Stage 1 Module (Draft)

Stage 1 Module (Draft)

Year 1

Lent to Easter

Lent to Easter

Module Focus

In this module students will explore the themes of Lent and Easter in a creative and integrated way. Through participation and involvement in the module as well as in whole school Lent and Easter activities and celebrations, students will gain an awareness of the stories, actions and symbols of Lent and Easter.

Students will reflect upon how they are constantly growing and changing and are encouraged to participate in the Church's celebration of Lent as a time of personal growth and change, in preparation for Easter. By studying the Zacchaeus story, the students learn how Jesus encouraged others to grow and change through his words and actions.

Further, the children will be encouraged relate the story of the Last Supper to their own family's celebration of meals and the parish community's celebration of the Eucharist.

Lastly, the students will examine the events of the first Easter Sunday, the key symbols and rituals used by the Catholic community to celebrate Jesus risen and alive.

Outcomes

JS 1.2: Sequences, records and communicates stories about Jesus.
PS S 1.4b: Identifies the purpose of prayer
CD S 1.3: Identifies and describes the place of Catholic worship.
Learn About / Learn To
JS 1.2
·  Jesus’ life
·  The last days of Jesus’ life
·  Jesus’ celebration of the Last Supper
·  The change in Jesus’ disciples as a result of his resurrection.
PS S 1.4b
·  Prayer as one of the key actions of Lent.
·  Praying with Jesus during Holy Week.
CD S 1.3
·  Ways that the Church celebrates and proclaims during Lent, Holy Week and the Easter Season
·  Key Lenten and Easter symbols and practices / JS 1.2
·  Recount stories of Jesus’ last days
·  Reflect on stories about Jesus which are sued in Lenten liturgy.
·  Reflect upon and express key messages from Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
PS S 1.4b
·  Pray personally and communally as part of Lenten observance.
·  Pray with Jesus during Holy Week liturgies and personal prayer time.
CDS 1.3
·  Participate in the liturgies of the Church during Lent, Holy Week and the Easter Season
·  Identify some key symbols and practices of the Lenten and Easter liturgical seasons.
DISCIPLESHIP CHALLENGE
·  Students are challenged to recognise the implication of Jesus’ words and actions.
·  Students are challenged to pray.
·  Students are challenged to participate in school and parish worship.

Catholic Discipleship

Experiencing Lent is a good way to introduce young children to the concept of Catholic discipleship. The actions of Lent (prayer, almsgiving and fasting) were part of Jesus’ life and teaching and have been always followed by Christian disciples. Whilst young children will not be asked to fast during Lent, awareness may be created of fasting as a Christian action which allows disciples to relate to people who suffer in the world, especially those who are hungry. This awareness is further developed as we reach out in communion to those on the margins through almsgiving. Project Compassion provides a process whereby children can support people on the margins by “walking hand in hand’” with them (i.e. to feel a relationship with those they are supporting). Our journey as Catholic disciples will be supported by both personal and communal prayer, which helps us to form relationship with God.

The emphasis of this module in the Easter Triduum is the Last Supper and the communion between people as they share meal together. Students will be invited to make the connection between the Last Supper and our celebration of Eucharist at every Mass.

In the Easter Season, children will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection as an ongoing celebration of Jesus’ love for us. This will be reflected in the word “Alleluia” which returns in the Easter Season, which lasts for 50 days. Catholic disciples celebrate Jesus’ resurrection in a special way in the Easter Season, but also in every Mass. They will focus on the signs and symbols of Easter and how the church celebrates this most important liturgical season.

Prayer Focus

Grace Before and After Meals (traditional prayers or one the class has created)

Core Scripture

Lk 19:1-10 Jesus and Zacchaeus

Mt 26:17-17, 26-30 Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples ( also Lk 22:7-20, Mk 14:12-16, 22-24)

MK 16:1-7 Jesus is risen (also Mk 16:1-7, Lk 24:1-12, Jn 20:1-9)

Scripture in Context

Lk 19:1-10 Jesus and Zacchaeus

People generally dislike paying taxes and so tax collectors are often unpopular. But in Jesus’ day they were hated because the Romans employed them to collect money from their fellow citizens. They received a commission so the more money they collected, the more they were able to keep for themselves. They were also building the fortunes of the Roman oppressors. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus was a wealthy man, so he had obviously done well to the detriment of his fellow people.

But when Jesus came to town, Zacchaeus felt an urge to see him. It would have been shocking to the Jews that Jesus called Zacchaeus down from the tree and requested to stay at his home. They would have seen it as being ritually impure to visit the house of a sinner. However Jesus came to reach out to sinners and Zacchaeus’ response was amazing, agreeing to change his life. The impact Jesus has on Zacchaeus was as profound as it was sudden: It was Jesus’ acceptance of Zacchaeus the outcast that caused the latter to repudiate the very practices that had put him at the fringe of society. Zacchaeus did not change in order to be accepted, but in response to being accepted.

As Zacchaeus opened his door to Jesus, so we are invited to do the same. The good news from this story is that no matter what our past lives may be, Jesus will reach out to us. He walks in our streets daily an invites us to come down from our sycamore trees .It is up to us to accept the invitation rather than keeping Jesus at a distance. We need to look for Jesus in our lives, finding him in the people we relate to and the things we do.

Mt 26:17-17, 26-30 (Lk 22:7-20, Mk 14:12-16, 22-24)

Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples

The New Testament texts as well as being based in Jesus’ words and actions at the Last Supper were influenced by the words and actions of the first Christian communities as they celebrated the ritual that Jesus gave to his own on the night before his death.

The basic shape of the Eucharist is established in these early texts: bread and wine are taken, thanks and praise are offered to God over them, the bread is broken and the bread and wine received by all. All experience the presence of Christ with them as they eat and drink the Body and Blood of the Lord.

The basic meaning of the Eucharist is also established in the texts of the scripture: the Eucharist proclaims and makes present through the ages the mystery of the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/explore/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=21

The Last Supper was a Passover meal. Meals for ancient Jews were scared occasions, a time for thanksgiving. Jewish meals began with the father or a presiding member of the community:

·  took bread

·  broke the bread

• blessed it with the beraka (= blessing, thanksgiving) “Blessed be you, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth” and then distributed the bread

(Eucharist as a Meal Powerpoint available at http://www.stjohnadulted.org/)

These actions are still carried out in our Liturgy of the Eucharist today.

Mk 16:1-7 The Resurrection

The story of the resurrection must be seen in context of the whole story of Holy Week, and in fact of Jesus’ entire life and death. The resurrection brings to light our salvation in the midst of suffering. The cross and the resurrection are united, they cannot be seen alone. The mystery of new life comes from Jesus’ suffering.

The Paschal Mystery (the living, dying and rising of Jesus) is at work within us both individually and collectively as we embrace brokenness in our world, knowing that within the pain lives hope. Pope Benedict XVI says that the resurrection is a proclamation of life. “True life –our salvation- can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift. The resurrection holds a message of hope, of transformation and calls us like the people of Israel to “choose life” (Dt 30:19) Homily in USA, Apr 20, 2008 @ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/20homily.html?ref=nationalspecial2

Catechism of the Catholic Church for teacher reference

nn. 1163-71 Lent/Easter – The Liturgical Year

Compendium # 241 What is the centre of the liturgical season?

nn.1434-33, 1490 Penance

Compendium # 301 What forms does penance take in Christian life?

nn. 599-605, 620 The Death of Jesus

Compendium # 118 Why was the death of Jesus part of God’s plan?

nn. 613-617, 622-623 Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

Compendium # 122 What are the results of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross?

nn.618 The cross of Jesus’ disciples

Compendium # 123 Why does Jesus call upon his disciples to take up their cross?

nn.651-655, 658 Jesus’ Resurrection

Compendium # 131 What is the saving meaning of Jesus’ resurrection?

Background for Teachers

Introduction

This module has several components:

1.  On Ash Wednesday, children will be introduced to the Season of Lent.

This will include: changing the colour of the Sacred Space to purple, and discussing why;

§  celebrating an Ash Wednesday Mass or liturgy;

§  introducing the actions of Lent i.e. prayer, almsgiving and fasting; and

§  focusing prayer in Lent and raising money for Project Compassion (S1 children are too young to fast, although the concept may be discussed with them).

Whilst the Lenten theme runs in the classroom, teachers should complete teaching their first module of the year, and not begin the actual Lenten module until the third week of Lent (as they learn about Lent every year, it is important to give time to complete other modules).

2.  In the fifth week of Lent and Holy Week, the focus will be on the Easter Triduum, through the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

3.  For two weeks after Easter, children will continue by learning about the Easter Season. However, they must be aware that the Easter Season lasts for fifty days, and so class prayer should have the Easter theme for that period of time. As the “Alleluia” is returned, maybe, “Alleluia” banners could be prominent in the classroom or school. The sacred space might contain symbols such as flowers, butterflies or anything that represents new life.

Ash Wednesday is a special day which is the first day of Lent

The liturgical year is designed to express and celebrate the different aspects of our lives. There are times of great celebration and joy, times when we celebrate the ordinary things of our lives and times of preparation forgiveness and healing. Lent is a season of preparation for the great feast of Easter, a time during which we focus on how we can best be disciples of Jesus. Lent presents us with its challenge to take stock of our lives, to see more clearly what is in our hearts, and to discover what might be calling us out of our comfort zones. It is a time for personal as well as group reflection, a time for entering into 'the wilderness' and grappling with the mysteries of life, through which we prepare for Easter when we renew our baptismal vows and celebrate the greatest mysteries of our faith. Lent encourages us to find the sacred in the ordinary as we look at our everyday relationships with God, with others and with creation.

On Ash Wednesday Catholics all over the world come to church to receive ashes on their foreheads. The name of the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, comes from the old custom of blessing ashes and marking the foreheads of the people with ashes on this day. The practice was adopted by early Christians from their Jewish heritage where ashes had been used as an expression of sorrow and humiliation. The custom was then often used privately by the early Christians. In medieval times, mourners and penitents often clothed themselves in sackcloth and sprinkled their hands and faces with dust and ashes. It was introduced into the liturgy and became a formal part of the Roman practice in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Today, the ashes are prepared by burning palms from the preceding Palm Sunday. It has become a public sign of communal faith through which Catholics express our connection in the Cross of Jesus, our connection with creation, our connections with those who are suffering and dying, and our place in the living, dying and rising of Jesus.

As these young children receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday they will learn that the special sign on their foreheads is to remind them to be good and kind to everyone during this time of waiting for Easter to come.

Our call to bring about the Kingdom of God ~ a focus in Lent

In Jesus' life and ministry, the Kingdom of God was the focus of everything that he said and did. Jesus shared his giftedness with all, especially the poor and became the model for unselfish, loving service based on the two great commandments, love of God and love of neighbour.

People who met Jesus were affected by the person he was: his actions and words through which he brought healing and forgiveness. Those who trusted and believed in him experienced a freedom to respond to God's love. Jesus excluded no one from his love and care. His example challenges the Christian community to reach out to all with the same love and care that he showed to others.

The Season of Lent is a time in which we focus on our call to bring about the kingdom of God in our own lives. The actions of almsgiving, fasting and prayer help to direct our minds to injustice in the world and our call to make a difference.