Session Overview for Catechists
Slides * Catechist Guide
- Track A: Monday 10/16/2021, 6:45-8:30 p.m.
- Track B: Wednesday 10/18 to Friday 10/20 in Religion class
Gathering Icebreaker (5 min.)
Look at the new Bibles. Volunteers may share homework responses to journal questions, especially from page 24
Opening Prayer: Reading, Reflecting, Responding to the Word of God!
Reading of Luke 5:1-11
(option for short reflection on how this passage spoke to Ms. Hohner, or for a reflective pause before the sung response)
Lord, When You Came to the Seashore verses 1 & 3
Intro to Scripture & Lector Ministry
Option for short witness on impactful Scripture and/or being a lector (Ms. Hohner or Mr. Fix)
Sacred Scripture is the inspired Word of God, written down by many faithful people and edited together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is divided into the Old Testament (before Jesus) and New Testament (Jesus and the early Church). The Bible is like a library, made up of 73 books (46 OT, 27 NT). Finding passages is easy once you know how to read a citation with the name of the book, the number of the chapter, and the number(s) of the verse(s).
Scripture is always present when we pray as a Church — in the words of common prayers (like Our Father & Hail Mary) or the source of the text in songs and psalms, or the Scriptures proclaimed aloud at Mass.
Option to use 2 videos that go with our Bible:
Breakout Session on Jesus
Trivia Game: What do we know about Jesus?
MATERIALS: toss-and-tell beach ball with trivia questions * answer key in an envelope
Alternate materials: 2 envelopes of Question & Answer cards for “Go Jesus Fish” matching card game
- Within your group, toss around the beach balls with questions to test our knowledge of Jesus. The person catching the ball reads the question that their right thumb (or another finger the group chooses) lands on. The ball goes to the person with the best answer, or perhaps the person who has not had a turn. Each group has an answer key in an envelope for the catechist/facilitator.
- This activity should replace the “Go Jesus Fish!” matching card trivia game as it can be done more easily with social distancing. Cards will be available and the online version on Sporcle.com still works for students joining class or working remotely.
Scripture Exploration: Who Is Jesus?
Each table/group receives a set of 3 passages relating to Jesus’ life and ministry. Reflection questions accompany the passages. Each table selects a scribe to take notes about their answers on the question sheets. At the end of the breakout session, each table/group reports on their conclusions in answer to the question “Who Is Jesus?” based on what is revealed about him in the three passages.
MATERIALS: question sheets specific to each group
- RED Table (Ms. Leticia Solache) Questions for Luke 8:4-8 | Mark 4:21-25 | Matthew 18:21-35
- ORANGE Table (Zoom / Mr. Scott Michaels): Questions for Luke 10:38-42 | John 10:7-15 | Luke 22:24-30
- Students joining on Zoom should work with the ORANGE set of questions and Scripture passages. Mr. Michaels runs the Zoom from his table.
- YELLOW Table (Ms. Isabel Lopez) Questions for Luke 2:1-7 | Matthew 13:54-58 | John 13:4-17
- GREEN Table (Ms. Rachel Hohner) Questions for John 2:1-11 | Mark 6:34-43 | Mark 14:22-26
- BLUE Table (Mrs. Stella Peters) Questions for Luke 7:11-17 | Mark 2:1-12 | Mark 8:22-26
- PURPLE Table (Mrs. Roine Dryer-Michaels) Questions for Matthew 17:1-9 | Luke 4:31-37 | John 14:1-4
- PINK (Track B only): Questions for Mark 4:30-32 | Matthew 20:1-16 | Matthew 13:44-50
- BLACK (Track B only): Questions for Luke 2:41-51 | Mark 1:9-11 | John 19:25-27
Alternate Materials:
- NOT USED THIS YEAR: Questions for Matthew 4:18-22 | Mark 2:13-17 | Luke 19:1-10
Report Back on Final Question Response
Prayer Ritual
Definition of Discipleship
God calls us together as a group, to be his children. Jesus calls each of us to follow him.
To be a disciple means to hear and study the ways of the master, within a community of disciples, and to live out those ways for the good of the world. We do this by learning, participating and serving in the life of Christ’s holy Church, which we enter at Baptism.
God first called us to faith through Baptism. God continues to work in our lives through other people; in the stories we hear and the way we hear them; when we take time during prayer to listen for God’s voice speaking from the silence of our hearts.
But we also hear God’s call through the Scriptures and in the decisions we make every day. Look at the sticker placed on the inside front cover of your Bible. Asking these questions when you read Scripture on your own will help you to figure out how God is calling you and what God is choosing you to do as part of your mission as a disciple.
Our actions are signs that we choose him back. Jesus once told this story:
Reading: Parable of the Two Sons, Matthew 21:28-32 (Bible p. 1277-1278)
“Open My Eyes, Lord” (Jesse Manibusan)
Sample audio file with 2020 instructions included
During the song, candidates bless their own senses (eyes to see, ears to hear, heart to love).
Discipleship Prayer (from prayer card and also in slides):
(insert prayer text here)
Look at the image on the front of the prayer card. Jesus is walking with us toward Confirmation! Jesus is revealed to us when we read or listen to the Scriptures, when we talk to Jesus in prayer, and when we serve Jesus by sharing his love with others. If we stay with Jesus on this path and give him our attention, we will be transformed as disciples as we become fully initiated (Confirmed) Catholic Christians.
Nichole Nordeman – “Brave”
Closing & Dismissal
HOMEWORK
- read/do pages 13-18 in your textbook
- Bring your Bibles and other materials to our next class session, which is for everyone on Monday, October 23, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We will be doing a special activity that involves the whole group!
Note for later on:
- Service Hours can be done now, submission form open soon; due finally in early February
- Let Ms. Hohner know about conflicts with your attendance at Rise Up which will be on Friday, October 27. See your track’s schedule for details.
- Plan for you, your Sponsor(s) and Parent(s) to all attend class at Queen of Angels Church on Monday, November 13, 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Confirmation Name essay due at end of November, details & help coming in late October during the Saintapalooza lesson
- Letter to the Pastor due in early January, to be assigned as classwork in December during the Anointed lesson