hear what it is saying and you struggle to listen more carefully. Elijah suddenly bows down on the ground and hides his face. It is the Lord. You hear the whisper. The Lord says, “Why are you here?”
Think. Why ARE you here?
(Brief Silence. Allow extra time to reflect on this question.)
God says: “I have called you by name: you are mine.”
Ask God why He has called you into being. Ask Him why He made you.
(Brief Silence)
God says: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Thank God in your hearts for being your Father.
(Brief Silence)
Jesus says: “Follow Me”
Ask God in your hearts how you can follow Him.
(Allow extra time for this reflection)
Sign of the Cross
Catechists: Explain to the students that we can and should always be praying, no matter where we are, but silence is an important part of our prayer lives, especially in helping us discover our vocation (what God made us to do). God generally does not speak to us through noise and great signs, but rather as a still, small whisper. We need to be quiet and wait, like Elijah, to hear God.
Discuss with the Students:
In your average day, how often does your free time include silence?
What is happening in your lives that make it hard to be silent and listen to God?
Jane is a 9th grader. She was trying to find a penance for Lent when her dad suggested that she give up electronics one night each week. This would mean no tv, ipod, computer or cell phone. Jane said she would go crazy without those things and decided not to do it. How would you react to this suggestion? Why?
Can a person rely on these things too much? If so, what would that person be like?
Do gadgets sometimes prevent us from making time to be silent with God?
Do gadgets sometimes encourage bad habits? If so, what might those be?
Catechists: Lead the students through the following information. Try to have them look up verses when possible.
One Vocation, Three Levels
Read:
This month we are learning about a very special vocation. The men whom God created for this vocation receive the sacrament of Holy Orders and are united to Jesus in a very special way. Like Confirmation and Baptism, this sacrament puts a permanent mark on the soul that identifies the man as a deacon, priest or bishop. It also provides special graces to aid these men in their vocation.
1. Deacons: This is the first level. Deacons assist priests and bishops. They are especially united to Jesus the servant, but they also have authority from God to baptize, bless marriages, preach the Gospel and be special leaders in the community.
Our parishes: Deacon Doyle
2. Priests: This is the second level. These men are special co-workers with the bishop. They are normally responsible for a specific church, or parish, but can have other jobs as well. They can, with permission, perform all sacraments except Holy Orders.
Our Parishes: Fr. Wilmot
3. Bishops: This is the highest level of Holy Orders. These men have the fullness of the priesthood. They can perform all sacraments, including Holy Orders, and are the modern-day Apostles. Each bishop has an area entrusted to them, called a diocese, which they are responsible for. The head of all of the bishops in the world is called the Pope. We sometimes refer to him as the “Holy Father.”
Our Diocese: Bishop Quinn
Our Pope: Pope Benedict XVI
Discuss:
Why do you think it is necessary to have three levels of the priesthood?
Why might it be helpful to have one head bishop?
Apostolic Succession
Read:
We did not always have deacons, priests and bishops. In fact, we did not always have a Church. These things began with Jesus. Jesus had many followers who loved Him, but while He was on Earth He picked only twelve men to be His special representatives. These men were the twelve Apostles. When it came time for Jesus to Ascend into Heaven, He gave the Apostles this order:
“Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’” Mathew 28:18-20
Jesus also chose one Apostle, St. Peter, to be the leader of all the others. Jesus said:
“I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not conquer it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Mathew 16:18-19
Peter means “rock.” Jesus was saying that it was Peter’s job to be the head Apostle and the first Pope.
With all of the gifts God gave His Church, She began to grow very quickly. The Apostles soon realized that there were too many people for only twelve men, so they chose new men to help them preach, teach and baptize. When these men were chosen, an Apostle prayed and laid hands on them. These became the first priests and deacons. To this day, the laying on of hands by a bishop is necessary for the sacrament of Holy Orders.
“They appointed presbyters (priests) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.”
Acts 14:23
As the Apostles grew older and the Church continued to increase in size, the Apostles chose Bishops to be their successors and take over for them. We call this Apostolic Succession. It means that every deacon, priest and bishop comes from a direct line going all the way back to the Apostles and Jesus himself. Look at the picture below to see how this works.
No protestant church has Apostolic Succession. (ie: Lutheran, Baptist, etc.)
Bridegrooms
Men do not marry after they are ordained as deacons, priests or bishops. This is because they are trying to live as much like Jesus as possible and Jesus’ bride is the whole Church. In a special way, then, a priest is married to the Church. This is also a reason why only men can receive Holy Orders. Only a man can symbolize a groom.
In just the same way, no man can ever be a consecrated virgin or a nun. Those vocations symbolize the Church as a bride and those sisters take, in a special way, Jesus as their husband. Since no man can symbolize a bride, no man can enter into these vocations.
We should also remember that even though Jesus’ own mother was the most perfect human to ever exist, He did not make her an Apostle. Not being a priest does not mean you are less special. Remember, nothing is a coincidence, including whether you are male or female.
Catechists: Lead your students in a discussion about power. The main thrust should be that 1) the priesthood should be viewed as service and not a means to power and 2) true holiness is actually the most powerful tool in our arsenal.
- What does it mean to be powerful?
- Who has power in this world?
- Who has heard of Mother Teresa?
- Who was Pope before John Paul II?
Catechists: Most people know mother Teresa, a destitute nun who spent her life taking care of the poorest among us, but can’t tell you the last Pope’s (or current Bishop’s) name. Power lies in holiness (obedience, purity, honesty, virtue.)