Session Overview for Catechists
Slides * Catechist Summary
- Track A: Monday 9/30/2024, 6:45-8:30 p.m.
- Track B: taught Wednesday 10/2 and Thursday 10/3 in Religion class
Warm-up activity (5 min.)
Track A suggested activity: As they find their assigned tables and sit down, students and catechists meet one another in their small groups and begin to build community.
- Share your name, grade in school, and one thing that most people don’t know about you. Prompts can be pulled from the cup matching your table’s color. (sets of prompts to cut apart).
- If time allows, volunteers may also share homework responses to journal questions, especially from pages vii and viii (Roman numerals 7 and 8).
Track B suggested activity: Volunteers may share homework responses to journal questions, especially from pages vii and viii (Roman numerals 7 and 8). The icebreaker above would likely be a dull exercise for the Catholic Schools students who must know their classmates pretty well already.
Opening Prayer (5 min.)
Act of Faith – Confirmed in the Spirit textbook p. 108
Belief, Faith and Trust (15 min)
Beliefs are based in evidence, in things that are convincing to us, either by logic or by observation. By learning more about the teachings of the Catholic Church, we come to question them, accept them and believe them.
Trust is a decision made based on belief. If I believe that someone is my friend, I may decide to trust her. But I can also choose not to trust. I may believe that elastic and latex are strong materials, but not trust them enough to bungee-jump off a bridge. There are people who believe in God but do not choose to trust either God’s wisdom or God’s goodness. There is a mutual element to trust that is not present in belief: good, healthy relationships require both individuals to trust each other.
However, we can understand faith as a gift from God. Through the grace we receive in the sacrament of Baptism, our parents pass along the gift of their faith to us. Faith is based on a change of attitude, a change of heart, not on observable facts. While your beliefs may or may not influence your actions, true faith in your soul changes the actions you take and the way you are. It is a different outlook on the world. Our faith is what leads us to trust in God.
Video Conversation-Starter: “Jesus and Laura”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnRvb-M-P4
Breakout Session: Trust in God (5 min)
Briefly discuss the video in small groups (or as a class, if desired):
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- How do you define “faith”? What does it take in order to have faith?
- What, besides fear, might get in the way of faith? How can someone overcome fear or those other obstacles in order to have greater faith?
Eucharistic Adoration (10 min)
One thing that is both a gift of our Catholic tradition and a challenge to our faith, belief, and trust is Eucharistic Adoration. This is a prayerful experience of contemplating the Divine Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, our spiritual food and the “Body of Christ“. But on the surface it can seem a very strange thing to do, because it requires belief, trust, and faith to even understand what it really is.
We don’t see Jesus’ face! We see what looks like bread and we know tastes like bread but we believe IS the Body of Jesus Christ! (As we affirm every time we receive Holy Communion: the minister says “The Body of Christ” and we say “Amen” which is an enthusiastic statement of belief: “Truly!”.)
We trust in the words of Jesus:
“I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” – John 6:35
Promotional Video with testimonials by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(what we can get out of Eucharistic Adoration when we pray in this way)
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txuaN5FXgW8)
(2nd half of session begins for Track B)
Transitional Prayer Activity: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus (5-10 min)
Going deeper on the video with “Jesus and Laura.” Students will each choose an image of Jesus’ face (found on their smart phones or from printed image options provided):
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Then let’s look at Jesus’ face we have chosen, and pray along with the song “Turn Your Eyes” by Lauren Daigle.
Source: https://youtu.be/EQTtkr2zVxg?t=46
Breakout Session: Reading the Church (25-30 min)
- Jesus speaks to us in the Eucharist
- Jesus also speaks to us through the works of art and the symbols we see at church
- Something to look at when your mind “drifts” during Mass
“Fix your eyes” on something in the church to help you pray. Look at one of the church photos given to your group. Photos are from Queen of Angels Church and/or St. Matthias Church.
What do the things you are looking at say to you about Jesus? Put your ideas together and see how that compares to the Hint Page in the envelope.
MATERIALS: general questions set * 3 photos for each group * hint sheet in envelope (all 10 hint sheets v.2024)
| RED Ms. Solache Hint page |
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| ORANGE Mr. Rosales Hint page |
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| YELLOW Ms. Lopez Hint page |
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| GREEN Ms. Hohner & Mr. Hernández Hint page |
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| BLUE Mrs. Peters Hint page |
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| PURPLE Mr. Richlen for Mrs. Richlen Hint page |
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| PINK (extra for Track B use only) Hint page |
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| BLACK (extra for Track B use only) Hint page |
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| BROWN (extra for Track B use only) Hint page |
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| WHITE (extra for Track B use only) Hint page |
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Rite of Enrollment Practice (5-10 min)
Please come for Rite of Enrollment at any of the weekend parish Masses on Saturday-Sunday, October 5th-6th, 2024 in person at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside. You and your parents will get a blessing, and you will receive your Bible to use for Confirmation Prep classes. Please dress appropriately for church and fairly nicely, as you will be called to come up to the altar.
- 5 p.m. Saturday Mass in English (arrive by 4:45 p.m. Saturday to check in)
- 9 a.m. Sunday Mass in English (arrive by 8:45 a.m. Sunday to check in)
- 11 a.m. Sunday Mass in English (arrive by 10:45 a.m. Sunday to check in)
- Misa dominical de las 12:30 p.m. en español (llegue antes de las 12:15 p.m. el domingo para registrarse su asistencia)
Priest: I ask you to please gather in front of the altar.
< Candidates gather at the altar >
Priest: Do you ask to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation?
Candidates: Yes, I do. / ¡Si, lo pido!
Priest: Do you promise to be active in the Church community, to be faithful in celebrating the sacraments, to serve God’s people and to seek to grow as a disciple of Jesus?
Candidates: Yes, I do. / ¡Si, lo prometo!
Priest: In the presence of God and this community of faith, do you promise to enter into serious preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation?
Candidates: Yes, I do. / ¡Si, lo prometo!
Blessing of Candidates, Bibles & Tree and Blessing of Parents
< after each prayer, all respond together: >
Candidates: Amen. / Amén.
< candidates are applauded & may receive Bibles immediately if present in church >
Prayer Ritual (10 min)
“The Divine Praises” – Matt Maher and Audrey Assad, World Youth Day 2016
Homework for Candidates:
- read/do pages 22, 23, 24 and 25 in your journal
- due at next class: sign and have parent(s) sign the Discipleship Commitment (beige paper)
- all Confirmation candidates (students preparing to be Confirmed this year) come to Rite of Enrollment at any weekend parish Mass Saturday 10/5 or Sunday 10/6 at Queen of Angels Church; dress appropriately; arrive 15 minutes before Mass; check in & get handout; sit with your family; will receive Bibles and a blessing up in sanctuary after the Homily
- bring new Bibles, Discipleship Commitment and all other materials (book, journal, folder) to next classes:
- Track A (Religious Education / Catecismo): Monday 10/7
- Track B (Catholic Schools / SMS & Queen of Angels School): Wednesday 10/9 & Thursday 10/10 in Religion Classes