This Course Is Concerned with How We, As Persons, Relate to Others. As a Catholic Christians

Mr. VelazquezReligion 10

This course is concerned with how we, as persons, relate to others. As a Catholic Christians, we will look to the person of Jesus as the model for relating to others and to God. By studying the New Testament, we will examine how Jesus calls all people to wholeness, to community, and to Christian values in the creation of the Kingdom of God, here and now. We will explore the cultural messages we receive about how we should live our lives and measure those messages in the light of Jesus’ proclamation of the “Kingdom of God.”

3rdQuarter –

Students will be challenged to:

• explore images of Jesus that they have “inherited” (from family, school, Church, media, etc) and compare those to the various “portraits of Jesus” as presented in the synoptic Gospels;
• Answer the question for themselves that Jesus posed to Peter: “Who do you say that I am?”
• See Jesus as an important role model for relationships
• realize that they are invited to a relationship of faith by Jesus (and it is up to us to say yes!)

In preparation and support for this, students will:

• recognize and distinguish the “Jesus of history” from the “Christ of faith”
• recognize that Catholic Christians interpret scripture contextually;
• identify the stages of Gospel formation;
• distinguish the time, culture and primary audience each synoptic gospel was written for, recognizing that this knowledge can help ‘decipher’ richer meaning from sometimes the ‘hard to understand’ language of the Gospels.
• Examine Jesus’ interactions with His contemporaries through the Gospels, particularly in light of their expectations of the Messiah and the integrity with which He lived despite their expectations;
• Observe the impact Jesus made on people, particularly through miracles and teaching through parables;
• Clarify answers to the question “WHY JESUS?” seeing that His purpose was about showing us what God’s love is like and to announce the “kingdom of God” begins here and now;
• Analyze various reasons for lack of acceptance of Jesus then and now as He was/is a countercultural figure;
• Appreciate the importance of the actual Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• Respect the role of the Paschal Mystery for Catholic Christians as way of life as something commemorated each liturgical year during our holiest days of the Triduum.
• Rediscover the Sacraments of Initiation and Healing as paths to personal wholeness as God’s grace unites the body of Christ.
• Respect prayer, scripture and each other as ways of getting to know and experience God.