Oct. 5th — The Holy Trinity

Oct. 5th, 2014 — The Holy Trinity

Preparation notes: This has been possibly my most difficult catechism class to prep for since I've started doing catechism. As my student's capacity for understanding increases, I'm no longer comfortable with the simple formulations in my materials. Yes, it's a mystery, but we can't understand our faith without spending a deeper reflection on the Trinity. The kinds of exercises my prep book recommends, such as reviewing and chanting the Shema, and collage creation, trivialize the Trinity. That said, I will do a quick review of it — since, though the Shema I can focus on the economy of salvation without saying so. I can cover what the Shema exercise suggests at by merely saying, Matthew 5:17; “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” So, through Jesus, and in the context of this course, we'll be looking at God's Revelation of who He is, through His Son — just who is Jesus? Who is God the Father? Who is God the Holy Spirit? Treacle no more, In say.

I've included a satirical Lutheran video (though apparently routed in Patristics, safely enough, I trust) and an Eastern Orthodox video that recapitulates the Athanaisan Creed. I emphasized this creed too extensively early on — which is part of the learning process of teaching.

Post-class thoughts:

I fear this was too much. I would drop the Shema if I could do this over again. Having the video greatly helped, though I was distracted without quick access to my itinerary. Having my main computer as the AV controller made that a problem. The kids struggled through the crossword puzzle provided with the lesson. I asked one of my students "What was today's essentially about?" "Purgatory and a funny video about a couple of Irish guys." 

Overview:

The Mystery of the Trinity:

The Blessed Trinity is the central mystery of our Catholic faith.
There are three Divine Persons in one God:
The Father,
the Son
and the Holy Spirit.

"Who knows who St. Patrick is? What is he known for? Where did he serve?"

  

Objectives: 

• Identify the Trinity
• Recite the Shema
• Get a sense of the unity, harmony and love in the communion of the Trinity

Materials

• Bibles
• Handout 3-A

1. Quick Start Activity
1. Read from Chapter 3 for those 10 or more minutes early
2. Crossword puzzle — together or alone
2. Welcome and Opening Prayer
1. Light candle while praying "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit"
2. Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God
1. Think when your family was happy or sad: There is Unity in joy, unity in sorrow.
3. Read the prayer on page 41
4. Three in one, one in three
3. Learning the Shema
1. Chant the Shema
2. What language?
3. Discuss translation
4. Read Mark 12:28 - 30
5. FREELANCE
1. Revelation: God reveals himself to us
2. How does He do so?
3. Someone read Mark 8:27 - 29
4. Who do YOU say that Jesus is?
4. Trinity: Bad Math, But Great Faith
1. Longer statement on the Trinity:

1. Trinity is a mystery that we can not comprehend through human reason but we understand through faith and is best confessed in the words of the Athanasius Creed, which states that we worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance of God, that we are compelled by the Christian Truth to confess that each distinct Person is God and Lord and the Deity of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit is One equal in glory, co-equal in Majesty

1. Start with the In the Name of prayer
2. What is the meaning of the Shema?
3. Are we praying to 3 Gods or one God?
4. 1 + 1 + 1 = ?
5. Read John 1:1-18 — what is being described here?
5. The Community of God
1. The Trinity is a communion
2. Read Page 36 - 37 "The Work of the Trinity" and
3. Page 38 "The Trinity is a Communion"
4. Close with: The Orthodox Trinity video
   

1. Closing Prayer
1. Pray from page 35 of the textbook "Pray It"

September 28, 2014: God the Father

Overview:

• List the qualities of human dads and how this relates to God the Father
• Clouds as a symbol of God
• Jesus fully reveals his Father
• Prayerful exercise towards developing our sixth sense

Objectives: students learn that:

• God is beyond our comprehension
• God reveals himself as truth and love
• God as Jesus' Father, meet God in prayer

This series was awesome for last week's prep:

Agenda

1. Quick-Start Activity
1. 2 Large sheets, outline a person
2. Write The Best Qualities of Human Fathers on the 2 large sheets
3. Front of class: 3 - 5 best qualities of a human father — no repeats
4. THEN: read Chapter 2, starting on page 24
2. Welcome and Opening Prayer
1. Bring lighter for candle
2. Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God
3. Prayer in book, page 30
3. The Cloud of Unknowing
1. What's your experience with clouds? Flying through them? Fogs?
2. The difficulty of grasping the majesty of God
3. Jesus reveals the Father
4. Contest: look up:
1. Exodus 13:20-22
2. Numbers 9:15-18
3. 1 Kings 8:12
4. Matthew 17:5
5. How is God like and unlike a fog?
4. Our Father Reveals Himself
1. Look up Genesis 1:26
2. Who is someone you like?
3. How do you know this is true of this person?
4. Write on board:
1. What has God done throughout history?
2. Simple one-word responses
5. Volunteer to read from page 25
6. Review large sheet from beginning of class
7. God is bigger than just human "male" or "female"
5. Listening to the Father
1. Spiritual exercise, page 34
6. Closing Prayer
1. Volunteer to read "Pray It!" from around the candle, page 25

First Sixth Grade class

Revelation, the Scriptures and Tradition

Sunday, August 21st 7:00 PM

This video was very helpful and inspiring:

Agenda

1. 6:50 - 7:05 Quick Start Activity
1. As students come in, assign them a number, 1 through 4
2. How did you come to know God?
3. Don't use words — symbols only
2. 7:05 - 7:15 Welcome and Opening Prayer
1. "Let us remember we are in the holy presence of God."
2. Prayer on Page 21
3. Any special intentions
4. Today's topic
1. Revelation
5. Some ground rules for class
1. Introduce myself
2. Ms. Scardino introduces herself
3. 7:15 - 7:35 How God Reveals Himself
1. Have the groups from the first activity reassemble
2. Can the non-drawer guess what the artist meant to convey?
4. 7:35 - 7:50 Revealed in the Scriptures and Tradition
1. Things that make you go "hum" How did God perfectly reveal himself to us?
2. True or False? FedEx delivered us the first Bible?
1. How many years was there between Jesus' ascension, and any written record?
2. How did His Gospels get communicated, then? 
5. 7:50 - 8 PM God Reveals Himself to and Through Us
1. What does God reveal to us?
2. How does God reveal to us?
3. Who can participate in God's revealed plan for us?
6. 8 PM - 8:15 PM Closing Prayer
1. First to look up Romans 8:38 - 39 aloud
2. Read "Pray It" from Page 17

Right now, this is the rough outline the agenda proscribes. Still thinking this through.